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| Release Date | Gameplay & Story | Pre-Order & DLC | Review |
Die in the Dungeon is a dice-themed deck-building roguelite game where you battle through a dungeon with dice and relics! Read our review of its early-access build to see what it did well, what it didn't do well, and if it's worth buying.
Everything We Know About Die in the Dungeon
Die in the Dungeon Story Plot
Die in the Dungeon follows a group of brave warriors as they fight their way through a dungeon full of enemies, risking it all to get to the bottom of it all. What lies at the end remains a mystery—but high risk comes with high rewards, and the party is determined to see what fate has in store for them. All they can do is trust the rolls of their dice and power through the dungeon!
Die in the Dungeon Gameplay
Die in the Dungeon’s gameplay loop revolves around deck-building with a large variety of dice, which are then amplified by powerful relics that can up your game. Instead of laying out the dice to play them one by one during your turn as with other games of the genre, your deck of dice must be placed on a special dice board then played all in one go. These dice types can vary from simple actions such as attacking, blocking, and healing to more complex actions like mirroring a die on another spot on the board or rerolling all dice in a certain area. Placement and strategy is key as some dice will only work properly if another die is in its specified range.
Players can get new dice and relics from defeating enemies, purchasing from the shop scattered around the map, or random non-combat encounters. Then, each area is guarded by a boss that must be defeated before moving on to the next area.
Die in the Dungeon Release Date
Die in the Dungeon is now available to be wishlisted in Early Access on Steam ahead of its release date on February 21, 2025. The game is projected to be in Early Access for a year before being fully released.
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| Wishlist Only |
Die in the Dungeon Review [Early Access]
Immense Dice-Rolling Fun
Roguelite deck-building games are some of my favorite types of games to play in my free time, having played several of them such as Diceomancer, Dicey Dungeons, and the ever-popular Slay the Spire. Hence, when I saw this up and coming game, it stood out to me just from the trailer—and who can resist a cute little frog?
Die in the Dungeon is an upgraded and more complete version of its predecessor, the free-to-play Die in the Dungeon: Origins. I’ve heard of the older version before but I was never able to play it before it eventually got delisted off Steam—however, the penultimate version (as it is in Early Access) is here to save the day and provide an improved version of Origins. And needless to say, it’s fun in all the right places.
Unique Dice Deck-building And Relic Gameplay
While the deckbuilding mechanic is nothing new, the added twist of using dice instead of cards makes it different and fun—it’s Die in the Dungeon, after all. The gameplay mechanics are simple enough to grasp, but can be tough to master as you get more types of dice and meet more opponents that can put obstacles on your board.
The core gameplay loop revolves around placing dice on a board, placing them in the right positions to trigger buffs, then are executed as actions depending on the type of dice. You have your standard attack, block, and heal dice, as well as interesting dice that change up the combat a little, such as the mirror dice that mirrors the exact dice that is a certain number of spaces away, or terrain dice that add an extra value to whatever die is placed in its space during the next turn.
It was enjoyable to try different combos, trying to find the right balance of shielding damage while also dealing as much damage as possible with the current deck—even more satisfying to see those numbers pile up if you put the right boost and terrain dice. Additionally, there are currently three characters to choose from, each with their own type of quirk that can change up your next playthrough a little. While Cinder is my favorite, Lisver’s inherent Poison mechanic can definitely help out a lot when in a pinch, especially when you think you’re about to lose.
Relics also make clearing combat much easier, depending on what types you get. One of my favorites is the Raincoat relic that adds three points of Block to mitigate at least some damage when I have no Block dice on hand. When a good deck is paired with a good set of relics, you feel like you’re invincible—and with how much variety it has even at Early Access, you can build your deck the way you want it to be.
Accessible Gameplay
As mentioned above, the core gameplay aspect is approachable and easy to learn, even for the most casual of gamers. Additionally, the game doesn’t feel punishing at all even if you don’t know what kind of build you’re going for. Every single dice and relic is useful—even if some may be more optimal to use than others, it doesn’t really matter overall. You won’t be locked out of clearing content if you favor another type of dice over another, which is always a welcome feature.
At Early Access, the game also seems to have unlimited slots for relics, so you can be as beefy as you want. Other games do force you to only have a limited amount of buff items, but it’s nice that it’s not the case for Die in the Dungeon—or if there is a limit, you still have a large inventory to fill up that I haven’t reached yet.
Smooth Animations, Great Music
Visuals aren’t over-the-top AAA amazing, but it carries its own pixel charm and is lovely to see. Another factor that makes it work is that the animations are buttery smooth, and there was barely any feel of lag, contributing to the whole gameplay experience—I can be quite picky with playing games, with obvious lag immediately souring my playthrough. Luckily for me, there was none when I played Die in the Dungeon, or they were so miniscule that it didn’t detract from the overall game.
The wonderful pixel art is coupled with a pretty catchy soundtrack that isn’t at all intruding or annoying. It echoes the vibes of earlier, PS1-esque MIDI-like tunes that invoke a sort of nostalgia. It fits well with the whole aesthetic of the game and its gameplay.
RNG Is Both A Blessing And A Curse
The aspect of randomness in the game is both a blessing and a curse. It’s a blessing in the way that it adds a little more flair to the combat, where you not only get dealt a random set of dice per round, but also random values that can either make or break your strategy, like when you roll a 0 value die.
However, the randomness can also take its toll when you’re trying to collect different types of relics and dice. There are still a number of relics and dice types I haven’t unlocked despite playing quite a bit, and it can get rather frustrating if you’ll eventually be missing only one last relic, but haven’t had the chance to run into it even after your 100th run.
Sudden Difficulty Spike
While not exactly a con per se, the sudden difficulty spike may catch players off guard, especially on their first run. The jump between the first area, The Buried City, and the second area called the Monarch’s Grove may come off as a surprise, with much beefier enemies and sudden board attacks that change up the game a little. The sudden challenge may be very welcome for challenge seekers and roguelite deck-building game enthusiasts, but this serves as a warning for those who may be surprised by the jumps in the HPs and abilities of the next area’s opponents, sending them to a swift death.
It doesn’t get better when you move from the Monarch’s Grove to the third area, where they only get more complex in terms of mechanics that affect your board. New dice types and enemy abilities just keep coming, and it can get a little confusing once they all start blending together in more advanced sections.
An Enjoyable Dungeon Crawler With Dice
Die in the Dungeon is a must-play for both newbies and veterans in the roguelite deck-building genre, with its approachable mechanics, unique dice and board-style of combat, as well as having smooth animations that enhance the overall gameplay experience. There are minor gripes here and there regarding the sudden difficulty spike, but this dice-themed deck-building roguelite is fun for all ages and for all kinds of gamers. Even at Early Access, it’s a treasure trove of content that’s sure to keep you entertained for hours.
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Die in the Dungeon Product Information
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| Title | Die in the Dungeon |
|---|---|
| Release Date | February 21, 2025 |
| Developer | ATICO |
| Publisher | HypeTrain Digital, INSTINCT 3 |
| Supported Platforms | PC (Steam) |
| Genre | Adventure, Indie, RPG, Strategy, Deckbuilder, Roguelite |
| Number of Players | 1 |
| ESRB Rating | RP |
| Official Website | Die in the Dungeon Official Website |
