Dicey Dungeons came out way back in 2019, a fact that blew my mind when I went to go double-check it today. That feels like a lifetime ago, but the deckbuilding roguelike itself still feels surprisingly fresh. Developed by Terry Cavanagh (Super Hexagon, VVVVVV), it combines two of my favorite things, turn-based combat and getting burned on RNG re-rolls, into a great dice battling game that too often goes overlooked. Somehow it’s currently just $3 on Switch.
The premise is basically “what if you took a traditional turn-based dungeon game and ran every action through a jumble of chaos?” You collect equipment in the form of cards which dictate what actions you can take, and dice which are used to activate the cards. Some cards can only work with certain dice, and certain abilities will be stronger or weaker depending on the rolls you link them with. It’s a multi-layered math problem that sounds like homework in theory but is actually quite straightforward to navigate and slickly implemented in practice.
There’s a bit of Slay the Spire, a bit of Balatro, and a whole lot of Cavanagh’s own clever design work going on. It’s not the only great Switch indie game on sale right now, though. A whole bunch of them are super cheap for the next week or so:
- Sifu – $10 (75 percent off)
- What Remains of Edith Finch – $4 (80 percent off)
- The Pathless – $10 (75 percent off)
- Haiku, the Robot – $4 (80 percent off)
- Ashen – $10 (75 percent off)
- Dredge – $10 (60 percent off)
- Gorogoa – $4.50 (70 percent off)
- Citizen Sleeper – $6 (70 percent off)
- Blasphemous – $6.25 (75 percent off)
- Dicey Dungeons – $3 (80 percent off)
- Darkest Dungeon – $7.50 (70 percent off)
- Kentucky Route Zero: TV Edition – $10 (60 percent off)
- Risk of Rain 2 – $6.25 (75 percent off)
I’ve already sung Dicey Dungeons‘ praises, but I want to give another special shoutout to Haiku, the Robot. This is another one that was easy to miss when it came out a few years back. It’s a retro-styled Metroidvania that has some neat ideas but doesn’t overstay it’s welcome. There’s fun combat, some light platforming, and a great soundtrack. Plus a grappling hook. But it’s not an overwhelming maze or a gauntlet of brutal boss fights. It’s inspired by Hollow Knight but a much friendlier version of that formula, while still feeling authentic and charming. At just $4, it’s also a steal.
