The Dungeon of Naheulbeuk

When it comes to humor in video games, it can be a mixed bag. If you genuinely make me laugh, I commend that, and consider that interaction or gag to be a favorite. However, if it fails, it will feel like it’s just stalling any further enjoyment I get from the game, or just makes me cringe. The Dungeon of Naheulbeuk: The Amulet Of Chaos, besides being a mouthful, is a turn-based strategy RPG developed by Artefacts Studio and published by Dear Villagers. The game feels a lot like X-COM were it a fantasy game based solely around the fact that it’s self-aware, and bases its humor on that. 

So, just like I said, it’s similar to X-COM in multiple ways. First, there is a cover system based around how high the cover is, and thus hit conditions change. Then there’s the hit chance system, where even a 99% isn’t a guarantee that you’re going to hit them. While this is annoying, I can’t exactly hold it against the game for obviously being inspired by something like X-COM, but even then, it tries to do something different. 

You don’t recruit members; instead you have a fixed party, each of them with their own skill trees and differing abilities if you pick them as leader. There are consequences for them dying, but you never lose them. Not only that, but you can even plan out your positioning while the enemy still sees you. So, in some ways, it might even be easier than X-COM. That’s not exactly praise, but an observation. However, the game is mechanically sound, so I can’t say that’s my problem with it. 

Where I do have a problem with it is the writing. The game is a parody of RPG games, and it does that, sure, but I didn’t exactly find it to be clever or original. There were a lot of things about RPGs already made fun of in other games. I never found myself enjoying a joke or chuckling, just wishing for it to be over so I could move on. This, coupled with the voice acting, gave me disdain for these characters. The characters were mostly stereotypes, with my favorite being the sorceress because it seemed like she had some semblance as a character not chained to her archetype. Otherwise, I just never held interest in any of them. 

Despite all that, I can’t, in any right mind, condemn this game. The Dungeon of Naheulbeuk is actually a pretty decent strategy RPG, and I know my type of humor isn’t the norm, so I am sure other people would enjoy the comedy in this far more than I do. I would recommend this game to any who have an interest in a parody fantasy RPG that feels like an X-COM game. 

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Reviewed by Freelance7 on PC. Game provided by Dear Villagers.