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Endless Dungeon
View on Wikipedia| Endless Dungeon | |
|---|---|
| Developer | Amplitude Studios |
| Publisher | Sega |
| Director | Jean-Maxime Moris |
| Designer | Arthur Prudent |
| Writer | Jeff Spock |
| Series | Endless |
| Engine | Unity[1] |
| Platforms | |
| Release |
|
| Genres | Tower defense, twin-stick shooter, roguelike |
| Modes | Single-player, multiplayer |
Endless Dungeon is a tower defense twin-stick shooter video game developed by Amplitude Studios and published by Sega. The game is a successor to Dungeon of the Endless (2014) and was released on October 19, 2023, for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One and Xbox Series X and Series S.
Gameplay
[edit]In Endless Dungeon, the player is able to control a squad of two to three characters as they explore an abandoned space station. The game will feature eight playable characters at launch, with each having their own unique weapons, skills and abilities. If the player plays solo, they will only assume direct control of one character, while issuing commands to the others, the player can switch to the other characters though if they feel like they want to change their gameplay. The game also supports cooperative multiplayer, allowing up to three players to work and coordinate with each other.[2]
The squad's goal is to protect a "Crystal Bot" as it moves towards a bulkhead door of each level. The game features ten different levels, and each floor of the space station is procedurally generated. While exploring, players would find new rooms which have generator spots that grant them new resources, including food, science, industry, medkits, and Dust Shards. They can be used to heal the squad (use food resource to make medkits), research (use science resource) and build turrets (use industry resource), and upgrade the Crystal Bot (use Dust Shards). However, during some of those actions like research or when you open doors to new area, or when you move the Crystal Bot hordes of enemies may also spawn and attempt to destroy the Crystal Bot. While the game plays in real-time, resources would only be given to the player when they open a new door.[3]
Endless Dungeon also includes elements from rogue-lite games. When the player dies or fails their objectives, they will respawn at a saloon bar area where they can talk to other characters and acquire upgrades and weapon attachments before they begin another run.[4]
Development
[edit]Endless Dungeon is developed by Amplitude Studios. It was envisioned as a successor to Dungeon of the Endless, which was released in 2014. The team was surprised by player's enthusiasm for that game's multiplayer, which was described by the team as "kind of barebones in many aspects". As a result, Endless Dungeon was designed to be a multiplayer game from the ground up, but the game still includes single-player. The squad size was reduced from four to three because the team felt that solo players would be overwhelmed if they are controlling and managing all four characters at the same time.[5] Endless Dungeon is set between Dungeon of the Endless and Endless Space 2. As a result, lore, technology and races from those game also return in Endless Dungeon.[6] The game features music by American singer-songwriter Lera Lynn.[7]
Publisher Sega and Amplitude Studios first announced the game at The Game Awards 2020.[8] The game is part of Sega's OpenDev program, in which selected players can experience targeted gameplay scenarios and provide feedback to the developers.[9] Originally planned for a May 2023 launch,[10] the game was released on October 19,[11] for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One and Xbox Series X/S, and will be released on the Nintendo Switch at a later date.
Reception
[edit]The game received "generally favorable" reviews upon release, according to the review aggregation website Metacritic.[12] In Japan, four critics from Famitsu gave the game a total score of 28 out of 40, with each critic awarding the game a 7 out of 10.[13]
References
[edit]- ^ Saver, Michael; Pung, Julia; Stanton, Devon (2024-01-04). "Made with Unity: 2023 in review". Unity Technologies. Retrieved 2024-01-13.
- ^ Lane, Rick (June 29, 2022). "Endless Dungeon is an unexpected roguelike sequel with a dash of Overwatch". PC Gamer. Retrieved July 15, 2022.
- ^ Bonifacic, Igor (June 27, 2022). "'Endless Dungeon' is a tense mix of tower defense and twin-stick hero shooter". Engadget. Retrieved July 15, 2022.
- ^ Northup, Travis (June 27, 2022). "Endless Dungeon Is a Tactical Roguelite that Brings On the Pain (in a Good Way)". IGN. Retrieved July 15, 2022.
- ^ Ramee, Jordan (June 29, 2022). "Endless Dungeon's Rambunctious Tone Helps Ease You Into Its Challenging Roguelike Structure". GameSpot. Retrieved July 15, 2022.
- ^ Denzer, TJ (June 28, 2022). "Endless Dungeon marries Amplitude's 4X chops with tower defense". Shacknews. Retrieved July 15, 2022.
- ^ Brown, Andy (September 29, 2023). "How 'Endless Dungeon' creates "cosmic cowboy vibes" with singer Lera Lynn". NME. Retrieved December 8, 2024.
- ^ Nunneley, Stephany (December 11, 2020). "Endless Dungeon is coming to PC and consoles". VG 247. Retrieved July 15, 2022.
- ^ Faulkner, Cheri (June 13, 2022). "'Endless Dungeon' trailer announces OpenDev period starting this month". NME. Retrieved July 15, 2022.
- ^ Romano, Sal (January 19, 2023). "Endless Dungeon launches May 18 for PS5, Xbox Series, PS4, Xbox One, and PC, later for Switch". Gematsu. Retrieved January 19, 2023.
- ^ Romano, Sal (April 12, 2023). "Endless Dungeon delayed to October 19". Gematsu. Retrieved April 12, 2023.
- ^ "Endless Dungeon reviews". Metacritic. Retrieved November 5, 2023.
- ^ Romano, Sal (January 10, 2024). "Famitsu Review Scores: Issue 1832". Gematsu. Retrieved May 22, 2025.
External links
[edit]Endless Dungeon
View on GrokipediaSetting and story
The Endless universe
The Endless universe is a science fiction setting developed by Amplitude Studios, forming the shared lore across their strategy game series that began with Endless Space, a turn-based 4X space colonization game released in 2012. This universe expands through subsequent titles, including Endless Legend (2014), a 4X fantasy strategy game set on the dying planet Auriga; Dungeon of the Endless (2014), a roguelike dungeon-defense hybrid; Endless Space 2 (2017), which deepens the galactic empire-building mechanics; and Endless Dungeon (2023), a cooperative roguelite tactical action title.[10] These games collectively explore themes of exploration, survival, and conflict in a vast, interconnected cosmos where ancient mysteries drive modern civilizations.[11] At the core of the lore lies the Endless, an advanced alien civilization that dominated the galaxy billions of years ago before vanishing without explanation, leaving behind ruins, artifacts, and the pervasive substance known as Dust.[12] Dust functions as a multifaceted resource—serving as fuel for interstellar travel, a medium for genetic and technological enhancement, and a potential source of sentience—profoundly influencing all life forms and societies that encounter it.[12] The disappearance of the Endless sparked ongoing interstellar conflicts, as emerging factions compete to harness Dust and uncover the secrets of their predecessors, often leading to wars, alliances, and existential threats across planetary systems and star clusters.[13] Key factions embody these struggles: the United Empire, a resilient human federation focused on expansion and unity; the Academy, a scholarly collective of humans and artificial intelligences dedicated to unraveling cosmic knowledge; and the Cravers, a bio-engineered insectoid swarm compelled by an unending drive to consume resources and propagate.[13] These groups, among others, navigate a galaxy scarred by the Endless's legacy, where Dust-fueled innovations coexist with horrors born from unchecked experimentation.[11] The lore is further explored in the 2024 novel Shadow of the Endless, delving into Dust and faction dynamics.[14] Endless Dungeon integrates into this framework by unfolding on the Station, a massive derelict space station orbiting a Dust-abundant planet, positioned chronologically between Dungeon of the Endless—which depicts early crash-landing survivors—and the expansive galactic era of Endless Space 2.[15] This setting amplifies the universe's themes of isolation and dread, as players confront the eerie remnants of Endless technology in a confined, monster-infested environment far from broader factional wars.[15]Plot and characters
In Endless Dungeon, a group of scavengers aboard a spaceship are pulled from their warp jump by an unknown gravitational force, causing them to crash-land inside the long-abandoned space station known as the Station, a relic of the ancient Endless civilization's technological prowess.[16] The survivors must then escort a volatile Crystal Bot—a mobile energy core containing immense power—through the Station's procedurally generated districts toward its central core, where they hope to activate an escape mechanism and flee the infested structure.[17] As they progress through multiple districts across four floors filled with environmental hazards like leaking pipes and collapsing corridors, they battle waves of hostile creatures while repairing and upgrading the Crystal Bot to prevent its destruction, which would force a reload and restart of the run. Throughout the expedition, the scavengers discover scattered audio logs, holographic projections, and data terminals that gradually unveil the Station's dark history: it was originally a research outpost for harnessing Dust, the enigmatic substance central to the Endless universe's lore, but a catastrophic event involving the Endless' experimental technologies led to the facility's downfall, transforming inhabitants and spawning monstrous abominations.[18] This outbreak transformed the Station into a nightmarish trap, with ghostly holograms of former crew members replaying final moments of desperation and malfunctioning automated systems contributing to the eerie atmosphere through distorted warnings and defenses.[19] The primary antagonists are non-playable infected creatures, including swarms of aggressive, mutated Bugs that burrow and overwhelm in numbers; amorphous Blobs that dissolve organic matter; rogue Bots corrupted into mechanical threats; and spectral Blurs that phase through obstacles to ambush intruders.[20] These foes represent the outbreak's lingering legacy, driven by primal instincts rather than intelligence, and their encounters heighten the thematic emphasis on survival amid greed-fueled exploitation of forbidden knowledge.[21] The narrative culminates in multiple endings determined by the Crystal Bot's integrity and resources gathered, ranging from successful evacuation to total annihilation, underscoring the perils of tampering with the Endless' cosmic horrors.[22]Gameplay
Core mechanics
Endless Dungeon blends twin-stick shooter and tower defense genres through real-time squad-based combat and strategic fortification. Players control a team of heroes in top-down view, using the left analog stick for movement and the right analog stick for independent aiming and firing of weapons, allowing for fluid navigation and targeting of enemies from any angle.[23] Each hero possesses special abilities and an ultimate skill, activated via buttons and subject to cooldown timers, enabling tactical bursts of crowd control, damage, or support during intense encounters.[23] This control scheme emphasizes positioning and awareness, as heroes must dodge projectiles while maintaining fire on approaching monsters. The tower defense elements integrate seamlessly by allowing players to pause combat momentarily to place defensive structures using gathered resources. Automated turrets, which fire at enemies automatically, can be deployed alongside doors to block paths and traps like mines or slowing fields to hinder monster advances, particularly during escalating waves that spawn from secured entry points.[23] These fortifications require strategic placement around key objectives, such as resource generators or chokepoints, to create layered defenses; for instance, combining damage-dealing turrets with shielding variants protects vulnerable areas from overwhelming hordes.[24] Industry serves as the primary resource for construction, drawn directly from in-game stockpiles, ensuring players balance offensive mobility with defensive preparation.[23] Resource management forms the backbone of survival, with Food, Industry, and Science harvested primarily by commanding the Crystal Bot—a fragile, slow-moving unit—to extract them from generators hidden in unexplored rooms or dropped by defeated enemies. Food restores hero health via medkits crafted at terminals, Industry enables the aforementioned building of turrets and traps, and Science facilitates research at stations to unlock advanced turret types or temporary upgrades like increased fire rate.[24] Dust, a rarer commodity obtained by having the Crystal Bot mine glowing crystal shards in specific rooms or pedestals, powers dark areas to reveal interactables and neutralizes hazardous steles that impose debuffs or spawn extra foes.[25] For meta-progression, Cells and Scrap—permanent currencies found in chests during exploration or earned via hero quests—allow unlocks back at the Saloon hub upon run failure or completion, such as expanded chip slots for ability enhancements.[26] Levels unfold across procedurally generated floors of an abandoned space station, structured as interconnected rooms accessed by opening locked doors that reveal resources, enemies, or hazards. Progression involves room-to-room exploration to gather supplies and secure spawners, culminating in objective phases where players escort the Crystal Bot to the exit elevator while defending it from waves; failure to protect the Bot results in mission collapse.[23] Each floor escalates in difficulty with biome-specific threats, ending in boss encounters—such as the massive "Bug Momma"—that demand coordinated shooting, ability usage, and turret setups to exploit weaknesses before advancing deeper.[24] This structure promotes adaptive strategies, as random layouts force constant reassessment of defenses and routes.[27]Heroes and abilities
Endless Dungeon features eight playable heroes at launch, each with distinct roles that emphasize tactical squad composition in defending the crystal and exploring the station. These heroes fall into two primary weapon classes—handgun users for mobility and precision, and heavy gun users for sustained firepower—and their kits include a passive ability always active, a basic active ability on a short cooldown, and an ultimate ability with a longer charge time. Heroes are unlocked progressively through gameplay by reaching new districts and interacting with them in the saloon, starting with Sweeper, Zed, and Bunker available initially.[28] The hero roster includes a mix of damage dealers, tanks, and supports to complement the game's core mechanics of shooting, building defenses, and resource management. For instance, Bunker serves as a tank with high durability, utilizing her passive "Triggering" to increase attack damage after taking hits, an active "Back Off" shield deployment for stunning nearby enemies, and an ultimate that enhances her defensive posture. Zed, a damage-focused handgun hero, employs sonic waves for area control, with her active ability firing a debilitating blast and her passive boosting mobility for aggressive scouting. Support heroes like Shroom provide healing through her "Wincense" passive that generates souls from defeated monsters, "Soul Patch" active to heal allies, and "Special Mix" ultimate for team-wide regeneration and death prevention.[29][30][31] Other heroes offer specialized synergies when combined in squads of up to three, such as Comrade's turret deployment for automated defense—active "Comrade Turret" summons an ally bot, and ultimate "Revolution" transforms him into a stationary turret—pairing well with operators like Sweeper, whose crowd-control slows and turret repairs aid wave management. Blaze excels in explosive damage with "Hive Mine" placement and "Afterburn" passive for critical enhancements, while Fassie buffs teammates via spicy beverage throws that scale with his unique "Spiciness" mechanic, enabling adaptive roles from support to melee. Cartie rounds out the supports with trap-based stuns in "Publish and Perish" and room-wide buffs via her passive, fostering coordinated plays in multiplayer where one hero can revive downed teammates using food resources.[32][33][34] Customization allows role adaptation through Dust-earned weapon mods and branching perk trees, which upgrade stats like health, defense, or wit to influence turret efficiency and ability potency—for example, enhancing Bunker's shove damage for tanking or Zed's fire rate for DPS. All heroes share balanced health pools scaled to their roles, with revival mechanics enabling squad mates to resuscitate fallen allies during runs, promoting teamwork over solo viability. Post-launch updates, such as the addition of Viggie as a free locksmith hero, have expanded options without altering core balance.[35]| Hero | Role | Key Passive | Example Active/Ultimate |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bunker | Tank | Triggering (damage ramps on hits) | Back Off (stun shield) / Defensive ultimate |
| Sweeper | Support | Turret repair boost | Slow cone / Area crowd control |
| Zed | Damage | Mobility enhancement | Sonic wave / Debuff blast |
| Cartie | Support | Room-wide buffs | Trap stun / Crowd disable |
| Blaze | Damage | Critical explosion amp | Hive Mine / Homing missiles |
| Fassie | Support | Spiciness scaling | Beverage buff / Disable ultimate |
| Comrade | Support/Damage | Turret synergy | Deploy turret / Transform to turret |
| Shroom | Support | Soul generation from kills | Soul heal / Team regen aura |
