In the world of tabletop gaming, the call of the dungeon is a powerful lure, and it’s one that the new solo roguelike dungeon crawl, “Rogue Dungeon,” is making irresistible. Cerberus Gate Games’ latest venture is currently on Kickstarter.
Rogue Dungeon is promising to be more than a standard deck of cards game. It is indeed a premium offering that includes a play mat, which mimics a CRPG’s user interface. This mat offers thematic slots for the player’s weapon, shield, armor, helmet, gauntlets, boots, scrolls, and backpack filled with loot, enhancing the immersive feel of the game.
The game is high on replayability and steeped in theme, allowing players to evolve from zero to hero within one hour. At its heart, Rogue Dungeon is a loot management game where players can use various items in their arsenal to progress, survive, and conquer foes.
Choose from seven unique rogues, each with a male and female variant, and set your starting stats. Then, delve into the dungeon, selecting your route using the mini maps that offer 14 different routes to randomize gameplay.
The dungeon itself is comprised of 54 rooms divided into traders, combat, and traps. Traders offer a choice to trade loot or stats for other loot, stats, or henchman. Combat rooms draw monsters that players must defeat using a combination of their Rogue’s primary stat and a D10. Finally, traps scattered throughout the dungeon require clever use of equipment or successful Strength, Agility or Intelligence tests to navigate.
Rogue Dungeon is not for the faint-hearted; it is hard, and players will face many trials and deaths. But, with experience and skillful play, veteran rogues can navigate their way out of the dungeon alive.
The game has been well received on digital platforms and boasts an 8.0 rating on Boardgamegeek.com. A digital version of Rogue Dungeon is currently available on Steam and will soon be accessible on Google Play and the App Store.
With additional Kickstarter funding, the creators plan to refine the game further, enhancing the artwork, refining the rules, and introducing new cards for more customizable dungeon runs. They invite all tabletop and roguelike gaming enthusiasts to help them take Rogue Dungeon to new heights. The campaign ends on June 14, 2023.