*Disclaimer – My friend made this game – while there is a conflict of interest here, I do genuinely really like the game and feel confident in recommending it, regardless of my relationship with the creator. 

How does it feel to witness the rise of a bona fide auteur? To see Tarkovsky’s student film in its first showing, to read Toni Morrison’s master thesis, to listen to Radiohead while they were still On a Friday? I don’t know that exact feeling of seeing a keg of talent blow up into a fireworks display of mastery, but I can see the sparks in Dungeon Land. Yes, the game is flawed – the loading times are fairly long, the power imbalance between weapons is very noticeable, there’s not a whole lot of content in the game. But the core gameplay is impeccable – fast paced, satisfying, and fresh throughout every short run. In 15 minutes, you turn from a weak, powerless creature into a force of nature able to take down Lovecraftian horrors, but even in the endgame, being too reckless easily leads to your demise. This instant shot of gratification through the progression system and movement shooter gameplay is what has led to me coming back to this game time and time again to beat the game dozens of times and even try a few speedruns (my PB is 5:38). I’m absolutely fiending for the next update to this game, but more importantly, I believe in the creator’s ability to give a bright, vibrant fireworks show of proficiency in the future. 

Download Dungeon Land free on itch.io (https://oddmin8.itch.io/dungeonland)