Hearts of the Dungeon List

Simple and fun game. Very short, unless there is more stuff to do Im not aware of, but I found it enjoyable for how laid back the game is. The controls were hard to get used to, but once I did there wasn't really any issue. Definitely an early access game as certain things don't seem to be there or got weirdly cut off, but from what I see the dev updates the game often so Im sure it will be fun to keep up with. :)

Let me begin this review by admitting that I was a Kickstarter backer for this game (and at a content-making tier, too; I got to design an outfit for Riona that I based on sci-fi anime from the 80's). As such, I've been closely following how it's been improved since its most basic state, fine-tuning its gameplay and adding new features. I even had the opportunity to play before the official release, but I didn't want to, as beta testing and glitch-finding can easily sour my mood.
Anyways! Hearts of the Dungeon List is a streamlined experience, with a focus on "efficiency" over "strategy". It can take a moment to adjust to using just WASD and the arrow keys for every action, but it certainly speeds up everything, from random battles to town navigation. The game doesn't penalise you for progressing too far too quickly; if you fall in a dungeon, you lose a bit of your spoils, but you can then hop right back in and try again from a checkpoint (or take on an Adventure scaled to your current level if you think the problem was a lack of raw power). Main story progress is not just made by beating dungeons, but also by beating them in one swift battle chain without using anything more than a few potions to recover between battles. And your protagonist's stats can be adjusted at basically any time, in case one particular encounter is giving you trouble and you'd rather just reallocate to target a weakness rather than spending more time and experience points to try and round yourself out. It's a system that works surprisingly well for both the casual and speed-focused players, and I'm certainly having fun with it, but it might be interpreted as "shallow" rather than "efficient" if you're more fond of things in more traditional RPGs like equipment management, elemental affinities, and, well, anything that involves maps or exploration.
Now, the game isn't ENTIRELY about refining the regular RPG formula into a "dungeon list" and a few button presses; there's plenty of fun outside the dungeons as well. The three main NPCs in the town you're helping to rebuild each have unique and interesting personalities, initially appearing to be just a few tropes before they start trusting you and opening up about their insecurities and hopes for the future. There's a fun fishing minigame where the focus is on timing rather than speed, and doing well rewards you with the same spoils as battle, if making regular progress becomes too monotonous. Although not available for the 1.0 release, there's also plans to implement an in-game Casino as a fast way to earn money for skill upgrades (or potentially lose it all on some bad bets). And one of my favourite features is the Bestiary, which unlocks more information about each monster the more you slay them in the dungeons, and lets you take a good look at all the wonderful pixel art.
In summation, I'm proud to have been a Kickstarter backer, as I feel it was money well-spent. It's not an RPG for everyone, particularly if exploration is the main reason you play, but there's still enough fun to be had with the game's mechanics that I'd definitely recommend adding Dungeon List to your Wish List.

Short and sweet, and also very fun. While the current price is a bit steep for the current content, I can confidently say it's a game I think is worth purchasing just for what I feel it might be in the future. Already a fantastic concept with lovable characters and relaxed but interesting gameplay. Really all it needs is to be fleshed out some more. I'm looking forward to keeping up with this game as it gets developed!

I think this is not a game you play a lot all at once, but a game that you play a little bit for a long while.
There really is a lot of content between the girls and the dungeons. The girls are cute and well written and I like seeing what outfits they wear. Seeing the new monsters is interesting, they have nice designs and can be surprising. The gameplay can feel like a grind if you play too much at once, since it is one dungeon after another. Fishing is fun, but only lasts so long. I see a new fishing update is coming soon, but I have not tried it at this time.
The developers update pretty often and responds a lot though, and it seems like more interesting stuff is coming.
This is the perfect game for playing for 10-15 minutes as a break.

Disclaimer: I know the person who made this game.
That said, this game's great for RPG lovers with OCD. Lots of satisfying checklists to work through and bars to fill. That wouldn't mean anything if the content wasn't enjoyable, and luckily it is! Lots of different dungeons, monsters, abilities to mess with, like-able characters, and some really charming animations. Also fishing is fun.
My one gripe is that the character specific story-lines aren't very long, but the dev has promised that more will be added with time, so hopefully we see that.

incredible art and monster design, fun gameplay, and tumby. 10/10

A nice simple turn-based rpg with a great gameplay loop presenting nice art and good writing. Just solid overall and I'm happy that it got finished, slots is hard as hell tho. I hope more people manage to find this game.
P.S. It would be cool if there was an option to play the game using the UI that was shown in the original trailer, that simplified look is interesting to look at. Also if the dev's ever has time it would be cool to see a mobile port and if the they want to be weird this would be perfect on a 3ds.