Dungeon Nightmares Review

Perhaps inspired slightly by 90s horror and games such as Garden of Fear, K Monkey’s Dungeon Nightmares might just be the scariest iOS game I’ve played so far. If that doesn’t make anyone want to run out and buy it, then by all means read on.

In Dungeon Nightmares, the player is stuck in a never-ending loop of nightmares - one night after the other. Each night is a different horror, with no hint or indication of what may be lurking around the corner. Set in a first-person perspective, the narrow corridors and murky fog effect are just two of the influencing factors in what makes this one of the most spine-chilling and unsettling games I’ve played in some time. Suspenseful to the degree I was literally hanging off the edge of my seat, I still didn’t expect half of the horrors that awaited me as I opened the door or turned the corner. Yes I, a 29 year old female, was jumping out of my skin.

Navigating the corridors using the traditional dual stick controls, and then interacting with the surroundings using the intuitive touch controls, players slink around the dungeon searching for clues and hoping for answers. Though it seems slightly bewildering at first (I got lost a couple of times before realizing the doors and chests unlock by tapping and holding a finger on them), it all pieces together rather nicely - the graphical special effects and rich 3D surround sound resulting in one of the most immersive and hair-raising experiences for some time.

The player's objective, other than to stay alive, is to collect the various clues, gold, and candles that are scattered from room to room. This is no easy task when there’s no indication what may be lurking behind the door. With each night survived the difficulty ramps up an iota, and every action taken is also put into effect as enemies begin to get more perceptive and the horror starts to become more erratic.

Though players will need to set some time aside to play this (it’s not possible to save throughout each playthrough), its not the sort of game that will be discarded in a hurry. For anyone looking to be scared to a ridiculous level, Dungeon Nightmares is the game to purchase. Like any horror game, it’s of course best experienced with the lights off and headphones on, but in any case this is the sort of game that manages to surprise and shock, no matter the situation.

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