Dicey Dungeons

Earlier in the week, I was looking for something a little different to play. Something I could spend a little time with, but could happily put back down after an hour or two to get back to Xenoblade Chronicles. I wasn’t sure what I was going to play that also did not involve firing up laptops or moving from the couch. Looking through the Switch, I noticed Dicey Dungeons had slipped off my home page.

I haven’t played Dicey Dungeons in ages. It’s a simple premise, and close to a board game in digital form. I don’t know why I stopped playing it – probably distracted by other games. Having it drop off the Switch home row didn’t help.

You play a character that has been turned into a die and must fight your way through a dungeon to win your freedom. Who is putting you through all of this? Lady Luck, of course!

Dicey Dungeons isn’t a new game, but it is great to pick up and put down like this. A bit of a gaming palette cleanser. The game itself is quite fun and a little bit of a roguelike. Each character has slightly different rules, and the dungeons themselves are not set in stone. This makes playing Dicey Dungeons a fun puzzle to work out each run.

Playing the game is simple – roll dice, then try and assign those dice to different powers. It sounds simple and boring to sum up, but after a game or two Dicey Dungeons can set an itch you want to scratch. It’s just rolling dice – it can’t be this hard to finish!

I am playing on Switch, and portable is a great way to play Dicey Dungeons. You can pick it up and put it down when you want to spend a couple of minutes playing. If you have Game Pass though, I suggest firing up Dicey Dungeons on your PC or Xbox. Give it a try and see if you like it, then grab it on your phone or Switch for portable play.

There were quite a few games I played on the Switch last weekend, but most were just quick runs to see how the new joy-con repairs went. One game though bought a smile when I saw it, and I proceeded to swing back and play it after ‘testing’ the Switch. That game was Dicey Dungeons.

It had been quite some time since I had played Dicey Dungeons, but I quickly got back into the groove. Essentially being a board game, and one that shares some mechanics with One Deck Dungeon, it wasn’t hard.

What was a challenge from the last time I played was completing some missions. I had hit a progress wall. So what I needed was coming back to Dicey Dungeons after a few months it seems!

The basic play doesn’t seem all that exciting, especially when you compare it to other video games. But this is where I call Dicey Dungeons more of a digital board game than a ‘video game’. I keep it here only because there is no physical version to pick up.

Unfortunately, all I can say is games like Slay the Spire or even One Deck Dungeon have more traditional ‘game’ and may hold more interest for you. Without delving into a full review, it’s hard to sum up quickly why.

If you have Game Pass, jump on and give Dicey Dungeons a look and you will see what I mean. The only reason I would say Dicey Dungeons is best on Switch is that you want to take advantage of that small-bite gameplay.

Sitting down for a multi-hour Dicey Dungeons session on your Xbox or PC doesn’t make much sense to me. But on the Switch? Perfect match!

Since switching out the Joy-Con joysticks, my Switch has been getting more love lately. Not because of the new controllers, but because of the rediscovery of Dicey Dungeons!

I have been pretty tired the last few nights, and Dicey Dungeons has been a smooth fit. I will be frank – If I didn’t have things to complete in Dicey Dungeons, there is a solid chance I would be playing Vampire Survivors instead. But I do have new tasks, so hello Switch!

Again, it’s hard to describe WHY Dicey Dungeons feels good to play. There are random number shenanigans with dice rolls, but Dicey Dungeons is a puzzle at its heart.

When you can clear a level, or work out how to beat the boss with the tools you have randomly acquired, it’s a great feeling. When you lose because you realise too late you played in the wrong order, you want to jump straight in and do it right.

If you are curious and have Game Pass, give Dicey Dungeons a try. Playing portably like on the Switch or even Steam Deck is probably the perfect console choice though!