Mobile gaming tends to get a bad rap. Much of the content in Apple or Android’s ecosystems are either hyper-casual time killers or shovelware designed to make a quick buck. Microtransactions also gained traction in this market, andcontroversies continue springing up around games likeDiablo Immortal. Yet from early successes likeAngry Birdsto services like Xbox Cloud Gaming, there’s clearly a desire to play well-designed titles on mobile. Indie games likeDicey Dungeonsfit the parameters of what works best there.
A variety of genres have worked formobiledevices, but often their most successful titles are pared down compared to the design of modern AAA projects. Puzzle games like the aforementionedAngry BirdsorCandy Crush Sagacan have nigh-endless iteration. Meanwhile, gacha games encourage long-term investment in short bursts that’s easier to sell on a device everyone carries, be it titles with simplified gameplay likeFire Emblem Heroesor the more robustGenshin Impact. Despite not being made for the platform,Dicey Dungeonsmeshes with a lot of these conventions.
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Dicey Dungeons' Simply Complex Design
Dicey Dungeonsreleased in 2019 for PC, designed by Irish dev Terry Cavanagh - whose body of work includesVVVVVVandSuper Hexagon. It was ported to Switch in December 2020, followed by Xbox consoles via asurprise Game Pass release in November 2021(Dicey Dungeonsis still available through the service). Those legs were extended further with a release through the App Store and Google Play Store on July 7 alongside its free “Reunion” DLC.
In an Xbox Wire post leading up toDicey Dungeons' Game Pass launch, Cavanagh described it as “a game-designer-y game” built around letting players try out their own design experiments. It’s aroguelike built around manipulating the randomnessof dice rolls; literalized in a narrative that sees a handful of characters overcome the wiles of Lady Luck after she turns them into giant dice for a supposedly unbeatable game show.
Characters begin with a set of equipment that can be activated withspecific dice roll outcomes, sometimes just “even” or “odd” numbers for example. Throughout each relatively short run, they can find, purchase, or upgrade equipment in a customizable board that ideally becomes flexible enough to take on any number of opponents whose creative designs telegraph their gimmicks.
Gimmicks define each player character as well, since most of them can find the same sets of equipment but will handle it differently. For example, the Thief’s kit is built around splitting dice into smaller numbers to apply strings of small damage and poison ailments, and they can steal one piece of enemy equipment per-turn. Conversely, the Inventor focuses on combining dice to get as many sixes as possible, but players have to recycle a piece of equipment after every battle. Everyone has a “Limit Break” after taking enough damage that facilitates their gimmick, such as the Robot activating an immediate dice jackpot so that players don’t have to rely on their Blackjack-styled risk-reward rolls.
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Giving Indies New Life on Mobile
As mentioned, short-form gameplay tends to work best on mobile. InDicey Dungeons, each character has a set number of “episodes” going through similarlyshort dungeons, with every battle only taking a few minutes. The mobile port also launches withDicey Dungeons' bonus “Halloween Special” and “Reunion” level packs, upping the catalog of episodes available to pick up and put down at any time.
The game’s style also fits the mobile market well. Though Cavanagh is the lead, Niamn “Chipzel” Houston’s soundscape and Marlowe Dobbe’s art direction feel tailor-made for a catchy experience encouraging fans to play just one more game. Yet there’s a lot more meat on the bones, in-part due to how itsrandomness mechanicsinterplay and because of some fun writing throughout. That’s not to mention how well a drag-and-drop smartphone interface works for a game about placing dice.
A lot of indie games are built around focused, personal ideas and design philosophies that tend to be overlooked in the AAA space. However, not every indie game might work as well on smartphones - the scale of adventures likeHollow Knightor the more complex twin-stick shooting inEnter the Gungeonare better served on other platforms, for example. Massive industry shake-ups likeTake-Two Interactive acquiring Zynga this yearshow the mobile space is still a powerful market though, andDicey Dungeonsis a good argument why fitting indies shouldn’t ignore that audience.
Dicey Dungeonsis available now on Mobile, PC, Switch, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
