Dungeons Forever

Dungeons Forever is a community-driven, endless platforming puzzle game where players create and share their own levels. Using a built-in editor, players design dungeons with a variety of tiles and enemies, then upload them online for others to play. Each playthrough features randomly selected, user-generated levels, ensuring a unique experience every time. The game is free-to-play with no ads or microtransactions, encouraging players to contribute by crafting creative levels to expand the ever-growing collection.

Dungeons Forever: A Community-Driven Platformer That Defies Conventions

Introduction: The Endless Dungeon of Player Creativity

Dungeons Forever (2018) is a paradox—a game that is both ephemeral and eternal, a platformer without a fixed end, and a puzzle experience where the challenges are as unpredictable as the community that crafts them. Developed by the obscure yet passionate Timedrop Studios, this free-to-play indie title dared to ask a radical question: What if the game’s content wasn’t just shaped by its developers, but by every player who touched it? The result is a living, breathing dungeon crawler where no two playthroughs are alike, where the line between creator and consumer blurs, and where the only constant is the chaotic, creative energy of its player base.

At its core, Dungeons Forever is a 2D side-scrolling platformer with a twist: every level is user-generated, randomly pulled from an online repository, and stitched together into an endless, procedurally assembled gauntlet. There is no traditional campaign, no developer-crafted narrative, and no predetermined progression—just an infinite loop of community-made challenges, ranging from brilliant to bizarre, from fair to frustratingly unfair. It’s a game that thrives on emergence, where the real story isn’t told through cutscenes or dialogue, but through the collective imagination (and occasional trolling) of its players.

This review will dissect Dungeons Forever in its entirety—its development history, its unconventional design philosophy, its gameplay mechanics, its cultural impact, and its legacy as a fascinating experiment in player-driven game design. Is it a masterpiece? No. Is it a flawed, janky, sometimes infuriating mess? Absolutely. But is it one of the most interesting games of the late 2010s? Without a doubt.

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Development History & Context: The Birth of a “Forever” Game

The Studio Behind the Madness: Timedrop Studios

Dungeons Forever was developed by Timedrop Studios, a small, relatively unknown indie team with a penchant for experimental game design. Prior to Dungeons Forever, the studio had dabbled in other “Forever” titles, such as Danger Forever (2022) and Speedboat Forever (2010), suggesting a recurring fascination with procedural, endless gameplay loops. However, Dungeons Forever stands as their most ambitious project—a game that doesn’t just feel infinite, but is infinite, thanks to its reliance on player-generated content.

The studio’s ethos seems rooted in minimalism and accessibility. The game was built using the Unity engine, a choice that allowed for rapid prototyping and cross-platform compatibility (Windows and Linux). The art style is deliberately retro pixelated, evoking the aesthetic of classic NES or Game Boy platformers, while the mechanics are simple enough for anyone to pick up and play. This simplicity, however, belies the game’s deeper ambition: to create a self-sustaining ecosystem of player creativity.

The Gaming Landscape in 2018: A Crowded Indie Scene

Dungeons Forever launched on February 5, 2018, into an indie gaming market that was both thriving and oversaturated. The mid-2010s had seen an explosion of roguelikes (The Binding of Isaac, Dead Cells), procedurally generated games (No Man’s Sky), and user-generated content platforms (Super Mario Maker, LittleBigPlanet). Dungeons Forever arrived at a time when players were already accustomed to the idea of endless replayability, but it distinguished itself by removing the developer entirely from the content-creation equation.

Unlike Super Mario Maker, which provided players with tools to design levels within Nintendo’s carefully curated framework, Dungeons Forever offered no such guardrails. There were no official “campaigns,” no hand-holding tutorials, and no quality control—just a raw, unfiltered feed of player-created dungeons, for better or worse. This was both the game’s greatest strength and its most glaring weakness.

Technological Constraints & Design Philosophy

The game’s technical limitations are evident in its fixed/flip-screen perspective and side-view presentation, which hark back to the 8-bit and 16-bit eras. The controls are tight but deliberately simplistic—players can jump, attack, and use a limited set of items, with no complex combos or skill trees. This was a conscious choice: Dungeons Forever wasn’t about mastering a deep combat system; it was about navigating the unpredictable.

The level editor is where the game’s true innovation lies. Players could:
– Place tiles, traps, enemies, and power-ups from a predefined library.
– Upload their creations to an online database.
– Have their levels randomly selected for other players to experience.

The lack of curation meant that levels could range from brilliantly designed puzzles to sadistic, unwinnable deathtraps. Some players embraced this chaos, while others found it frustratingly inconsistent. The game’s Steam Community discussions reveal a love-hate relationship with this design philosophy, with threads like “Impossible maps” and “On the subject of skips” highlighting the tensions between creative freedom and player enjoyment.

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Narrative & Thematic Deep Dive: The Story of No Story

The Absence of a Traditional Narrative

Dungeons Forever has no plot. There are no characters, no lore, no cutscenes, and no dialogue. The closest thing to a “story” is the implied meta-narrative of player participation—the idea that every level you play was made by someone else, and that your own creations might one day challenge (or infuriate) another player.

This narrative vacuum is both a bold artistic statement and a missed opportunity. On one hand, it forces players to create their own meaning—whether that’s the thrill of conquering a brutal level, the satisfaction of designing a clever puzzle, or the schadenfreude of watching others struggle with your creations. On the other hand, the lack of any thematic cohesion means the game can feel hollow at times, especially when compared to narrative-driven platformers like Celeste or Hollow Knight.

Themes: Creativity, Chaos, and the Illusion of Infinity

Despite its lack of traditional storytelling, Dungeons Forever explores several implicit themes:

1. The Beauty and Brutality of Player Creativity

   • The game is a celebration of player agency, but it also exposes the dark side of unchecked creativity.
   • Some levels are works of art—clever, fair, and rewarding.
   • Others are sadistic troll jobs, designed to frustrate rather than challenge.
   • This duality raises questions: Is all player creativity equal? Should games have guardrails?

2. The Illusion of Infinity

   • The game’s tagline—“a possibly endless platforming puzzle game”—is both literal and deceptive.
   • While the number of levels is theoretically infinite, the quality and variety are not.
   • Players quickly realize that many levels recycle the same mechanics, leading to a sense of repetition despite the randomness.

3. The Social Contract of Online Play

   • Dungeons Forever is, at its core, a social experiment.
   • Players are simultaneously creators and consumers, bound by an unspoken agreement: “I will make levels for you if you make levels for me.”
   • The game’s lack of monetization (no ads, no microtransactions) reinforces this gift economy—the only “payment” is participation.

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Gameplay Mechanics & Systems: The Good, the Bad, and the Unwinnable

Core Gameplay Loop: Endless, Unpredictable, Unforgiving

The gameplay of Dungeons Forever can be broken down into a simple but addictive loop:
1. Load into a random player-created level.
2. Navigate the dungeon, avoiding traps, defeating enemies, and collecting items.
3. Reach the exit (or die trying).
4. Repeat—either with a new random level or by skipping the current one.

The randomness is both the game’s greatest strength and its biggest flaw:
– Pros:
– No two playthroughs are the same.
– Encourages experimentation—players never know what to expect.
– Rewards creativity—both in playing and designing levels.
– Cons:
– Quality is wildly inconsistent.
– Some levels are outright broken or unwinnable.
– Lack of difficulty balancing—a beginner might get a near-impossible level on their first try.

Combat & Movement: Simple but Effective

The controls are intentionally minimalist:
– Jump (with adjustable height based on button press duration).
– Attack (a basic sword swipe).
– Use items (limited to a few power-ups like invincibility or double jumps).

The physics are tight but floaty, reminiscent of classic platformers like Metroid or Castlevania. However, some players (as seen in Steam discussions) have complained about the jump mechanics, calling them “awkward” or “unresponsive.” This is a critical flaw in a game where precision platforming is key.

Progression & Rewards: The Carrot and the Stick

Dungeons Forever employs a light progression system:
– Hats (Cosmetic Rewards): Players can unlock 30 different hats by opening loot boxes (which are earned through gameplay, not purchased).
– Skips: Players start with 8 skips, which allow them to bypass difficult levels. These replenish every 10 levels, but some players argue this encourages skipping rather than persevering.

The lack of meaningful progression is a double-edged sword:
– Pros:
– No grind—players aren’t forced to repeat content.
– Focuses on pure gameplay rather than artificial rewards.
– Cons:
– Little long-term motivation—once you’ve seen a few dozen levels, the novelty wears off.
– No sense of achievement—beating a level doesn’t unlock anything substantial.

The Level Editor: A Double-Edged Sword

The level editor is the heart of Dungeons Forever, but it’s also where the game’s biggest problems emerge.

Strengths:
– Easy to use—even non-technical players can create levels.
– Wide variety of tiles and enemies—enough to allow for creative experimentation.
– Instant sharing—uploading a level takes seconds.

Weaknesses:
– No quality control—anyone can upload broken, unfair, or boring levels.
– No rating system (at launch)—players couldn’t upvote or downvote levels, leading to a sea of mediocrity.
– Limited tools—compared to Super Mario Maker, the editor feels restrictive.

The Steam Community guide “What not to do when making a map” highlights common pitfalls:
– Unwinnable levels (e.g., no exit, impossible jumps).
– Overuse of traps (leading to frustration rather than challenge).
– Lack of visual clarity (players can’t tell where to go).

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World-Building, Art & Sound: Minimalism as a Design Choice

Visuals: Retro Charm with Limited Ambition

Dungeons Forever embraces a pixel-art aesthetic that feels deliberately retro, evoking 8-bit and 16-bit platformers. The color palette is muted, the animations are simple, and the environments are functional rather than immersive.

• Pros:
  • Nostalgic appeal—fans of classic platformers will feel at home.
  • Clear visual language—players can easily distinguish between hazardous and safe tiles.
• Cons:
  • Lacks personality—the dungeons all look similar, with little thematic variety.
  • No environmental storytelling—unlike games like Dead Cells or Spelunky, the world feels sterile.

Sound Design: Functional but Forgettable

The audio design is minimalist to a fault:
– Background music is repetitive and unmemorable.
– Sound effects (jumps, attacks, enemy deaths) are basic and functional.
– No dynamic audio—the soundtrack doesn’t change based on the level’s theme or difficulty.

This lack of auditory polish makes the game feel less immersive than it could be. Compare this to Celeste, where the music and sound effects enhance the emotional weight of the gameplay, and Dungeons Forever’s audio feels like an afterthought.

Atmosphere: The Dungeon as a Blank Canvas

The game’s atmosphere is defined by its players rather than its developers. Since every level is user-generated, the “world” of Dungeons Forever is whatever the community makes it:
– A brutal gauntlet of spike pits and saw blades.
– A puzzle box requiring precise jumps and timing.
– A troll’s playground, designed to trick and frustrate.

This emergent atmosphere is the game’s most unique feature, but it also means that the tone shifts wildly from level to level. One moment, you’re in a well-designed challenge; the next, you’re in a sadistic meat grinder.

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Reception & Legacy: A Cult Classic in the Making?

Critical Reception: Overlooked but Beloved by Its Niche

Dungeons Forever flew under the radar upon release. Major gaming outlets ignored it, and it lacks a Metacritic score (as of 2024). However, on Steam, it has garnered a Very Positive (82%) rating from 126 user reviews, suggesting a dedicated, if small, fanbase.

Common Praise:
– “Addictive and unique”—players love the endless variety.
– “A great level editor”—creative players enjoy designing and sharing levels.
– “Free and fun”—the lack of monetization is a major selling point.

Common Criticisms:
– “Too many bad levels”—the lack of curation frustrates players.
– “Janky controls”—some find the jumping mechanics awkward.
– “Repetitive after a while”—the lack of progression leads to burnout.

Commercial Performance: A Labor of Love, Not Profit

Dungeons Forever was released for free, with no monetization beyond cosmetic hats (which are earned, not purchased). This altruistic approach earned the developers goodwill, but it also meant the game never achieved mainstream success.

The Steam Community discussions reveal that the game struggled with retention:
– Threads like “Is this game dead?” (2021) and “Is this game still being updated?” (2023) suggest that player activity declined over time.
– The lack of post-launch content (no major updates, no new features) contributed to its fading relevance.

Legacy & Influence: A Blueprint for Player-Driven Design

Despite its niche appeal, Dungeons Forever stands as an important experiment in player-driven game design. It proves that:
1. A game can thrive on user-generated content alone—even without developer-crafted levels.
2. Free, ad-free games can build loyal communities—if the core gameplay is engaging.
3. Unchecked creativity has risks—without curation, quality suffers.

Its influence can be seen in later games that prioritize player creativity, such as:
– Dream (2020) – A social sandbox where players build and share worlds.
– Falling Sand Games (e.g., Noita, Powder Game) – Physics-based creativity tools.
– Roblox (ongoing) – A platform built entirely on user-generated content.

However, Dungeons Forever also serves as a cautionary tale—proving that pure randomness isn’t always fun, and that player freedom needs structure to prevent chaos.

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Conclusion: A Flawed Gem in the Rough

Dungeons Forever is not a perfect game. It’s janky, unbalanced, and lacks polish in key areas. But it’s also one of the most fascinating experiments in player-driven game design of the past decade.

Final Verdict: 7.5/10 – A Bold, Imperfect Experiment

What It Does Well:
✅ Infinite replayability—thanks to its endless stream of player-created levels.
✅ True creative freedom—players can design, share, and experience content without restrictions.
✅ No monetization BS—free, ad-free, and microtransaction-free in an era of greedy live-service games.

Where It Stumbles:
❌ No quality control—too many bad levels drag down the experience.
❌ Janky controls—imprecise jumping frustrates platforming purists.
❌ Lack of progression—no real rewards beyond cosmetic hats.

Who Should Play It?
– Creative players who love designing levels.
– Masochists who enjoy brutal, unpredictable challenges.
– Fans of retro platformers who don’t mind rough edges.

Who Should Avoid It?
– Players who need structure—this game is pure chaos.
– Those who hate troll levels—you will encounter unwinnable deathtraps.
– Anyone expecting a polished AAA experience—this is indie in the truest sense.

Final Thought:
Dungeons Forever is not for everyone, but for those who embrace its chaos, it offers something rare and special—a game that truly belongs to its players. It’s a testament to the power of community, a flawed but fascinating experiment, and a hidden gem in the vast sea of indie games.

If you’re willing to endure its rough edges, you might just find yourself lost in its dungeons… forever.

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Play it for free on Steam.
Then go make a level. The dungeon awaits.