Popup Dungeon

A charming love letter to classic tabletop gaming, Popup Dungeon is an engaging and deceptively complex strategy game that will have you reliving the days of old-school pen and paper RPGs. What began as a Kickstarter is now a fully realized game that incorporates the best elements of classic D&D and isometric RPGs like the Divinity series and ties it all together with a stellar presentation.

Popup Dungeon also includes a wide variety of game modes that will keep you entertained for a good while. From classic campaigns to an unforgivable roguelike experience, Popup Dungeon appeals to any type of RPG fan there is.

A True Pen and Paper Experience

If you’ve ever played a classic tabletop RPG, you’ll know what to expect from Popup Dungeon’s gameplay. If you have never played games like Dungeons and Dragons before, don’t worry, the game does its best to explain its complex mechanics to first-timers of the genre as well.

Combat in Popup Dungeon is done via skill checks, just like in D&D. What this means is that combat actions are done rolling a dice and checking the result to determine how successful your action was. While this might sound a bit archaic for some players who might prefer a more action-focused RPG, gamers who have enjoyed other turn-based games like Divinity: Original Sin might quickly adapt to the game’s somewhat glacial pace.

The turn-based combat uses action points to determine how many actions each party member is able to use each turn. Add to this that every character has their own set of ability cards and it soon becomes clear that party building is one of the most important aspects of Popup Dungeon.

The Wizard’s Tower and Campaign Mode

The main event of Popup Dungeon is climbing the Wizard’s Tower. This game mode has your party battling against hordes of enemies as they climb a treacherous tower where you’ll have to face 25 different – and extremely challenging – bosses.

Even if the Wizard’s Tower might look like the “main” game mode of Popup Dungeon, the game’s story missions certainly deliver in terms of providing a true to life tabletop gaming experience.

The story missions will have your party navigating through many different narrative scenarios that make use of many skills to proceed, not just combat. This means that every campaign is unique and has its own set of rules, like the classic Dungeons and Dragons campaigns.

Papercraft Visuals

One of the most unique aspects of the game are its paper-like graphics. This distinctive visual style really nails the look and feel of an old-school pen and paper game, complete with cardboard miniatures to play with.

There’s also a good variety of maps to choose from to personalize your adventures. From the classic medieval setting to a Japanese fishing village, every quest in Popup Dungeon feels like a truly unique experience.

Additionally, the minimalistic art style also allows the players to customize nearly every aspect of the game’s look. A robust creation system allows the players to personalize their characters and gear. In the future, developer Triple.B.Titles promises to enhance the customization features even more, letting players create their own map tiles.

Popup Dungeon brings the paper and pen tabletop games of the eighties to modern gamers. The charismatic visual style offers the perfect balance between the old and the new and oozes personality, giving the game its own distinctive personality.

Pros

• Robust customization features
• Unique and charming visual style
• Great attention to detail

Cons

• The base game can feel repetitive
• Some gameplay mechanics might not be to everyone’s tastes