SUPER Dungeon Muncher Review: A Bite of Fun

Out now on PC comes SUPER Dungeon Muncher, an updated port of the mobile game Dungeon Muncher developed and published by n_nexy. In this indie-retro-arcade-flavoured action title, you must escape the path of a ravenous monster as it consumes everything in its path. Avoid pitfalls, and dead ends, and take down monsters as you try to race to safety. And maybe even make that nasty so-and-so get lost once and for all.

It is a very light and easy-to-pick-up game. Solid controls, bright graphics, and a bouncy soundtrack make for a fun little experience. And all for a rather low cost. I will admit that it isn’t quite the smooth-sailing little action title that I hoped it would be. And there are a couple of problems which do hold it back. But for more info on that, the good, the bad, and the munchy let’s get down to the review!

SUPER Dungeon Muncher is currently available on PC via Steam and Itch.io for £3.39 or your regional equivalent.

Story – Chomp!

Being a fast-paced Arcade-like title SUPER Dungeon Muncher has no story, which I’ll be honest when I started my playthrough for this review I was expecting that to be the case. This is a quick “pick-up-and-play” kind of deal. No grand story, no deeper narrative. Your goal is simply “Don’t get munched by the big and nasty monster chasing after you”. It is a simple idea that doesn’t need explaining or some bigger story to explain it all. If there is one area that the game is lacking in, it is tutorial text.

Super Dungeon Muncher’s controls are simple, but with some items it’s hard to tell what they do at first glance.

I’ll grant you that a title like this doesn’t need in-depth tutorials. You learn pretty much everything that you need to do in your first play-through. But some of the little quirks and nuances of the gameplay are something I do wish was better explained. The fact that the items you can collect have a form of durability is something I’d have liked to have been forewarned about. That alone would have resolved a few problems early on. And the fact those aren’t handsaws, those are supposed to be keys. Aside from that, everything else is clear enough to understand. Even if I do wish that it could be clearer like is situations just explained.

Gameplay – Crunch!

The gameplay has a very pure retro feel to it; it has an arcade-like loop and yet has the mechanical feel of a home computer/console title. And it does this without devolving into the “Nintendo hard” nonsense that burst into the development scene in the early 2010s. Sure, the game isn’t easy, and there is a fine challenge to be had. But it isn’t absurdly difficult. And has a “Trail and error” feel to the core loop. Through your trial and error, you will be occasionally awarded new characters to play as. Each of these has its traits that can help you. From starting with extra shields to getting a weapon to start the game with.

Stopping for a moment can tell you where a monster will move next.

In the game itself, you will come across various items and collectables to help you. As well as gold to trade for gear to help you out. And poo to stun and damage the Muncher which can be found in toilets you need to smash open. The weapons and items you find will degrade with use. So you need to use them well. Otherwise, you could find yourself falling prey to a rather sticky end. In and of itself SUPER Dungeon Muncher is a lot of fun and was great fun to review. And helps to scratch a particular gaming itch. However, it isn’t all smooth sailing.

Walloped!

I wish it was easier to see what is coming ahead. However, this is easily remedied by not rushing ahead and giving the level time to be pulled into position. Quite honestly I never found the Muncher to be a major threat to me; it is pretty easy to avoid and get around. With the level segments not being overly labyrinthian. And with the same sections being reused in different orders and combinations. Before too long you get a good grasp on where is best to go. The controls are intuitive and easy enough that you can easily get where you need to in no time at all. Even if this randomisation can lead to getting sections loaded that are at times difficult to get through without upgrades and items.

It is easy to get into a dead end in Super Dungeon Muncher.

The biggest issue that I have with the game comes from its combat system. The various monsters and creatures can be defeated with a few whacks of your chosen weapon. But to do so you need to practically throw yourself directly into their line of attack. This means that it is almost impossible to land a hit on a monster without taking one yourself. So more often than not you are better off just avoiding combat rather than wasting health on it. Which can be easier said than done given the layout of certain sections. And the frankly odd movement patterns of some foes. 

Refined Dining

Don’t get me wrong. I have enjoyed my playthrough of SUPER Dungeon Muncher for this review. And as far as cheap and cheerful indie games go it is a lot of fun. And to the developer’s credit, they are responsive to feedback. When I started writing this review there were complaints online about the lack of a pause menu. And it was added on an extra update. Since then an extra mode known as “Wimp” mode that removes enemies but you lose the chance to unlock anything in this mode.

With Wimp mode, you too can make it look like you are better at the game than you really are!

For a title that costs less than a sandwich, it is a fulfilling little experience. Yes, some moments did frustrate me a little. But it has a certain addictive quality to it that helped me to come back to it and see it through as far as I could go. I will admit that it may prove a tad too repetitive for some gamers; there isn’t a whole lot of variety and it feels like how well or not you may end up doing is down to a luck of the draw when it comes to level generation. But it is more than fun enough for the entry cost.

Graphics & Audio – Munch!

SUPER Dungeon Muncher is an odd one for me to review as it feels like a double shot of nostalgia. On the one hand, it evokes the look, feel, and sound of 16-bit gaming (both arcade and console). But on the other, it has a feel of the early 2010s indie gaming scene. With bright and expressive character design and world theming, it creates a charming world to race through. Everything feels well-designed enough to make it visually engaging and yet at the same time easy to read when it comes to gameplay. I never felt lost, confused, or perplexed by anything. As it is easy and simple to understand.

Similarly, the audio has a retro flare to it. With it seemingly growing more complex and adventurous with time. Though granted that seems to be more a byproduct of the soundtrack simply getting more time to play out rather than it being designed from a technical point of view to do that. Regardless it feels that part. And has a charm to it that is hard to beat. I will admit that if there is one blind spot for me in either area it is that the main menu is a tad too drab for my liking. It isn’t especially pleasant to look at and there isn’t a soundtrack for it either. I’ll admit that this is getting into nitpicking territory. SUPER Dungeon Muncher is a well-made and well-realised adventure from start to finish.

SUPER Dungeon Muncher was reviewed on PC.