"Town and Dungeon" games
This is a (maybe stupid) idea I had for a microgenre of videogames, one that I've noticed among some games.
A town is all you need. All you need to balance it out is a 'dungeon' of sorts, or multiple, which make interacting with the town viable. The dungeon is where you collect the items for appraisal and income, do most of the field work, and explore (the main course of the game). The town is the hub where the exchanging of items happens which allows you to go deeper into the dungeon (new gear, trinkets, friends and the like). Town and dungeon are in symbiotic relationship towards each other. As such, the game is able to stay interesting, because not everything in the vast 'dungeon' is unlocked immediately, nor is everything in the town. It doesn't have to just be RPG games, nor does the dungeon have to be a literal dungeon.
Please recommend me examples of this genre, because like I said it's a maybe fanciful idea I had, I can only think of about a few games that do this.
A town is all you need. All you need to balance it out is a 'dungeon' of sorts, or multiple, which make interacting with the town viable. The dungeon is where you collect the items for appraisal and income, do most of the field work, and explore (the main course of the game). The town is the hub where the exchanging of items happens which allows you to go deeper into the dungeon (new gear, trinkets, friends and the like). Town and dungeon are in symbiotic relationship towards each other. As such, the game is able to stay interesting, because not everything in the vast 'dungeon' is unlocked immediately, nor is everything in the town. It doesn't have to just be RPG games, nor does the dungeon have to be a literal dungeon.
Please recommend me examples of this genre, because like I said it's a maybe fanciful idea I had, I can only think of about a few games that do this.
19 Games
In this case, the dungeon is the park.
In this case the dungeon is the mines.
Stand in for 90% of the games in this series.
Like Dark Cloud, there are kind of 'multiple' dungeons and the town itself is always expanding, so this is kind of like the Ever Oasis-style of this genre of game.
Aforementioned style of game, in that it's town management mixed with dungeon exploration. There are multiple dungeons whos resources you use to expand your town. So it's the same basic idea.
Stand in for every Rune Factory.
It's kind of a stretch, but the main, main dungeon is simply Fogna, with only one other kind of side dungeon. Eastokion is also the main town of the game, again there is one other "side town" that you go to infrequently.
9 Comments
@fntm I might extend the list to games like that with multiple towns/dungeons. Thinking about it now you reminded me of the Monster Rancher series for some reason which is kind of like the town/dungeon idea (MR4 has literal dungeons too). I'm thinking actraiser too possibly. I think I'll add Dark Cloud and change the rules a little bit.
@DizzySkullKid19 you can also include soul blazer as well if these are the new rules. i need to think of some more
@fntm I will add it. I defo gotta check out more Quintet games, I liked Planet Laika and Terranigma. Right now I'm stuck on a boss in Illusion of Gaia.
@DizzySkullKid19 soulblazer is so simple and fun imo. illusion of gaia is... umm interesting? the official translation is very weird (the script was written by an actual novelist which makes it odd even before translation)
Time Stalkers has a cute riff on this, where you enter different buldings/features in the town to go to each dungeon. Izuna 1 on the DS and Moonlighter both do similar. Roguelikes in general are prob your friend here lol
@Vysetron, thanks for the suggestions. I've wanted to play Timestalkers since owning a Dreamcast about a year ago, that sounds like a really interesting "gimmick", the dungeons being themselves part of the town. I'll get them added
cool list !! immediate ideas for suggestions are Darkest Dungeon and I believe Rune Factory is this although I've never played it myself. also this may help spark some ideas: https://www.reddit.com/r/rpg_gamers/comments/13ppkx8/any_good_one_small_town_one_huge_dungeon_games_i/
@EuanDewar
That is very neat, good to know from that Reddit discussion that I'm not the only one thinking of this idea. I'll get Darkest Dungeon added, the only Rune Factory I've played is actually 4, and it has multiple dungeons but since I made an exception earlier I can probably add that series. Thanks!
That is very neat, good to know from that Reddit discussion that I'm not the only one thinking of this idea. I'll get Darkest Dungeon added, the only Rune Factory I've played is actually 4, and it has multiple dungeons but since I made an exception earlier I can probably add that series. Thanks!
fntm
1 month ago