Dwarven Delve

A preview with a video too.

by Daavpuke on Nov 22, 2013

One of the things missing from most puzzle games is that they’re not pressing. Sure, they invoke a challenge of their own, but one done at the player’s leisure. That’s where Dwarven Delve throws in some action roleplaying elements to shake things up. Its hex tiles are the brains of the operation, while the party within constitutes the brawn, pitted against a horde of foul beasts.

In the short demo alone, there are several additions to just turning tiles to maneuver a dual-colored dungeon with monsters. Gathering resources will be another requirement for the party, who can try to manipulate the level to their advantage. Some materials yield better results with an open dungeon, while others need to have a closed path. When turning some tiles, to rotate the paths inside, nearby cogs may also shift other places on the map, making navigation a bit more of a challenge. An eventual goal of reaching the exit with the party can be warded off by a seal. This would require the team to venture even deeper into depths and clear more obstacles, while enemies assault them.

Combat is resolved automatically and in real time, but there are interactive elements. For instance, players can periodically use special abilities to increase their proficiency or heal when they get to hurt by a differing set of foes. While it’s not present in the demonstration, it will be possible to later improve characters with just more than their basic skills; introducing the roleplaying elements into the game.

It can get a bit messy to handle in real time though, but only once multiple design elements start popping up left and right. One of the contributing factors to that, at the moment, is that the top down view is a bit far off, making it hard to distinguish some enemy types. As some monsters prevent the party from healing, it’s important to know exactly what to target. Zooming in would be nice.

For more picturesque info, feel free to look over our alpha gameplay preview in the video below. Dwarven Delve is up on Kickstarter and still needs help, so visit the page here.