Dungeons of Dreadrock

It doesn't always take a AAA studio with a huge budget, cutting edge visuals, an epic story, and hours of gameplay to make a memorable video game. Just take a look at Dungeons of Dreadrock. The game is the brainchild of a game design professor using a shoestring budget, a cutesy sort of cartoonish style, and a relatively short story that's spoon fed to players over time, and can be wrapped up from start to finish in just a few hours. And yet, it still manages to be a charming bite-sized adventure that's genuinely fun from start to finish.

One of the things that makes Dungeons of Dreadrock so entertaining is how it manages to fall right into a sort of Goldilocks zone of gaming. Each level of the mountain presents players with a challenge. You need to think over and plan your actions to successfully progress deeper into the dungeon, but you never feel like any stage is impossible to beat. The story doesn't drag on or get bloated with exposition, but it still tells a concise and composed tale that keeps your interest. And by the time you've finished the game, you're left with a real sense of accomplishment. It doesn't feel like it's overstayed its welcome nor has it left you wanting for more. The only real gripe some players might have is that the game is ad-supported. Later in the game, moving between stages requires watching an intrusive ad that interrupts the overall flow. But the game has an option to purchase the "full version," which simply removes all the advertising, for a negligible one-time fee that the game more than earns.