I’m aware that I dropped the names of two of the most famous and well-enjoyed roguelike platform games in that headline. Normally, that’s a trick that websites do to get the bots to take notice; however, in this instance, I’m delighted to tell you it’s not a trick, and Dunjungle absolutely deserves to sit in the same sentence as those two.
What is Dunjungle?
Developed by Patapez Interactive, Dunjungle is an action-platform game with a roguelite twist and a wonderfully implemented theme. You take control of a monkey on a mission to save the jungle from some sort of corruption. Let’s be realistic, the story isn’t the main focus here; however, the vibes around it are impeccable.
The game itself is a super-smooth roguelite platform game that borrows the best bits of Spelunky and then blends them with a more Dead Cells-like approach to combat. The resulting game feels like an absolute dream to play, with a nuanced control scheme and interesting enemies to battle across multi-level environments.
Dunjungle is an action-roguelite, and as you know, that means every time you die, you have to start from scratch. Kinda. As you explore the game’s various environments, you’ll earn resources that you can spend back at base once you’ve died. Spending unlocks new items to access in future attempts, broadening the pool of boons you might discover during a future attempt.
It’s also back at base that you can catch up with a bunch of NPCs. The characters will take your hard-earned jungle money and turn it into passive stat buffs to further boost your powers for the next run. It’s a fairly standard system, if truth be told, but there’s a whole bunch of content here, and the time in Early Access has been well spent – there’s so much depth baked into the cake as the game hits 1.0.
What’s in the box?
The big 1.0 patch is out now on Steam for existing players, and that is where I’ve been playing since I grabbed the game a couple of months ago. All told, there is a really well-rounded game here, with loads to do and see, and plenty of humour throughout, too.
My favourite thing about it (so far) is probably the variety you get from the different weapons, and how they combine with the fluid movement system and verticality of the levels.
There’s also a good variety in terms of level types, so one minute you might be exploring the map, the next you could be locked in a room fighting a finite number of enemies over a trinket, before hopping over some spikes a moment later.
Dunjungle might not be the most visually striking game I’ve ever played, but it certainly has a whole bunch of charm. The character designs are particularly good considering the low-pixel count, and there are bosses for each of the game’s seven biomes. The overall atmosphere is great.
While it looks and feels the part, things are at their most interesting when you start to mix and match the many relics you’ll find in the game, combining them with the various abilities that you’ve unlocked along the way. The potential build variety had me impressed right away, and I feel like there’s much more to see as I get further into things, with even more items and characters still to unlock.
Dunjungle is out now, and if you like the sound of it based on my musings, can try it on PC (Mac, Win), PS4, PS5, Switch, and Xbox Series. For more games that are launching before the end of the year, check out the monthly update for December right here.
