Dungeon Keeper
Developer(s)Mythic Entertainment
Publisher(s)Electronic Arts
SeriesDungeon Keeper
Platform(s)iOS
Android
Release30 January 2014
Genre(s)Strategy
Mode(s)Single-player
Multiplayer

Dungeon Keeper was a freemium mobile massively multiplayer online strategy video game developed by Mythic Entertainment and released by Electronic Arts in 2014 for iOS and Android. A reboot to the Dungeon Keeper series, players construct and manage a dungeon, recruiting minions to run it, although the gameplay had a tower defence style, featuring frequent raids of others' dungeons and the defense of the player's. Players could participate in tournaments and leagues online.

The game was announced in August 2013, and the development team wanted to carry over elements from the original Dungeon Keeper games by Bullfrog Productions, especially the humor. Richard Ridings provided the voiceovers, as he did with the previous installments. The game was noted for its monetization of gameplay by relying on in-app purchases, for which it received widespread criticism. The reliance on in-app purchases also caused an outcry in the gaming public. In the UK, Electronic Arts' advertising of the game was ruled to have misled customers, which forced them to amend their adverts. Electronic Arts also faced criticism over their filtration of user reviews.

On August 9, 2022, Electronic Arts ended its support and the game became unavailable to play.

Gameplay

A typical dungeon.

Unlike previous instalments, the game is a tower defence game,[1] similar to Clash of Clans.[2] As with previous instalments, the game centres around dungeon construction and management, with players hiring and controlling minions. The dungeon heart is the life force, and its destruction ends the game. Imps are the dungeon's workforce, performing tasks such as digging tiles. Rooms have set sizes instead of being constructed by tiles, and minions are summoned manually instead of appearing at regular intervals. Which minions can be summoned depends on the dungeon's composition. Rooms include the workshop (which produces traps used to defend the dungeon) and the Dark Library.[3] Rooms can be moved without reconstruction,[4] and some have built-in defences against intruders.[3] Minions include trolls and warlocks. In campaign mode, major events are triggered manually.[3] At the start, players are given a tutorial by Horny, the Horned Reaper from the previous games.[3] Raiding other dungeons (with the goal of the opponent's destruction) using the acquired minions is a regular occurrence, and players also frequently need to defend their dungeon from invasion. During raids, rooms can be claimed and used to deploy units.[3]

There are three main types of resources: Gold, Stone, and Gems. Resources are used to construct rooms and traps and summon minions.[3] Stone and Gold (stored in a treasury[3]) are produced by Stone Quarries and Gold Mines respectively.[5] Resources are also found in dirt tiles (dug by the Imps), of which there are three types: Soft Rock, Gem Veins, and Hard Gem Veins, taking increasing amounts of time to dig respectively. The idea of this is to keep Imps busy while the player is away, and to reward players on returning.[6] Imps can be slapped to speed up digging,[6] and Gems can be spent to dig tiles instantly.[3] Gems can also be spent to produce Imps, upgrade rooms, and instantly perform other actions that take time, such as room construction, and minion summoning,[3] and can be purchased using real money within the game.[7][8] Other resources include mana (produced by the Dark Library and used to cast spells (such as Dragon Breath, which conjures a dragon)),[9][3] and combat points, obtained by raiding and defending dungeons.[10]

In multiplayer, players can be a member of a guild, a group that shares minions and cooperate towards achieving goals.[11] Guild Tournaments, in which guilds compete for the rank of Horny's Chosen, are held. Victory stars are awarded based on players' performance in raids. If enough stars are earned, the guild qualifies for the tournament. The first five qualifying guilds enter the Horny's Chosen bracket. The other qualifying guilds enter a standard tournament. Guilds are ranked according to victory stars earned. The Horny's Chosen brackets yield greater Gem rewards than the standard tournament. Rewards are distributed to guild members according to participation. Guilds that do not win enter a lottery for a Gem payout.[12][13] Another feature is the League of Evil, a ladder system in which players are ranked according to trophies earned. The higher the rank, the greater the resource bonus for performing successful raids. As players promote through the ranks, achievements with Gem rewards are unlocked, and players are given all achievements and Gem rewards up to that rank if they already qualify for a higher rank.[14][15] Another event is Event Raids, in which players build defenses to withstand waves of invaders.[16]

Development

Dungeon Keeper was announced in August 2013,[17] although development began the previous year.[18] It was scheduled for a winter release,[19] and designed for touchscreens.[20] According to senior producer Jeff Skalski, Mythic Entertainment had to make significant changes to Dungeon Keeper for mobile platforms, although there were aspects of the original games from Bullfrog Productions they wanted to keep, such as the humour.[21][22] The intention was to give players an experience of the original Dungeon Keeper.[23] Despite this, he stated that they were not trying to recreate the original games,[24] or the cancelled Dungeon Keeper 3, but rather a mobile game for mobile systems.[21] The color palette was expanded to make the creatures easier to see on mobile phones. The role of traps was increased, and gameplay was made to focus as much on offense as defense. According to Skalski, the god-view facilitated the porting to touch-screen devices.[21] The development team took into account feedback from fans on the internet, and their goal was to make the game free so many people could play it. Skalski emphasized that the game is built for typical mobile game patterns, which meant that it is supposed to be played for brief periods multiple times per day. He disagreed with assertions that it lacks the humour of the original, due to Richard Ridings (who, according to him, is a fan-favourite) providing the voice-overs like he did with the original Dungeon Keeper and Dungeon Keeper 2, which included over 500 lines of dialogue.[25][26]

According to Nick LaMartina, director of Audio and Media, the team wanted Ridings to emote (he considered Ridings's voices in the original games flat by comparison), so the personality of Horny emerged. Ridings described working on Dungeon Keeper as "a licence to be bad", and was impressed with the scripts. According to LaMartina, the scripts contributed to how good the game sounded. Many people, including himself, the creative director, the producer, and the community manager, contributed to the scripts. LaMartina stated that the collaborative effort is what made Horny the character he is.[26]

Electronic Arts soft launched the game for Android in Canada and Australia in October 2013.[27] The game was released worldwide free of charge on the ITunes Store for iOS and Google Play for Android on 30 January 2014,[28][29][30] and Electronic Arts described the game as "a 'twisted' take" on Bullfrog's game.[31] The game was highly anticipated by fans of the originals.[26][32]

Reception

Dungeon Keeper received "generally unfavourable reviews" according to the review aggregation website Metacritic.[33] In particular, critics condemned the time the Gem Veins take to dig, forcing players to either wait or purchase Gems with real money.[8][44] Leif Johnson of IGN heavily criticized the heavy reliance on in-app purchases and waiting times that were not present in the original game.[37] Dan Whitehead of Eurogamer criticized the game for being a Clash of Clans clone as well its reliance on microtransactions, and commented that Dungeon Keeper had gone free-to-play in a "soulless" way.[8] James Stephanie Sterling of The Escapist echoed these sentiments, describing the game as "One of the worst examples of a cancer that is eroding the market", and also criticizing the "babyish" characters and the lack of dark humour and appeal of the original game.[44] Lespol of Jeuxvideo.com described the game as "Outrageous", and criticized the difficulty of playing without paying, as well as the behavior of the units when confronting the enemy, although they commented that some of the humor of the original game is present.[38] Scott Nichols of Digital Spy criticized the waiting times and commented that they render the invasions inadequate for game worth.[43] Julian "Jaz" Rignall of USgamer initially complimented the graphics and gameplay, but described the game as "a sad, knock-off of a wannabe, faux-Dungeon Keeper" due to the free-to-play business model.[42] Miguel Concepcion of TabTimes heavily criticized the waiting times and how quickly the game asks for payment.[45] Shaun Musgrave of TouchArcade stated that fans of the original games would be unhappy with the simplification and monetization.[41] David Jenkins of Metro gave it a zero, stating, "Dungeon Keeper is not a video game, not any more. Instead it's just a virtual beggar, constantly demanding your spare change and offering nothing in return."[46] Peter Molyneux, creator of the original Dungeon Keeper, described the waiting times and capitalization as "ridiculous", and criticized Electronic Arts for getting the balance wrong.[47][48]

Reception was not universally negative. Chris Carter of Destructoid gave a mediocre review. Although he criticized the waiting times and microtransactions, he commented that raiding other dungeons can be fun.[35] Harry Slater of Pocket Gamer described the game as a "well polished Clash of Clans clone", although he criticized the waiting times.[40] Nathan Meunier of MacLife lauded the "addictive" construction and "wacky" humour, but criticized the frequency of in-app purchases.[39] David Oxford of Slide to Play described the game as "not too bad" for a freemium game employing in-app purchases.[49] Stephen Yuen of AndroidSPIN stated in an early review that the Android version needs patience, but praised the graphics and sound.[50]

Controversies

In addition to strong criticism from reviewers, the game caused outcry from the gaming public.[18][51] British newspaper The Independent stated that the game's use of microtransactions made it "unplayable".[52] At one point, the outrage was dismissed as the players playing incorrectly.[53] In February 2014, Electronic Arts was accused of censoring user ratings lower than five stars by making those players email them instead.[54] Electronic Arts claimed the practice facilitated feedback,[55][56] but was criticized for making players claim to give the highest rating in order to give one.[57] The practice was criticized for giving an impression of popularity.[58] Electronic Arts claimed that the outcry was mainly due to players' nostalgia for the original games, and pointed out that there were many players who did not have such criticisms.[59]

In July 2014, the British Advertising Standards Authority ruled that Electronic Arts' advertising that the game is free misled customers,[60][61] ordered the addition of fine print explaining about in-app purchases,[61][62] and banned the original adverts.[63] Electronic Arts counter-claimed that in-app purchases are not mandatory and that Gems are obtainable in-game.[64] Responding to the public criticisms, Andrew Wilson of Electronic Arts admitted that they "misjudged the economy", and resolved to learn from them.[65] He also stated that they failed to deliver value.[66] Peter Molyneux stated that they forgot about Dungeon Keeper's spirit, and expressed regret at not offering his input on the game, despite being consulted by the developers.[65] Electronic Arts' head of mobile, Frank Gibeau, also stated that they "innovated too much".[67] Shamus Young of The Escapist cited Electronic Arts' lack of understanding of the market and game design, and poor public relations as reasons the game was not successful.[53]

References

  1. ↑ Vincent Ingenito (7 October 2013). "Dungeon Keeper Reboot: The Price of Being Bad". IGN. Ziff Davis. Archived from the original on 26 January 2023. Retrieved 26 January 2023.
  2. ↑ Mike Fahley (30 January 2014). "It's Not Classic Dungeon Keeper, But It's Not All Bad". Kotaku. G/O Media. Archived from the original on 11 December 2016. Retrieved 5 December 2016.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Eurogamer (10 February 2014). "Dungeon Keeper - Eurogamer Let's Play". YouTube. Google. Archived from the original on 24 January 2019. Retrieved 4 December 2016.
  4. ↑ Debbie Timmins (27 August 2013). "Dungeon Keeper Preview Pt. 1 – Rooms and Traps". The Average Gamer. Rock Base Projects Ltd. Archived from the original on 10 November 2017. Retrieved 5 December 2016.
  5. ↑ EA Mobile Games (19 March 2014). "Dungeon Keeper FAQs: Claiming Gold Mines & Stone Quarries". YouTube. Google. Archived from the original on 24 January 2019. Retrieved 4 December 2016.
  6. 1 2 EA Mobile Games (26 March 2014). "Dungeon Keeper FAQs: Excavation Strategy & Gem Rewards". YouTube. Google. Archived from the original on 25 November 2017. Retrieved 4 December 2016.
  7. ↑ Dave Cook (5 February 2014). "Dungeon Keeper mobile: why 'free-to-play' is losing its meaning". VG247. Gamer Network. Archived from the original on 26 January 2023. Retrieved 26 January 2023.
  8. 1 2 3 4 Dan Whitehead (5 February 2014). "Dungeon Keeper review". Eurogamer. Gamer Network. Archived from the original on 19 August 2014. Retrieved 26 January 2023.
  9. ↑ Debbie Timmins (28 August 2013). "Dungeon Keeper Preview Pt 2 – Combat and IAP". The Average Gamer. Rock Base Projects Ltd. Archived from the original on 20 December 2016. Retrieved 5 December 2016.
  10. ↑ "Gameplay FAQ". Dungeon Keeper. Electronic Arts. 27 September 2013. Archived from the original on 2 March 2021. Retrieved 26 January 2023.
  11. ↑ "FAQ: Guilds!". Dungeon Keeper. Electronic Arts. 4 April 2014. Archived from the original on 2 March 2021. Retrieved 26 January 2023.
  12. ↑ "Guild Tournaments 101". Dungeon Keeper. Electronic Arts. 24 April 2014. Archived from the original on 16 September 2021. Retrieved 26 January 2023.
  13. ↑ EA Mobile Games (24 April 2014). "Dungeon Keeper: Introducing... Guild Tournaments!". YouTube. Google. Archived from the original on 26 September 2017. Retrieved 5 December 2016.
  14. ↑ "FAQ: The League of Evil". Dungeon Keeper. Electronic Arts. 28 March 2014. Archived from the original on 2 March 2021. Retrieved 26 January 2023.
  15. ↑ EA Mobile Games (24 April 2014). "Dungeon Keeper: Introducing... The League of Evil". YouTube. Google. Archived from the original on 24 January 2019. Retrieved 5 December 2016.
  16. ↑ "Exclusive/Event Raids FAQ". Dungeon Keeper. Electronic Arts. 25 February 2014. Archived from the original on 18 January 2021. Retrieved 26 January 2023.
  17. ↑ Mike Fahley (21 August 2013). "Dungeon Keeper Returns... As A Mobile Game". Kotaku. G/O Media. Archived from the original on 24 August 2016. Retrieved 5 December 2016.
  18. 1 2 Alec Meer (1 April 2014). "How To Remake Dungeon Keeper". Rock Paper Shotgun. Gamer Network. Archived from the original on 27 January 2023. Retrieved 27 January 2023.
  19. ↑ Tracey Lien (21 August 2013). "Dungeon Keeper coming to iOS and Android later this year". Polygon. Vox Media. Archived from the original on 23 December 2016. Retrieved 5 December 2016.
  20. ↑ Ryan Whitwam (20 August 2013). "Electronic Arts And Mythic Studio Will Bring The Classic Game Dungeon Keeper To Android Later This Year". Android Police. Archived from the original on 18 October 2016. Retrieved 5 December 2016.
  21. 1 2 3 Paul Semel (2 February 2014). "'Dungeon Keeper' is a PC classic given new life on tablets—but maybe not how fans expect". TabTimes. Archived from the original on 5 July 2014. Retrieved 5 December 2016.
  22. ↑ Megan Farokhmanesh (1 October 2013). "Dungeon Keeper remains faithful to the original through humor". Polygon. Vox Media. Archived from the original on 15 July 2015. Retrieved 5 December 2016.
  23. ↑ Eddie Makuch (6 February 2014). "EA responds to Dungeon Keeper free-to-play criticisms". GameSpot. Fandom. Archived from the original on 21 August 2016. Retrieved 5 December 2016.
  24. ↑ Mark Brown (16 October 2013). "Hands-on with Dungeon Keeper for iOS and Android - a clash of fans". Pocket Gamer. Steel Media Ltd. Archived from the original on 26 January 2023. Retrieved 26 January 2023.
  25. ↑ Paul Semel (5 February 2014). "EA responds to fevered 'Dungeon Keeper' paywall criticism". TabTimes. Archived from the original on 20 October 2014. Retrieved 5 December 2016.
  26. 1 2 3 EA Mobile Games (5 February 2014). "Dungeon Keeper Interview: Richard Ridings". YouTube. Google. Archived from the original on 4 January 2018. Retrieved 5 December 2016.
  27. ↑ Tony Zhang (14 October 2013). "Dungeon Keeper Soft-Launched on Google Play, Coming to the App Store Next Month". AppsGoer. Archived from the original on 8 August 2016. Retrieved 26 January 2023.
  28. ↑ Retro Gamer Team (30 January 2014). "Dungeon Keeper Out Now On Android And iOS". Retro Gamer. Imagine Publishing. Archived from the original on 20 November 2016. Retrieved 4 December 2016.
  29. ↑ "Dungeon Keeper By Electronic Arts". iTunes. Apple Inc. Archived from the original on 8 November 2017. Retrieved 26 January 2023.
  30. ↑ "Dungeon Keeper". Google Play. Archived from the original on 5 August 2016. Retrieved 26 January 2023.
  31. ↑ Tom Phillips (30 January 2014). "EA launches free-to-play Dungeon Keeper for iOS, Android". Eurogamer. Gamer Network. Archived from the original on 26 January 2023. Retrieved 26 January 2023.
  32. ↑ Jon Robinson (2 October 2013). "EA has massive hit on its (evil) hands with Dungeon Keeper". Adweek. Shamrock Capital. Archived from the original on 26 January 2023. Retrieved 26 January 2023.(subscription required)
  33. 1 2 "Dungeon Keeper for iPhone/iPad Reviews". Metacritic. Fandom. Archived from the original on 11 October 2016. Retrieved 10 December 2016.
  34. ↑ Jörg Luibl (3 February 2014). "Test: Dungeon Keeper". 4Players (in German). 4Players GmbH. Archived from the original on 27 January 2023. Retrieved 27 January 2023.
  35. 1 2 Chris Carter (1 February 2014). "Review: Dungeon Keeper (Mobile)". Destructoid. Gamurs. Archived from the original on 26 January 2023. Retrieved 26 January 2023.
  36. ↑ Jake Valentine (8 March 2014). "Dungeon Keeper Review: How EA wanted me to play it [date mislabeled as "February 28, 2014"]". GameZone. Archived from the original on 9 March 2014. Retrieved 27 January 2023.
  37. 1 2 Leif Johnson (11 February 2014). "Dungeon Keeper iPad and iPhone Review". IGN. Ziff Davis. Archived from the original on 17 March 2022. Retrieved 26 January 2023.
  38. 1 2 Lespol (7 February 2014). "Test : Dungeon Keeper". Jeuxvideo.com (in French). Webedia. Archived from the original on 14 September 2016. Retrieved 4 December 2016.
  39. 1 2 Nathan Meunier (31 January 2014). "Dungeon Keeper Review". MacLife. Future US. Archived from the original on 9 September 2015. Retrieved 4 December 2016.
  40. 1 2 Harry Slater (31 January 2014). "Dungeon Keeper". Pocket Gamer. Steel Media Ltd. Archived from the original on 26 January 2023. Retrieved 26 January 2023.
  41. 1 2 Shaun Musgrave (5 February 2014). "'Dungeon Keeper' Review – The Dark Lord Would Be Pleased". TouchArcade. TouchArcade.com, LLC. Archived from the original on 3 December 2016. Retrieved 5 December 2016.
  42. 1 2 Jillian "Jaz" Rignall (6 February 2014). "Dungeon Keeper iOS Review: Not a Keeper". VG247 (USgamer). Gamer Network. Archived from the original on 29 July 2022. Retrieved 26 January 2023.
  43. 1 2 Scott Nichols (4 February 2014). "Mobile reviews: Dungeon Keeper, Bloodstroke, Flappy Bird". Digital Spy. Hearst Communications. Archived from the original on 26 January 2023. Retrieved 26 January 2023.
  44. 1 2 3 James Stephanie Sterling (2 February 2014). "Dungeon Keeper Mobile Review - Wallet Reaper". The Escapist. Gamurs. Archived from the original on 26 January 2023. Retrieved 26 January 2023.
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  46. ↑ David Jenkins (4 February 2014). "Dungeon Keeper review – microtransaction hell". Metro. DMG Media. Archived from the original on 27 January 2023. Retrieved 27 January 2023.
  47. ↑ Mark Ward (7 February 2014). "EA faces criticism over mobile Dungeon Keeper game". BBC. Archived from the original on 26 January 2023. Retrieved 26 January 2023.
  48. ↑ Emanuel Maiberg (8 February 2014). "Peter Molyneux on free-to-play Dungeon Keeper: "This is ridiculous"". GameSpot. Fandom. Archived from the original on 9 February 2014. Retrieved 26 January 2023.
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  50. ↑ Stephen Yuen (26 October 2013). "[GAME REVIEW] Dungeon Keeper on Android: This One Is Definitely A Keeper, If You're Patient". AndroidSPIN. Archived from the original on 29 March 2014. Retrieved 26 January 2023.
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  52. ↑ James Vincent (10 February 2014). "Dungeon Keeper mobile remake deemed 'unplayable' due to in-app purchases". The Independent. Retrieved 5 December 2016.(subscription required)
  53. 1 2 Shamus Young (15 July 2014). "How Electronic Arts Made Dungeon Keeper A Huge Fiasco". The Escapist. Gamurs. Archived from the original on 27 January 2023. Retrieved 27 January 2023.
  54. ↑ Luke Villapaz (10 February 2014). "'Dungeon Keeper' Review Controversy: EA Responds To Accusation Of Rating Manipulation In Google Play Store". International Business Times. IBT Media. Archived from the original on 20 December 2016. Retrieved 5 December 2016.
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  56. ↑ Jeffery Matulef (6 February 2014). "Dungeon Keeper Android's rating system filters out "1-4 star" reviews". Eurogamer. Gamer Network. Archived from the original on 27 January 2023. Retrieved 27 January 2023.
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  58. ↑ Timothy Geigner (13 February 2014). "EA: You Can Only Rate Our Dungeon Keeper App If you Give It A Perfect Rating". Techdirt. Floor64, Inc. Archived from the original on 27 January 2023. Retrieved 27 January 2023.
  59. ↑ Mike Rose (6 February 2014). "EA downplays Dungeon Keeper free-to-play criticisms". Game Developer. Informa. Archived from the original on 19 March 2020. Retrieved 27 January 2023.
  60. ↑ Mike Rose (2 July 2014). "UK regulatory body rules that free-to-play Dungeon Keeper isn't really free". Game Developer. Informa. Archived from the original on 27 January 2023. Retrieved 27 January 2023.
  61. 1 2 "ASA Ruling on Electronic Arts Ltd". Advertising Standards Authority. Archived from the original on 27 January 2023. Retrieved 27 January 2023.
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  63. ↑ Wesley Yin-Poole (2 July 2014). "UK watchdog bans Dungeon Keeper ad, accuses EA of "misleading" customers". Eurogamer. Gamer Network. Archived from the original on 27 January 2023. Retrieved 27 January 2023.
  64. ↑ Marla Desat (3 July 2014). "Dungeon Keeper Ads Misleading, Concludes UK Advertising Watchdog". The Escapist. Gamurs. Archived from the original on 27 January 2023. Retrieved 27 January 2023.
  65. 1 2 Wesley Yin-Poole (25 June 2014). "Will EA learn from the terrible Dungeon Keeper mobile game?". Eurogamer. Gamer Network. Archived from the original on 27 January 2023. Retrieved 27 January 2023.
  66. ↑ Stew Shearer (26 June 2014). "Cash Grab Dungeon Keeper Was Wrong, Admits EA CEO". The Escapist. Gamurs. Archived from the original on 27 January 2023. Retrieved 27 January 2023.
  67. ↑ Ian Davis (9 July 2014). "EA: Dungeon Keeper Failed by "Innovating Too Much"". The Escapist. Gamurs. Archived from the original on 27 January 2023. Retrieved 27 January 2023.
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