Over the past few days, I’ve been wandering through Dungeon Stalkers’ sprawling, procedurally generated dungeons, slashing at monsters, looting everything that isn’t nailed down, and constantly racing the clock. The setup is as follows: you pick from a classic RPG lineup of heroes - Fighter, Mage, Cleric, Rogue, Barbarian, and so on - each with their own playstyle, strengths, and hilarious amounts of jiggle physics. And yes, I noticed the... physics. It’s the first thing anyone with working eyes and a pulse will clock. The female character models look like they were designed by a 13-year-old boy who just discovered both fantasy games and the Internet. Is it subtle? No. Is it part of the charm? Also no. But once I got past the ridiculous armor (or lack thereof), I found a combat system that’s actually fun, responsive, and surprisingly zen.
You descend into these moody, quiet dungeons - no blaring music or constant explosions. It’s meditative, almost. You’re just there to poke around, loot things, and make it out alive. But here’s the catch: there’s a time limit. You need to find an extraction point and get out before the clock hits zero or you lose everything. And your inventory space is limited, so you’re constantly deciding which shiny loot is worth keeping and which to leave behind. Do I need this rare gemstone more than this enchanted axe? What will sell better? Can I use this material to upgrade my base? It’s inventory Tetris, but with higher stakes and more skeletons.
Every run adds something to your progress. You earn gear for your hero, gold to upgrade your hideout, crafting materials to forge legendary items or potions etc. And that hideout is more than just a home base -it’s a whole progression system. Upgrade your base, unlock new vendors, expand your crafting bench. It gives the game a really satisfying feedback loop. You’re always working toward something, even if your latest dungeon run ended in a trapdoor and screaming.
Dungeon Stalkers can be played solo or with friends (or randoms). You can cooperate to share the spoils or go full PvP and ambush each other for gear. I haven’t dipped too hard into the latter yet, but I’m intrigued by the idea of betraying my friends in a dark corridor and then pretending it was a misclick.
What surprised me most is how chill the game feels. It's not punishing like a Soulsborne title. Sure, you’ll occasionally get wrecked by a big boss (clearly marked on your map, so it’s kind of your fault), but most of the time you feel in control. It’s about exploration, resource management, and the joy of “just one more run.” You can boot it up for 20 minutes, clear a few rooms, gather some loot, and peace out. No pressure. Just vibes.
That said, it’s not a deeply challenging game, and I think that’s by design. You’re not meant to be clinging to life with every swing. You’re meant to chill, loot, level up, and enjoy the rhythm of opening chest after chest in search of something shiny. And honestly? That’s exactly what I want from a game like this.
So far, I’ve only scratched the surface. I’ve still got more heroes to try, more upgrades to unlock, and I haven’t even gotten into crafting legendary gear yet. But Dungeon Stalkers is already winning me over. It’s simple, addictive, and strangely cozy.
Oh, and it’s free. For now. You’ll need to request access to the playtest, but if the phrase “hero-based extraction dungeon crawler” doesn’t scare you off, it’s well worth your time.
Go ahead. Grab a sword, pick a hero, and start stalking those dungeons. Just don’t forget to keep your eyes on that timer - or you might lose that sweet enchanted loot you spent the last 20 minutes hoarding.
