When comparing Brogue vs Desktop Dungeons, the Slant community recommends Brogue for most people. In the question“What are the best roguelikes/roguelites on PC?” Brogue is ranked 9th while Desktop Dungeons is ranked 20th. The most important reason people chose Brogue is:
The gameplay itself is quite straightforward, making for mechanics that can be picked up within a few minutes of playing. Of course the challenge of the game is a whole other mater as like most roguelikes, this game can be quite challenging.
Specs
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Pros
Pro Easy to get into, hard to master
The gameplay itself is quite straightforward, making for mechanics that can be picked up within a few minutes of playing. Of course the challenge of the game is a whole other mater as like most roguelikes, this game can be quite challenging.
Pro Free to download and play for anyone
Doesn't cost a dime as the game is free to download and play. Which is great as there is no obstacle to one trying the game out.
Pro Simple and easy to understand design
The graphics of the game consist entirely of ASCII characters which keeps the design simple and easy to understand.
Pro Perfectly balanced rather than filled with features
The balancing is done quite well, as there is just enough elements to the gameplay to keep one interested without being overly complex or heavy weight.
Pro Open source
Pro Good graphics that are easy on the eyes
The game's dark, modern graphics help to make the game playable and look good even if you have very sensitive eyes.
Pro Can be played on persons preferred platform
It can be played on Mac OS X, Windows, or Linux, and on mobile devices running iOS or Android .
Pro Mix of puzzle and roguelike
The game gets its roots from roguelikes, and the complexity of the combined genre really enhances the puzzle solving side of the game.
Instead of being real time, or taking place in a large expansive world, Desktop Dungeons games take place on a small 20x20 dungeon. Although the map is small, there is tons of strategy to figuring out the optimal way to clear the dungeon. Unveiling tiles is how you recover health and mana, so the game is fundamentally about efficiently using the tools and resources available to you in each map and coming up with unique strategies in such a small space. You must balance the risk between trying to get experience from exposed monsters and exploring deeper into the fog of war.
Pro Tons of character combinations
There are 7 races and 12 classes that are combinable as well as 4 extra monster classes that do not allow choosing of race making for 112 unique combinations, all with their own custom avatar. There are also 6 additional special races as well as 9 different gods you can worship during the game for even more abilities.
Pro Great for short bursts of play
Since each game takes place in one small dungeon, it's a great game to play in small bits of downtime.
Pro Humorous tone
The game doesn't take itself too seriously with lots of clever dialogue parodying the fantasy genre.
Pro Deep amount of content keeps strategy interesting and fresh
Even though the core gameplay is simple, the amount of power-ups and enemies create a massive amount of ways to play the game which keeps the puzzle solving aspect fresh.
Cons
Con Difficult to learn
You can easily get confused by this game, unless you have prior knowledge of what's going on.
Con No classes
While not having any classes for the main character means that any item can be equipped it does make for less replayability due to not having different classes to try out on multiple playthroughs.
Con While polished the graphics are still simple
Compared to other modern roguelikes the graphics are pretty minimal where the characters are tile based and lack animation when moving.
Con Hidden map means you can't solve the puzzles on logic alone
The map is hidden by fog of war until you explore it, meaning you can't devise a solution from the start. Because revealing the map regenerates your health and mana you can't explore everything at the start. You need to spend most of the game not knowing the state of the rest of the map.