Daniel (@dungeondive) returns to Peter Jank’s print-on-demand roguelike, this time examining the expansions that push this card-stuffed dungeon crawl into genuinely staggering territory. His thesis: once you add everything together, you may be looking at “the single most robust zero-to-hero classic style dungeon crawl that money can buy.”
The expansions under scrutiny are Catacombs of Aetheria and Hack Slash Loot (the latter including the Sunken Treasure mini-game as a bonus). Notably, neither includes a box—everything fits into the base game’s packaging, which helps offset the costs somewhat.
The Fishing Hole: Sunken Treasure introduces a proper fishing mini-game. End your turn on water, reach into the blue bag, and pray for fortune. Small, medium, large, and trophy fish can be fed to your pet companion, transforming them into increasingly powerful creatures for one floor. Catch a sunken treasure chest instead, and you’re drawing from an entirely separate deck of water-themed artifacts.
Catacombs: Daniel’s personal favourite—a press-your-luck dungeon within the dungeon. Receive ten energy tokens, then flip catacomb cards one at a time. Each costs energy to traverse. Continue deeper for greater rewards, or retreat safely with your haul. Bust by running out of energy, and you leave empty-handed. It’s Blackjack with goblins.
New Heroes & Subclasses: Six fresh adventurers join the roster (Brawler, Summoner, Bard, Rogue, Artificer, Beast Tamer), and every hero now gains level-up cards. Reaching certain experience thresholds lets you choose between two subclass abilities—adding meaningful character progression without campaign overhead.
Monsters & Mayhem: Floor bosses now guard artifacts (replacing the old “kill any elite” approach), wandering monsters lurk unpredictably across all levels, and new enemy enhancers include various immunities to keep you guessing.
Side Quests: Three dealt at game start, offering modest rewards for achieving specific goals during play. Another layer atop an already substantial layer cake.
The modular nature means you can exclude anything that doesn’t suit your mood—no wandering monsters today, skip the fishing, keep it simple. Or embrace the full chaotic maximalism. Daniel’s clearly in the latter camp, practically vibrating with enthusiasm to play immediately after filming.
When does ‘robust’ cross the threshold into ‘perhaps too much game for one box’ in your estimation?