Leveraging their experience in browser based games Upjers has created Undermaster, a game focused on the establishing and maintenance of a dark dungeon with inspiration from the likes of the Dungeon Keeper franchise. The game is also available on Windows, Linux through the Upjers Home (previously Upjers Playground).
Your task in Undermaster is to develop your own dream dungeon as you lead the subterranean minions that you attract into battle against heroes and even other dungeons of minions to grow your empire and pile of resources. Within this adventure Undermaster features all of the expected mechanics of a previously browser based game with wait times, premium currency and near endless quests to complete which provide that consistent objective to unlock additional game content. While wait times are a staple of the genre Undermaster isn’t too harsh in this regard and keeps wait times to a reasonable level compared to similar games which ensures the flow is not disrupted to a high degree.
To ensure you are appropriately equipped to rule over your dark dungeon Upjers features a lengthy tutorial which introduces the core game mechanics focusing on removing dirt, moving imps, cooking food, attracting creatures and laying floor tiles. These floor tiles are the building blocks of your rooms and can be used to create dorms for your minions to sleep in, kitchens to feed hungry bellies, workshops to manufacture doors and other room types. With the core gameplay loop revolving around clearing dirt, managing imps and ultimately placing a particular room it feels very reminiscent of Dungeon Keeper albeit a persistent dungeon experience.
Undermaster adds another element to dungeon design though by requiring players to place objects within a room for it to be effective and functional. For example this might include placing beds into the dorm for creatures to sleep or a cooking pot within the kitchen to be used for meal preparation. Each of these placed items along with decorations that are placed in a similar fashion and both contribute to your overall glory rank which ties into the attraction of creatures to your dungeon while also opening up access to new items.
With each new level these new items offer possibilities such as new cooking or crafting recipes that in turn sell for larger amounts of gold or provide higher amounts of glory. Eventually researching new technologies for your dungeon and battles become available to the player to add more depth and provide that additional incentive to level up your dungeon and minions.
While Electronic Arts (EA) failed miserably at converting the Dungeon Keeper franchise into a free to play experience with Dungeon Keeper Mobile, Undermaster provides a good perspective on what could have been with its free to play take on the Dungeon Keeper franchise. While the production quality doesn’t quite reach the peaks of what EA could have produced the theme, mechanics and lack of painful pay to progress makes Undermaster a fantastic alternative to Dungeon Keeper Mobile and the broader franchise.
Summary:
- Combines accessible strategy with a Dungeon Keeper theme.
- Create and optimise your dungeon to attract all sorts of dark creatures.
- Build rooms, research technologies and fight others.
- Decorate your dungeon with additional cosmetic items to boost your glory rank.
- Chase achievements and compete against players on the leader board.
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Review Platform: PC
