The Dungeon Saga

by Alex

High production values and a satisfying blend of game elements make The Dungeon Saga a great deal of fun, despite some game balance issues.

The Dungeon Saga has been compared to a lot of other games, but is best conceived as a cross between Puzzle Quest and Dungeon Raid. You character advances across a very basic map and fights individual monsters like Puzzle Quest, but the battles are done using a match-3 mechanic like Dungeon Raid’s. Leveling, climbing up skill trees, and buying equipment all follow the Dungeon Raid mechanic. Derivative? Yes. But a lot of fun to play.

The game is attractive and gameplay requires thinking a step ahead. Anyone will enjoy the game, but it also has the depth necessary to keep the attention of ‘serious casual’ players. There are some missteps — after a while the music gets annoying, but you cannot turn it off without also turning off the sound effects. It would be nice to know how much gold you have when battling monsters, but this data isn’t available in the game display. You cannot read the description of skill higher up the skills tree unless you are ready to unlock them, which makes it hard to plan your progress. Not this this matters, since customization choices are pretty limited.

The biggest issue with the game is balance: like Puzzle Quest, you play against monsters, but like Dungeon Raid you earn gold and experience by matching them off the board. This fact, combined with how incredibly easy the first six levels are, mean that you spend most of the early game grinding gold and experience.

The Dungeon Saga lacks the depth and polish of a classic like Swords and Poker, but the mechanics feel less tacked-on than those in the latest version of Dungeon Raid, and the interface is iOS native, unlike Puzzle Quest. If you’re looking for an entrée into the genre, or just a light experience, this would be a good title to pick up on sale.