Review RPG Codex Review: The Dwarf Run

[Crooked Bee]

of Crooked Bee.

I only watch his interviews.

 

[Bubbles]

I mean, even if you like combat... 50 in a row in the same environment? Wat?

Where did you read "50 in a row"? That's wrong and should be corrected.

 

[Infinitron]

I mean, even if you like combat... 50 in a row in the same environment? Wat?

Where did you read "50 in a row"? That's wrong and should be corrected.

Probably here: http://www.rpgcodex.net/forums/index.php?threads/the-dwarf-run.104201/#post-4206329

 

[Bubbles]

Probably here: http://www.rpgcodex.net/forums/index.php?threads/the-dwarf-run.104201/#post-4206329

Unfortunately, Scrooge and JarlFrank never gave input on the review, although they've both played the game. Maybe they can talk about it a bit more in here, although I can understand if they just want to forget about the game.

The sections I wrote on the arena are largely a response to the criticisms in that thread - those are partially outdated because the arena was greatly shortened a few months ago ("casual mode"), and partially overlooking other systems like the store and the ability to choose the order of your fights and engage in optional battles which play very differently from each other.

If you compare the mindflayer battle (race against time, element of on-the fly-adaptation due to random summons) to any of the damsel sections (turtle around the damsel, take down possible ranged attackers ASAP, then protect the wizard while tanking the rest), it's hard to accuse the game of any sort of sameyness. I never felt even slightly bored.

Comments like "you fight 3 beggars, and then you fight 5 beggars, that's it" are also inaccurate, at least in the current game version. Advanced battles in the same tier tend to have different and more challenging class compositions with healers, archers, mages, and blender-like melee enemies (although the beggar battles are always relatively easy), and you can choose to do optional battles against animals, beholders, or various minibosses instead. You can unlock the arena boss while leaving most tiers unfinished.

I ultimately played most the optional battles as well (I only skipped most of the "random" tier, since I prefer handcrafted battles); thus, a "crit path" through the arena would be even shorter than the 5 hours I mention in the review. You just might have some trouble rushing the boss on the highest difficulty due to its unique mechanic. It's easier if you earn extra cash and buy some artifacts or potions.

 

[Scroo]

Maybe the arena fights get more interesting in the advanced tiers, yet I still found it unbearable to do arena battles for hours with literally zero story progression. I love good combat but I need some form of advancement - the only form of advancement being me buying my gear back is not what I understand as good game design. Sure, it requires you to think ahead and carefully plan as you equip your characters back but that is about it - the tediousness of being stuck in arena burned me out. Seeing the dev added a greatly shortened version of the arena probably means I am not the only one who had an issue with this particular part of the game.

Aside from the arena and especially now with the aforementioned casual arena mode the game is highly recommendable and anyone who has a thing for tactical combat rpgs needs to buy it. Until arena I had more fun with this than many "big" rpgs and honestly the ridiculously bad graphics make it kinda hilarious imho. Also codex shouldn't bother about something as trivial as graphics when they are offered a quality game

 

[Bubbles]

You can also buy new artifact gear later on, but that's only affordable near the end of the arena progression.

Until arena I had more fun with this than many "big" rpgs and honestly the ridiculously bad graphics make it kinda hilarious imho. Also codex shouldn't bother about something as trivial as graphics when they are offered a quality game

I think their scrappiness actually makes them pretty charming (late game spoilers in the second image):

Spoiler

 

[Niektory]

It's called The Dwarf Run, and it's one of the entertaining games I've played in the last few years.

Did you mean "one of the most entertaining"?

Also, is this only available on Steam? Would be nice if it wasn't the case.

 

[Bubbles]

It's called The Dwarf Run, and it's one of the entertaining games I've played in the last few years.

Did you mean "one of the most entertaining"?

Hm, you surely must have misread... (thanks)

 

[CryptRat]

Also, is this only available on Steam? Would be nice if it wasn't the case.

It's DRM-free on IndieGameStand.

 

[Manmower]

Wow, yet even more creatively bankrupt 'devs' making cliched 'games'.

A question for esteemed codexians, before y'all break out the pitchforks... Why can't we get an original setting with original characters? Must every single 'fantasy' game be about dwarves and elves? It costs neither less nor more to create a title featuring homosexual mosquitos penis-jousting on the surface of Pluto, than it does making a game about dwarves raiding a subterranean temple.

K, bring on the flood...

 

[Ninjerk]

You had so much promise.

Spoiler

 

[Gregz]

Also, is this only available on Steam? Would be nice if it wasn't the case.

It's DRM-free on IndieGameStand.

It's $3.50 right now on Steam, support indie devs.

 

[grimace]

Fellow males what questions do we have?

 

[mushaden]

Guys please vote for this to come to gog. Only had 5 votes last I checked

 

[Gregz]

this game is worth every penny guys, it's fun

 

[SniperHF]

Guys please vote for this to come to gog. Only had 5 votes last I checked

https://af.gog.com/wishlist/games/the_dwarf_run?as=1649904300

 

[Ninjerk]

I voted for it.

 

[Ellef]

This game is proper difficult on the hardest level. Unfortunately the game doesn't really solve the bonus AP option being too good. Strength pretty much has no use until you're reaching huge diminishing returns, with it providing turn order and 3x as much damage. I don't know if theres attribute requirements on later items but it's a dump stat right now.

A lot of broken or otherwise useless abilites but a lot of resource management and tough battles make it a more thoughtful and interesting game than certain million dollar kickstarters.

 

[Bubbles]

This game is proper difficult on the hardest level. Unfortunately the game doesn't really solve the bonus AP option being too good. Strength pretty much has no use until you're reaching huge diminishing returns, with it providing turn order and 3x as much damage. I don't know if theres attribute requirements on later items but it's a dump stat right now.

A lot of broken or otherwise useless abilites but a lot of resource management and tough battles make it a more thoughtful and interesting game than certain million dollar kickstarters.

Strength is probably the weakest stat overall, but its does have its uses - for damage as well as for ability synergies. And although it usually matters very little, the larger fatigue pool can make a small difference to tip the scales in a damage based cost-benefit calculation. A point of extra fatigue means that you may have to skip turn 11 instead of turn 10, and in long, closely fought battles that will be noticeable.

Still, I think fatigue might be slightly undertuned at the moment; I assume it's meant to be a counterbalance for high speed characters, but it seems to make too little of a difference in most battles. There are engagements that drag on for 20+ turns where high-speed, low-fatigue characters will be resting constantly, but those are too rare to justify a fatigue-based build philosophy. As it is, the fatigue pool only matters to devoted min-maxers.

That said, I felt speed wasn't actually worth more than one or two points per increase until late in the game; I was doing a no-KO run, but even for "normal" playthroughs constitution is very important to avoid getting one-shot in the first round. My priest had his hands full building up synergies for his healing and buffing abilities, and the ranger and warrior needed Dex more urgently than Speed in the mid-game.

A lot of seemingly weak abilities are also quite useful; the warrior's push ability has saved my wizard's life a whole bunch of times. On paper it's obviously worse than the evasion boost, but sometimes...

 

[Xenich]

I am encouraged by several of the negative reviews that say the game is too hard. To me that is an instant buy.

 

[Bubbles]

I am encouraged by several of the negative reviews that say the game is too hard. To me that is an instant buy.

It's remarkable that all of the negative Steam reviews are about the difficulty:

Pros: Very stable for an indie game.
Cons: Dull humour and dialog, broken game play mechanics, and a difficulty curve that puts it out of the range of causal gamers. To be specific, the combat is difficult, the point and click puzzles are simplistic at best.

Do you enjoy really hard tactical combat? This game is recommended for you.

Update: Upon getting further in to the game I'm rewarded with endless arena combat. Ok, so level design is hard and it's great if you can make one level and then reuse it for 50% of the game, but ... ENDLESS! You've now earned your thumbs down.

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if you are looking for a fun game this is not it ! I like to play games I can beat in easy mode if I want to . even the easiest mode on this game is nearly impossible. where is the store to buy more arrows , where is the boulders to replenish what you have used . The magic cant be used over and over . The monsters should be easier to defeat in the leisure mode . If this is what you call easy I dont think I will be playing it any longer . Make it hard in Hard mode . NOT LEISURE. make supplies available . This game is not for easy playing its for hardcore players only.

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THe game is extremely hard, and there is no easy mode. THe only way to play the game is in cheat mode and that comes form the developer. Tis a total waste of time and money. Please do not waster you time with this game.

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I may just be stupid but I expected a small titorial in this game. I am a newer gamer at 16 years of age so I was unfamilar to this style of game. The story in incredably strong, forced, and rushed. I lost the first battle and had extremely little to what I could have done to win. Not to mention the writing is forced out of these characters with the wizard man going "oh this colony is magical" or saying that "this torch should last 200 years with that fuel in it". This may appeal to a certian type of old school gamer but the turn based combat and the envrioment made me unsure of how to over come situations. Was I suppost to equip my dudes with rocks to attack the Zombies? Was I suppost to use a plank on the door to wedge it open. Put it simply I dont like point and click adventures. 5/10 Im sure it appeals to some people just not me..

 

[Doctor Sbaitso]

Can't resist a good sale. Grabbed it and will check it out.

 

[Mark Richard]

On chapter 5 and breezing through it so far. Thankfully the cinematic camera just about catches all the highlighted objects for its point & click adventure segments. The Dwarf Run has a right way and a wrong way when it comes to party-building, but unlike some D&D games all the information is visible. There really is little excuse for dumping points into perks that are outright worthless to a particular character class for example.

 

[ushas]

Thanks for the review and giving it the spotlight.

Even knowing it's existence before, I was letting it pass so far, having a lot of other things to play with. However, since the developer plans to do a sequel, it would be probably better to buy it sooner rather than later, to support it, I guess...

If somebody else prefers the space out of steam, besides mentioned IndieGameStand It's also on itch.io:
https://alexandermirdzveli.itch.io/the-dwarf-run

As for the arena, on Steam forum ZeebaEata mentioned the future implementation:

The next game will have a cozy world with several towns, and I will place an optional arena location in the capital. You will be able to meet good old Sullivan once again.

 

[vonAchdorf]

Thanks for the review - I quickly ignored the game when I noticed that it uses the same combat character models as Blade of Destiny HD, but now that I read the review, they seem to look better in this game :D