Dwarves: Glory, Death and Loot Reviews

dwarves burp when leveling up

Fun autobattler.

Lot's of build diversity. Challenging to master.

Dwarves: Glory, Death, Loot and Fun! Easy, but so deep.

Having a good time watching my Dwarf auto-battles. Tons of stuff to unlock and gear to combine.

Dwarves: Glory, Death and Loot offers an engaging blend of real-time strategy and action RPG elements, delivering a game experience that centers around commanding a band of hardy dwarves in a hostile, monster-filled world. Developed by King Art Games, the title is a spiritual successor to their earlier fantasy strategy games, but it stands out by combining tactical squad management with character progression and loot-driven gameplay. It is a game that appeals both to players who enjoy thoughtful strategy and those who appreciate immersive, story-driven quests featuring well-crafted dwarven lore. The game’s core revolves around leading a small party of dwarves, each with unique skills and roles, through a variety of missions that involve exploration, combat, and resource gathering. This squad-based approach puts the player in direct control of multiple characters, requiring careful positioning and coordination during battles. The combat itself strikes a satisfying balance between strategic planning and real-time execution: players must react quickly to enemy movements while utilizing each dwarf’s abilities and equipment effectively. The AI-controlled allies show competent behavior, but the success of engagements ultimately hinges on the player’s tactical decisions, making each victory feel earned and rewarding. Graphically, Dwarves: Glory, Death and Loot presents a stylized, colorful fantasy world that brings the underground and mountainous realms of dwarves to life. The art style leans towards a slightly cartoonish aesthetic, which enhances the charm and accessibility of the game without sacrificing detail or atmosphere. Environments vary from claustrophobic cave tunnels and ancient ruins to open battlefields, each rendered with textures and lighting that contribute to the immersive experience. Character models are distinct and well-animated, allowing players to easily differentiate between dwarves, enemies, and neutral NPCs, which is crucial during chaotic skirmishes. One of the strongest aspects of the game is its loot and progression system. Throughout missions, players collect weapons, armor, and various magical items that can be equipped or combined to enhance their squad’s capabilities. This RPG-lite mechanic adds a rewarding layer of customization, allowing players to tailor their party to preferred playstyles, whether focusing on brute force, stealth, or magical prowess. The crafting and upgrading system, while not overly complex, provides enough depth to keep players engaged in optimizing their gear and experimenting with different combinations. It reinforces the game’s core theme of dwarves seeking glory and fortune in the depths. The narrative is woven into the missions and character interactions, presenting a world steeped in dwarven mythology, political intrigue, and ancient threats. While the story doesn’t overshadow the gameplay, it offers a compelling backdrop that motivates progression and adds emotional weight to the quests. Characters display distinct personalities through dialogue and banter, creating a sense of camaraderie and investment in their fates. This storytelling approach, paired with well-written quests and objectives, helps maintain player interest beyond the core combat loop. Multiplayer options and replayability contribute positively to the game’s overall value. The game supports cooperative play, allowing friends to team up and tackle challenges together, which enhances the strategic possibilities and fun factor. Randomized elements and mission modifiers keep each playthrough fresh, encouraging experimentation with different tactics and squad compositions. Additionally, frequent updates and community feedback have helped the developers refine mechanics and balance, showing a commitment to supporting the game long-term. Despite its many strengths, Dwarves: Glory, Death and Loot does encounter some shortcomings. Certain mission types can feel repetitive, and the pacing occasionally suffers from long stretches of travel or resource gathering that slow down the action. The difficulty curve may also prove steep for newcomers unfamiliar with squad-based RTS mechanics, requiring patience and learning to master the finer points of combat and management. Some users have reported occasional pathfinding issues and minor bugs, though these tend not to be game-breaking and are often addressed in patches. Audio design deserves special mention for its contribution to the immersive experience. The soundtrack combines epic orchestral themes with folk-inspired melodies, perfectly capturing the spirit of dwarven adventure and battle. Sound effects for combat, environmental ambiance, and character voices are well-produced, adding depth and personality to the world. The dwarves’ voice acting, in particular, adds charm and humor, reinforcing their gritty but hearty nature. In conclusion, Dwarves: Glory, Death and Loot is a solid and enjoyable mix of real-time strategy and action RPG that successfully channels the rugged, adventurous spirit of its titular race. It offers a challenging yet rewarding gameplay experience through tactical combat, character progression, and a rich fantasy setting. While it may have some pacing and repetition issues, its compelling loot system, engaging story elements, and cooperative multiplayer support make it a worthwhile title for fans of strategic squad management and fantasy adventure alike. For anyone looking to delve into the depths alongside a stalwart band of dwarves, this game promises both glory and peril in equal measure. Rating: 8/10

Interesting concept and definitely fun for people who either like auto battlers or idle games.

I've been playing this game since the dev first announced he was sharing a project he was abandoning then received a bunch of positive feedback and decided to make it a full-fledged game. It was fun back then with like a handful of items and repetitive fights. Because I played the hell out of it during the first few months of development when it was free, I was hesitant to spend $15 on a game I essentially already played through. I'm glad I decided to buy it because there is SO much more depth to the game now. Really cool game to play absent-mindedly while you watch TV or something - you essentially just gear your dwarves up and then watch them fight. The only downside I will say, and this is personal preference, is that I almost feel like there's too much for the player to control. There are formations and talent-tree style options and tons of gear to swap and upgrade and forge and bench certain dwarves and deploy certain dwarves... If you want to be super serious about this game there are a lot of ways to stand out but I feel like the game should be leaning more into its casual style rather than make itself into a try-hard game.

This simple game at first glance hides underneath a deep, complex and awesome mechanics. The Rune Circle implementation is pure awesomeness. The only thing I'd want at this point is more artifacts, especially hybrid ones, more advanced classes, more raids, more zones, and some better control on what can show up - perhaps a limited banishments of cards per clan?

Great game, fantastic game play loop had me hooked for ages. Excellent continuous support and updates. Would recommend to people.