Along with blasting away zombies, flying 8-bit starships, and racing with the residents of the Mushroom Kingdom, descending into dark dungeons in search of monsters and loot is one of the most satisfying pastimes enjoyed by gamers around the world. Whether venturing solo or with a party of other adventurers, slashing through a horde of enemies or on a quest for gold and glory, dungeon crawling is a great way to spend a gaming binge.
The Nintendo Switch offers up a positively decadent buffet of dungeon crawlers for players to enjoy. From classic hack-and-slash RPGs to indie darlings with interesting additions and flavors, would-be adventurers won't run out of quests and treasures any time soon.
Darkest Dungeon
Though not the traditional top-down style most fans of the genre are used to, this gothic foray will have players descending into the bowels of the titular darkest dungeons, and what they find might shock them. With frightening imagery and artwork inspired by the works of H.P. Lovecraft, even seasoned adventurers will find more than a little intense.
Easily more elaborate than many in the genre, the game adds a city and resource management element into the fray as well. Pair that with the game's brutal encounters and steep learning curve and it's a recipe for one deadly quest.
Wizard Of Legend
While many dungeon crawlers offer up a variety of character classes to choose from, Wizard of Legend takes the classic premise but puts it all into the capable hands of a master magician. This roguelike will have players mastering the mystic arts and arcane forces to carve their way through perilous keeps as they become legendary wizards.
Despite the elimination of other character classes, this game offers multiple robes, spells, and abilities to tailor to a player's strengths. Fireball and magic missile are all well and good, but sometimes a little extra cunning and craft is needed to truly decimate the competition.
Ys Origin
The Ys series already has somewhat of a respected pedigree amongst RPG fans, but there's just something truly classic about Ys Origin. Taking heavy inspiration from titles like The Legend of Zelda, this game relies on traditional monster-mashing and exploration to conquer its enchanted tower.
Using either magic-based or melee-based combat, players will have to fight their way through rooms of enemies and puzzles to save the twin goddesses and restore order to the land. Easy to pick up and well worth a session or two, sometimes the simple approach is the best one.
Quest Hunter
There are many games in the eShop that newcomers to the genre can pick up and instantly get into the groove of crawling, looting, and taking out their frustrations on virtual enemies. Quest Hunter is one such game. It's essentially the basics of the genre boiled down into one explorative title, but that doesn't mean it's a bad thing.
In order to truly appreciate something, sometimes the best course of action is to get back to the fundamentals, and this quest definitely covers the bases. From creating a character to sending them off into uncharted areas in search of gold, all the pillars and tropes of the genre are displayed loudly and proudly.
Hammerwatch
This deceptively deep Switch RPG might look like a low-res Gauntlet, but it offers way more than meets the eye in terms of size, depth, loot, and adventure. It's certainly more complex than it appeass. With an assortment of fantasy classes, deep and winding dungeons, portals, and a host of monsters, minions, and more to slash through, seasoned players will easily find something to love in the keep.
A quest as simple as finding an exit door will soon turn into a twisting and turning adventure that has players clinging desperately to their health bar, praying for a save point. With such an expansive pair of maps to explore in the original game alone, adventurers are definitely in for a treat.
Torchlight Series
Think of Torchlight as a step up from Quest Hunter, an excellent adventure for those who have graduated from the basics but aren't quite ready for something like Hammerwatch or Diablo II. They have all the necessities of a traditional hack-and-slash dungeon crawler, but with a few extra bells and whistles thrown in. Top it all off with an enchanting cartoony art style and it's a quest the whole party can enjoy.
Players get their choice of class, weaponry, spells, and even a pet/companion to follow them down into the fold. While it is very Diablo-esque in nature, there's a user-friendly element that's sure to keep a large host of new players ready for their first or next challenge.
Creature In The Well
Creature in the Well could best be described as what would happen if a dungeon crawler was combined with a pinball machine. As strange as that concoction might sound, the result is an addictive arcade-style adventure with robots, puzzles, frying pans, and hockey sticks that any fan of the genre can get sucked into.
As a one-eyed robot, players must descend into the titular well and encounter a monster's winding labyrinth to restore water to a desolate wasteland. Using pinball-inspired mechanics, gamers will have to solve puzzles, open doors, and maneuver through traps to defeat the Creature's evil hold. It's nothing if not original.
Children Of Morta
From its fantasy setting to its bit-styled graphics, Children of Morta could very well be considered a modern classic of the genre. It's a deep and immersive co-op indie RPG concerning a family of adventurers instead of a standard gathering of class-based heroes. But while the game definitely shines in its gameplay and cycle of exploration, the true star of the show is the story of the Bergson family.
It's not often that a roguelike game like this has such an overarching narrative, but the use of the family unit helps create better lore as well as introduce different playstyles and personas for the player to adopt. It's a game that encourages both exploration and experimentation, and true dungeoneers will almost always respect that.
Hades
There have been few entries in the dungeon crawling genre with as much buzz and appreciation as Hades. This classic mythology-inspired game has players take up the toga of Zagreus, son of the titular Lord of the Dead, and attempt to ascend from the depths of the underworld to the heights of Mount Olympus.
With the aid of powerups, charms, a fine selection of weaponry, and boons and favors from gods and other mythological characters, gamers will have to put all their dungeon-based experience to the test if they truly want to escape Hades's clutches. Easily a must-own for any fan of the genre, it's an addictive adventure that shockingly gets better after every demise.
Diablo Series
Since Diablo III and the recently remastered Diablo II come onto the switch with all their bells, whistles, and bonus content, there's no reason any self-respecting adventurer should go without playing either of these titles at least once. Essentially the games on which the genre was founded, the iconic series from Blizzard has everything a seasoned player could want.
By little exaggeration, Diablo and its sequels (especially games like Diablo II) are what most gamers think of when they hear "dungeon crawler." Hordes of enemies, brutal bosses, a phenomenal set of classes, and more loot and weapons than players can shake their swords at, these games offer the ideal dungeon-crawling experience, regardless of exposure to the genre.