Hell, The Dungeon Again

What do you want from a mobile roguelike?

If you're after a quick blast of hacking 'n' slashing with some loot juggling, a brilliant soundtrack, and some cute if somewhat repetitive pixel-art visuals, then Hell, The Dungeon Again is definitely worth checking out.

While the dungeoneering here might not have as much depth as the dungeoneering in more established franchises, it's an entertaining little beast. Plus, the risk / reward loops are sharp enough to dig into the bit of your brain that controls your compulsions.

You play either as a spell-firing cleric, a bow-wielding hunter, or a head-smashing berserker. Each of these classes has the strengths and weaknesses you'd typically associate with them.

The hunter is good from range, then, but rubbish up close. The berserker is tough but slow, while the cleric is squishy but powerful.

Once you've chosen your role, you delve into the dungeon. The squares closest to you are always reasonably well illuminated, but the rest of the cavernous corridors are bathed in shadow. You move by tapping on the squares that make up the dungeon floor.

As you wander through the old school dank corridors, you'll find things to kill. By tapping an enemy in range, you can take a shot at it. By repeatedly tapping it, you release a flurry of blows or arrows. When the enemy dies, you get some XP and maybe a loot drop.

You can leave any loot you don't want on the floor. You can pick up everything else to make you stronger, more agile, or smarter. Gain enough XP, and you'll level-up. Once you do that, you can buy or upgrade one of three special powers.

These are short-term abilities with a distinct cooldown period, so you need to make sure you don't waste them. And you'll need them as you descend deeper into the underworld and face tougher monsters.

Finish the game on Normal difficulty and you'll unlock another mode with permadeath. You know, just in case things weren't tough enough for you the first time around.

The game is a little repetitive, and a little grindy, but it's fun and addictive enough.

All in all, Hell, The Dungeon Again is a challenging and entertaining little tap 'n' slasher. It's undeniably polished, and its tappy violence is engaging enough to make you want to push through the darkness of its dungeons to see what comes next.