Temporary relics can also be found in a stage, if you collect the necessary key for its chest, which ensures you’ve always got a varying range of abilities and assists on hand. That’s impressive given the number of complications that are slowly introduced, from enemy types that disappear after you hit the first one or the problems of the constantly decreasing gem meter, which encourages you to take your next move as quickly as possible.Ĭollected gems are used to buy permanent relics which range from simple buffs to items that can add electricity damage to your attacks. The constant pressure this puts you under gives the game a much faster pace than most puzzle games, and yet even at the start it never feels overwhelming. As a result, the most likely reason for you failing a stage is simply that you were killed, since almost every action you perform results in some loss of health. This means that not only is the 8×8 grid in which each stage takes place constantly changing its layout but, unlike more sedentary puzzle games, your character is always under attack. Rather than being strictly turn-based, a timer indicates when enemies will move, in addition to doing so every time you do.

You clear out enemies in a similar manner to all games of this sort – matching those of the same type so that they’re all defeated at once – but because you’re in the stage with them that means you have to be careful about where you end up at the end of a move. The current king of tile-matching games is Capybara’s wonderful Grindstone and Puzzle Dungeon certainly does bear some comparison with that, since you control Shovel Knight himself (and a range of other characters) directly instead of just an anonymous cursor. And yet the game is not nearly as generic as you might first think, in terms of either the puzzle elements or the roguelite structure. One glance at a screenshot will tell you much of what you need to know about Pocket Dungeon, since it’s a tile-matching puzzler of a sort that’s haunted consoles and smartphones for decades.

In the meantime though, this will do very well indeed. Pocket Dungeon is primarily the work of developer Vine though, which perhaps suggests that Yacht Club is already busy with Shovel Knight 2. Which is peculiar because in all that time there’s been almost no talk of a sequel.Ĭreator Yacht Club Games have said that a follow-up is inevitable, but little else, instead concentrating on the original’s various expansions and now this brand new spin-off. If younger gamers want a taste of the same medicine though, consider that Shovel Knight, once the bright new star of the indie gaming scene, is now over seven years old. There have been so many major franchises celebrating their 25th, 30th, and even 40th anniversary in the last year or so it’s hard for gamers of a certain age not to feel older than they already are. Indie darling Shovel Knight gets his first spin-off, with a fast-paced roguelite puzzle game that looks as good as it plays. Learn the ropes from your pal Puzzle Knight as you attempt to escape the mysterious Pocket Dungeon.Shovel Knight Pocket Dungeon – worth digging up (pic: Yacht Club Games) Play in a variety of ways with Story Mode, 2 player competitive Versus Mode, a Daily Challenge, and much more!Ī bold new visual style complements a new story. Mix and match your loadout to prepare for any encounter.

Take control of more than 10 of your favorite heroes from the Shovel Knight universe, each with a unique power and play style.Įquip yourself on the fly with a treasure trove of items and equipment. Shovel Knight Pocket Dungeon is a wonderful spin-off that combines block-falling puzzle and roguelite mechanics in remarkably clever ways, resulting in yet. Group foes together for massive chain attacks while grabbing keys, power-ups, and potions to refill your health! An all-new hybrid that’s never been seen before. Explore a tale with endless twists and turns, quest as your favorite heroes, and even challenge a friend for fast-paced head-to-head competition in Shovel Knight Pocket Dungeon!Įnter a world of falling block puzzle games, with a dungeon-crawling twist! Bump into enemies to battle them and trade damage in a unique combat system.

Delve with Shovel Knight into the depths of the Pocket Dungeon in an action-packed puzzle adventure mashup like none other! Join your mysterious guide Puzzle Knight as you shovel through scads of foes, procure new equipment, and battle bosses both familiar and new.

Shovel knight pocket dungeon