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0 What do you get when you cross an ambitious innkeeper, rival adventurers, a dragon’s demands, and two chatty cat companions? You get Dungeon Inn, developed by Cat Society, and published by Spiral Up Games, out now on Steam.
Dungeon Inn – Purr-fection
If you’re a fan of cats, chaos, and cunning strategy (with a dash of dragon-related debt), you must check out Dungeon Inn. Leave a comment below and tell us what kind of feline shenanigans you hope to see in the full release!
Gameplay
You step into the boots of Sara, a plucky innkeeper who makes a dangerous deal with a dragon to set up shop next to a dungeon. Sara isn’t alone however, as she is accompanied by her trusty cat friends, Butter and Bami. Keep rival guilds from duking it out on the property and make enough coins to satisfy the Dragon’s steep demands. But between tense negotiations, dodging suspicion, and quelling temperamental guests, there are letters to read, secrets to uncover, and a touch of dragon-sized mystery lurking in the background.
In Dungeon Inn, your main goal is to keep the peace between adventurers while filling your coffers. Players use turn-based strategy to place installations; like signs enticing patrons, or food stalls to slow them down. You can use Wisps to intervene when rival guilds get too close for comfort. Using each character’s special abilities, such as May’s portal, to get patrons in sooner and stop fights. You must also manage your Inn’s amenities like rooms, the bar, and more to maximise profits and increase skills such as cooking.
Each day consists of four turns, and once those are up, adventurers settle their bills and leave. But there are guild clashes to avoid, mandatory stage goals to hit, and events to attend. Fail the stage goals? You’ll restart the day; even the weather plays a role in your strategy, as mud will slow down adventurers, and lightning strikes will kill them.
Combat is primarily automatic. You can influence these by using Wisps or Butter to favour one guild, creating tension and potential fallout. To do so, you simply place the Wisps or Butter and then click Start Battle. No actual battle is visible, though. They end up in a scuff full of smoke until it ends. If you prefer a hands-off approach, you can always just observe and hope the chaos sorts itself out.
Unique choices and timed events keep good pacing, and the cats, Bami and Butter, add plenty of playful banter and meaningful help to keep things fresh. Different adventurers will ask different things of you. This tends to only be from Blue or Purple guests, though, and depending on which side they have come from, you will gain fame and possibly a token. This will allow you to upgrade the specific side of the Inn you want.
Graphics & Audio
The visuals in Dungeon Inn are charming; they are vibrant and incredibly well-drawn. Whether you are looking at the digital aspects of the game or the hand-drawn events and cutscenes. Characters are full of personality, and the adventurers who pass through your Inn each have a unique flair. The facilities you build stand out with delightful detail – from your humble food stalls to the spinning wheel game. The sound design is similarly enjoyable, with upbeat tracks during business hours and tense cues when guilds fight.
Longevity
With a story that spans four in-game months and a runtime of five to eight hours in its Early Access state. Dungeon Inn offers a decent helping of content for players right out of the gate. But what’s already here can quickly become your next obsession as you strive for perfect rankings, experiment with different inn layouts, and uncover all the event moments.
Final Thoughts
Dungeon Inn’s Early Access offering is a masterful mix of strategy, humour, and delightful chaos. The presence of two witty cats doesn’t hurt either! From keeping rival guilds apart to maximising your Inn’s profits, the game keeps you on your toes with dynamic events, hilarious mishaps, and choices. The visuals, engaging sound design, and memorable dialogue with Sara, Butter, and Bami make every moment running your Inn the cosy feeling it wants to evoke. We’re excited to see what the full release will bring, but for now, Sara, Butter, and Bami have already earned their place in our hearts (and our inns).
Disclaimer: A code was received in order to write this preview.
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