Have you ever owned a Ninja blender or food processor? The Game of Dungeons is quite like that. I am now currently on my 22nd character. The first 21 characters have been “chewed up” and turned into a puree.
Game of Dungeons is unforgiving but the complexities of this hidden gem from 1975 are amazing. There is a definite learning curve with the game. One wrong move and your character is suddenly a new smoothie.
The character depicted above is Ryshad the 22nd (Ryshad 1 through 21 having experienced a variety of agonizing deaths). I have painstakingly taken my time in building him up and making sure that he has all of the magic items that the game has available. You can see them listed above.
I have learned a few things since my first Game of Dungeons review:
1. Never, I mean never, no really, NEVER attempt to open a chest unless after examining it you are told that it appears harmless. If you attempt to open a chest after being told that it is “too dark to tell” or that it “appears dangerous” you will blown into tiny bits.
2. The same advice above goes for picking up magic items as well. It took quite a long time to finally acquire the above magic items that were not trapped or rigged to blow.
3. A couple of the magic items really make a huge difference. The amulet is a must have magic item as it helps to acknowledge when you are near a square that teleports you to a different level of the dungeon. It also rates how difficult your combat is likely to be when you encounter dungeon denizens. If it tells you that your foe is a pushover you can go ahead and fight the creature confidently. If you get a message like “good luck” or “warning” then hold your breath as you cast a spell.
4. The Ring of Levitation is another must have item because this allows you to walk right over the top of a pit without falling into it. When you fall into a pit it can drop you multiple levels and that likely ends in disaster. So possessing this ring is a game changer as it allows you to map out the levels without the fear of falling to much deeper levels.
5. The bag of holding is a must have item as well though it is both a blessing and a curse. The bag of holding allows you to pick up and carry more gold out of the dungeon than you would normally be allowed to carry. The downside of this is that the more gold you’re carrying the more monsters you attract AND the more powerful they are. So when you start to acquire “quite a haul” the wandering monsters you encounter can be of significantly higher levels.
6. I have finally gotten use to mapping this particular dungeon complex and dealing with the teleporter squares. There are usually two on every level. One that will teleport you one level lower and one that will teleport you one level higher. Mapping each level is tedious because you have to ultimately make your way back up to the 1st level and the exit. You cannot over-extend yourself on a lower level then make your way up or once again you’re going to fall victim to this giant Ninja character processor.
You can also elect, if you find yourself in trouble, to hit Shift-T on your keyboard. This will instantly teleport you one level higher than the level you’re on. WARNING: There is a 10% chance of failure and it instead teleports you one level lower. I, much to my chagrin, found this out the very first time I attempted to try it. There is some strategy involved in this decision as doing so costs you 2 magic-user spell slots PLUS a clerical spell slot so choose wisely.
I am enjoying this game quite a bit but it is a tedious experience. I have successfully mapped out the first six levels of the dungeon. Levels 1-5 are depicted below. They are accurate and I hope they are a help if you choose to try and play this game. Remember that our goal is to find the dragon guarding the Orb on levels 17-20, defeat the dragon, take the Orb, then climb all the way back up to the 1st level. I obviously have a lot of grinding and mapping to do to prepare myself for the coming battle.
