The Dungeon Of Naheulbeuk: The Amulet Of Chaos

Early review. Ok, I'm 12 hours in. A couple hours of that is restarting and replaying a few combats to try to get a better result.
This is an outstanding game so far. Combat is standard turn-based combat goodness, but it is VERY well done, and different enough to keep me interested.
The characters are goofy, the story is goofy and a bit amusing. And, I LOVE goofy! This game certainly doesn't take itself seriously, but the combat is not watered down at all. It's very hardcore, and can be pretty brutal. I'm playing on the next to hardest difficulty, and am enjoying it so far. I may have to turn it down to normal difficulty later on, but we'll see.
Lots of loot, lots of cool skills to learn, and lots of plain old fun. I compare the combat to Druidstone: Secret of Menhir Forest, one of my absolute favorite turn-based combat games in the history of mankind. Naheulbeuk has that puzzley aspect to combat, but there are certainly many ways to beat the battles.
It DOES have that XCOM RNG that will break your heart at the most inopportune times with lots of misses, and I feel that there are too many critical fumbles. The A.I. also misses quite a bit, so it balances out fairly well. Hopefully the devs will work on some balance patches. It's not a game breaker, but all the critical fumbles can get annoying.
So, great fun so far and highly recommended. This is still a very early review, but I hope I don't have to change my review.
Jake and Elwood give this game a hearty "Rawhide" with super dark sunglasses up. Game on, my turn-based friends!
Well, I am 42 hours into this game, and still going. I just finished chapter 5, so I'm guessing I still have 10-15 hours left. Not sure how folks are beating this game in 40 hours. Probably playing on Normal difficulty. I'm playing on Epic Gest difficulty (second hardest). This game is brilliant, and has made its way to my top five favorite turn-based combat games.
I finally finished this wonderful game. 66 hours. I still love this one, but the delays in the enemy moves got a little tiresome after a while. And, there are still bugs, missing books that you collect for stat upgrades, healing items only work if you re-equip them after every battle, Precision stat not "visually" updating on your character sheets when you equip items with Precision bonus. But, all that aside, the game is solid and was a blast to play. I'm glad I persevered at the difficulty level I chose.
Fabulous game. Please make more stories in this world, developers! I will play them all.

I can't say enough about this game, it was just what I needed. I am strongly into turn-based tactical combat games however I'm also a functioning adult with a life and I needed something that would scratch that itch without sucking up every second of my day. This is a light-hearted romp with some fun humor and a very solid combat system. It's not as detailed as say an older xcom but it is deep enough to feel like you have solid control over how the fight progresses. The weapon and armor system is a bit too much "on rails". Most of the gear is character specific so there will not be much balancing who gets what. Basically, you get gear and if it's better than what you have you use it, not much strat there but no game is perfect and I have to say I'm 90% through this, and the only thing that would stop me from immediately replaying it and going for the No Death achievement is if they suddenly dropped the new Baldur's Gate? What? When? Crap gotta go.

This game is just amazing, from the graphics to the gameplay to the story. I've played it two times in a row.Definitely get this game if your a fan of turn based combat, it is AMAZING!!!!
one piece of advice if your characters are walking like hobos and you don't know why check your inventory if your bags are over the capacity, I walked around like an idiot thinking its a bug when I had a full bag for like 30 mins xD

So far this is the best game I've played in ages. It's fun and interesting, requires thinking but so far isn't too difficult, has many tactical ways to approach combat, you have a shed-load of party members all with unique classes, abilities, etc. There's loot! Character appearance does evolve as you equip more gear. The jokes and humor are kinda corny. The voice acting and characterization grows on you. The pace is deliberate and provides an experience that's really very close to playing D&D or any tabletop miniatures game etc. It's all turn-based combat which is perfect as there's so much to consider and so many options. Don't know what the replayability will be once you know the dungeon layout etc. They just need a roguelike random dungeon generator and it would be perfect!It's only been two hours but it already feels like an instant classic. Maybe it will start to suck later, but right now I can say GET THIS without hesitation.
Few more comments after a couple more hours: This is an "adventure" in the D&D tradition in that there is a hand-crafted dungeon, story, etc. I don't even know if the loot drops are random as they may well all be scripted just like in a D&D module. The replay value would be in trying to solve the combats at a higher difficulty level, and by choosing a different additional party member. There are 3(?) more characters/classes you can choose between to add to the party once you get to the Inn in the dungeon (Paladin, Bard, ?) and each one has the same number of skill and talent tree options that the core party members have.
The core of the game is the turn-based D&D style combat, and the story and exploration basically links together combat scenarios. So while the dungeon and characters and story are pretty cool, you need to see the combat encounters as different puzzles to solve through movement and skill synergies and this is the sort of thing you should enjoy in order to make the game worthwhile. Otherwise it will feel repetitive as it's explore/story, combat, repeat and that may sound boring unless you actually look forward to what the next combat encounter will throw at you in terms of new monster types, new monster abilities, reinforcement arrivals, terrain (including destructable terrain elements which can change cover and movement) etc.
There's plenty of luck in combat just as in D&D. When the Sorceress gets (predictably) a Critical Failure on her beginning AOE damage spell, it casts invisibility on all the targeted monsters :P But they have an anti-bad luck feature where a bar fills up as unlucky things happen and provides a resource that unlocks special abilities that can be used to turn the tide of an otherwise losing battle. It's still possible to get your party wiped out and have to resume from an save and try again, but it would be boring if there were no real risk in combat.

The Dungeon of Nickelback (yup, watch my awkward attempts at pulling a Yahtzee here) is a big game with a big heart poured into it. It's a pure tactical delight, a brain-teaser of a rare breed and eye candy wrapped in an appealing, cozy world and filled with humorous, combat-focused D&D adventure. Not so cozy for people who had bought it on launch - the game was broken, or so I've heard. In its present state, it didn't cause me much trouble though. I've encountered quite a few typos, minor performance issues (only outside of fights), and a couple of bugs, but a barrage of patches seem to have fixed the nastiest of them. Not counting a bonus one at the end of the review.
World & Humor
With the unpleasantness dealt with for the time being, let's slowly get to the cream. The world of The Dungeon of Neilbreen is simple, cruel, and deceitful. The way characters casually talk about torture and nonchalantly scam you on every step came off as irresistibly charming to me. Thanks to the quirky writing, I got effortlessly invested in the story and found it intriguing all the way through - could never tell what comes next or how everything ends. Some people hate D&D dad jokes, one-note characters, and silliness in general, but I find them all endearing. Actually, I prefer immersive toilet humor and idiotic parodies to bashful yet pompous hipster irony and such.
The game is confident enough to seem silly, but at the same time, it obeys its own rules. The setting is utterly stupid, yet it's also consistent - the game's world is as solid as it gets. Fourth-wall breaking is usually cringe, but it wasn't abused here. They only do it to establish something, for example, to tell you from the get-go that is going to be a D&D-like adventure with a bunch of mentally deficient murderhobos under your control. I don't know how to explain it better, but with all this unseriousness, the game's world, however dumb it is by design, never gets sacrificed for a joke. Whatever it means. Also arguable, depending on how you see some of the twists.
Combat
What's important is that when it comes to the mechanics, the game gets serious and very clever. Exploring, finding new equipment, solving puzzles, and leveling up is properly satisfying. The battles are so much fun, very varied, and feature plenty of different enemy types. I never felt frustrated after losing one since it meant that I could try a different approach and generally make the game last. Like in most of the best tactical games, positioning is king. Maneuver smartly to avoid friendly fire, get flanks, backstab, overwatch, use your abilities, consumables, and the environment while the AI does the same. The UI is concise and shows all the information you need - info on buffs\debuffs, initiative order, hit percentage, enemy movement range, and the line of sight. Couldn't ask for more, to be honest.
Oh, but I got more! The Randomia gauge. Basically, it's a more sophisticated luck mechanic from Hard West. For example, a couple of critical misses could allow you to revive, teleport, heal or give a character an action point. Way to mitigate the RNG! Another great thing that enhances combat is the game's presentation, of course. The sound and animation are superb. Juicy hits and absolutely bombastic crits make it all click. There's nothing like slapping someone to send them flying through a barrage of attacks of opportunity from your allies while gathering all of the status effects like fire and poison spilling from the broken barrels along the way.
Difficulty
I played on Epic Gest difficulty (second hardest) and felt sufficiently challenged for 90% of the playtime. The game often messed up my plans and forced me to drastically change my approach, which I didn't mind at all. Too used to grouping up? Well, the goddamn books will teach you to spread like a camgirl when you'll start dying one after another like my computer's USB ports. Don't have a habit of taking at least a couple of antidotes into battle? Well, in that case you're right, you'll get re-poisoned next turn anyway. Health potions, bombs, and wits are all you need, at least on that difficulty level.
The game likes to give you a few averagely challenging fights to test your builds and simply let you enjoy your power level, before hitting you with a back-breaking battle where you'd need to sweat and suffer to claw your way up to victory against all odds. Why only 90% though? The Dungeon of Nilbog gets easier by the end when you get your hands on devastating AOEs, tons of gold, and abundant epic gear. Even a secret boss was a pushover (wink) for my overpowered party. But, despite seeming like a serious issue on paper, it happened in the very final hours, so it didn't bother me as much as it could.
90% Satisfaction Guarantee
Another little grievance to spoil the love letter. Didn't get the "100% satisfaction guarantee" achievement. I suspect that drinking a Potion of Oblivion might've accidentally healed the affliction, I didn't touch that antidote. If I was an achievement hunter, I'd be devastated. As a free man who keeps his OCD demons chained and starved, I'm not too bothered. My life isn't ruined, besides, I can't stay mad at The Dungeon of Naheulbeuk. Nothing can detract from its merits, the game is too damn rare and too damn brilliant.... okay, minus one for all that tripe, so it'd be a 9/10 if I had to rank it. Maybe minus one more if I wanted to seem strict and objective or whatever? Subtract another two if you're a little baby who can't take a few critical misses in a row, just like I can't take these ranking shenanigans seriously.
P.S. I honestly couldn't remember how to spell the title until I was, like, 49 hours in. And I still couldn't pronounce it if my life depended on it. But I'm practicing.
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The Dungeon of Naheulbeuk: The Amulet of Chaos is a turn-based strategy game with RPG elements. Most of the time you will think you're in a D&D Adventure. This is TBS at it's best. This will be a classic in the genre in a few years. But first things first.
A Group of seven.. beings goes into a dungeon for a quest. Early on they get separated and you'll find them one after another. This works as a tutorial to learn the mechanics of the game slowly and it works perfect as it combines this, with the characters and the world. Thanks to that, it's not your typical boring tutorial.
Each character has different abilities, stats, advantages and disadvantages. The Ranger is an all-rounder whereas the elf is an archer. Every character in the group is different.
The turn-based fights work as in almost every other TBS game. Comparing it with XCOM Dungeon of Naheulbeuk is just as great.
You know, when you have a 99% chance to hit your target and your attack misses? This will happen in DoN, too. Although not as much as in XCOM, so don't worry. It may happen on higher difficulties more often though - so if you're a fan of that try it out.
I'm playing on normal difficulty and it is easier than normal in XCOM (well, after leveling up 1-2 Characters it is easy there, too). If you want a real challenge, go for the higher difficulties or Iron-Man.
DoB does not have base management. Instead, it is more like an RPG. Every character gains EXP after fights and quests. For every level, you can choose one active and one passive ability, as well as spend points in personal stats such as power, courage, intelligence, etc. Aside from all that, you get gold which you can spend to buy potions, weapons, clothes, armor and a lot more. Like in most RPG's you can make your character stronger when finding or buying better equipment.
One of the strongest aspects is the story. The story is like a fairy tale in a D&D Adventure. Almost every conversation is dubbed. Even side quests are fully dubbed. There even is a narrator and the voice acting is high-class. I'm playing with german synchronization. Most of the time, games aren't well dubbed in german but this here is one of the best dubs I ever heard and the game is not even made by germans. I can't imagine the English or French version being bad.
Every character in the story has their personality. And I really mean it.
The story is lovely, funny and exciting. Everything you expect a D&D Adventure to be.
Everything in this game is atmospheric. The setting, the music, the voice acting, the aesthetics, the story and the fights. I can't imagine anyone who is into strategy games not liking the game. DoN is a love letter to the genre. Don't wait for a sale, buy it immediately. It's well worth every cent and every hour you put into it. It's around 40 to 50 hours long.
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Dungeon of Nahelbeauk is a game based on a French classic. It is a tactical dungeon crawler with all the RPG elements you may ever want. You control a party of EIGHT characters in extremely difficult, tactical encounters and experience the crazy story that features excellent humour and really epic battles.
Check my video review here:
With EIGHT characters you can use in combat, here is what really got me: the game is extremely rich here! everyone has TWO skilltrees (active and passive), 9 gear slots they equip items on and 6 characteristics to evolve, plus a HUGE NUMBER of secondary stats. Items come with various unique properties, too so it not just flat stat bonuses. Armor ignoring daggers? Here you go! Special proc effects activating - also there! This keeps the levelling system and gearing really exciting and gives you a lot of choices.
This game has a ton of RNG but it also has a system in place to counteract it - a special misfortune bar fills up whenever you get unlucky (you miss or critically miss - yes, those are two different things). You will gain access to four special skills based on how much of the bar you have filled up, allowing you to gain extra moves, heal and cleanse your characters and gain cool buffs.
Combat borrows a lot from X-Com and other tactical games of the genre. We have a fully functional overwatch system, cover, flanking, backstabs, positioning - the only thing we're missing is high ground.
Your characters work together - there are special passives that provide your team with powerful bonuses when specific characters stand next to each other in combat.
Monsters and combat encounters always feel unique! The fights are scripted, with reinforcements coming in, environmental hazards, special tiles, traps, enemies that have unique moves - overall, it's an exciting and wholesome experience! This comes with FOUR difficulties, so if the combat is a bit too challenging, you can dial it down, while if you want your fights to really test your mettle, you can indulge, too. Higher difficulties add extra opponents to fights, which means it's not just bloated stats.
The music is BEAUTIFUL, the game is FULLY VOICED by excellent voice actors. The characters are really cool when they argue with each other - we have a cocky ranger, bimbo elf, charismatic wizardess, discombobulated ogre, panicky thief, horny priestess, lisping bard and a glory-hungry paladin. The characters make tons of meta-refernces to other games and fantasy popculture. Plus a ton more of those that you can only get if you're French I guess.
Now, the game has some small issues.