Screenshot by Bonus Action
Intrepid adventurers know the last inn before the dungeon is an essential place for one more long rest. In Dungeon Inn, players get to run that inn – right at the mouth of the dungeon itself.
This turn-based 2D strategy game puts you in the shoes of three people who made a deal with a dragon to save their lives. Instead of being burned to a crisp, they’ll run an inn on the dragon’s behalf, tithing gold for its humble hoard and putting the rest in their own pockets. If they succeed, they’ll be spared. If they fail, well, the dragon can wait a bit longer for its dinner.
Dungeon Inn is equal parts cozy and challenging. The turn-based model lets you take time with your decisions, but those decisions do matter.
Key Details
- Publisher: Spiral Up Games
- Developer: Cat Society
- Platforms: PC via Steam (in Early Access)
- Price: $12.99
- Copy Provided for Review: Yes
A Charming Story with a Sense of Humor
In Dungeon Inn, we begin with three main characters – the ambitious Sara and her cat-folk friends Butter and Bami. Each has a distinct and charming personality as they take on the challenge of making enough money to satisfy their dragon overlord.
The story has just the right amount of stakes for a cozy game. You have goals and the characters have their reasons for meeting them, but it’s not overly stressful or dark. As you manage your inn, you meet adventurers and enjoy entertaining interactions where choices can help you increase your inn’s reputation and fill its coffers with gold.
The personalities of our characters and adventurers add a delightful touch of whimsy and humor, from broken plates to ensuring the two different adventuring guilds you serve don’t find out about your double dealings.
While the turn-based management and inn improvement gameplay mechanics are satisfying, wanting to see the story unfold and learn what comes next is a real driver here, as it should be.
Even Cozy Mode Can End with Dragon Death
Each week in Dungeon Inn brings a set of challenges. Some are mandatory, meaning you will hit the dreaded Game Over if you don’t meet them. Others are bonus challenges that aren’t required, but will benefit your inn if accomplished.
The in-game tutorial is robust, clearly explaining each newly introduced item and mechanic. As you play, you unlock new abilities to help attract customers to your inn and avoid skirmishes between the rival factions. The challenge comes in how you use these items, not understanding what they do.
I did find some of the mandatory challenges were a bit tough for the resources available at the time. Earning certain amounts of gold felt near impossible with just one signpost to attract adventurers to the Inn. I got so stumped that I decided to switch to the easiest difficulty so I could progress more easily in the story.
Even in the coziest of modes, I still occasionally couldn’t hit the gold quotas required. It’s possible I just have no future in hospitality, but I did wish the balance was a bit better at times, giving me more ways to meet the goals set for me without so much struggle – especially on the easy mode!
Some players will no doubt appreciate the challenge, however, which asks you to use the different resources wisely to direct customers to your inn. Placing signboards and other resources along the route as adventurers approach requires a good bit of strategy and thinking several turns ahead – something that I fully admit may be more of a challenge for me than some more chess-minded gamers.
A Story I’m Eager to Continue
Despite some challenges with capitalism, I found myself attached to the story of Dungeon Inn. So much so that, when I hit the To Be Continued moment, I was eager to see the story continue.
Because the game is in Early Access, our tale isn’t quite finished, and I can certainly say that the gameplay loop and characters are compelling enough that I can’t wait to jump back in when more story is ready to be told.
In all, the Early Access with my many failed attemps to meet challenges offered about 5 hours of gameplay. It was well worth my time, and I look forward to being able to put more effort into my inn as more content releases during Early Access.
Final Score – 8/10
In all, Dungeon Inn is a fantastic entry into the management genre, with a turn-based setup that gives players time to think. Despite some difficulty that feels slightly out of balance, the art style and story make this a true delight of a cozy game.
If you’re a fan of Dungeons & Dragons and management-style games, Dungeon Inn is a must have addition to your cozy gaming collection.
If you are looking for another cozy management offering, you should check out our walkthrough for Coffee Caravan.
**Bonus Action was provided with a Steam code of Dungeon Inn for the purpose of this review**
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