Dungeons of Hinterberg is a dreamy dungeon-crawler trip worth taking (2024)

If you've ever played Disney Dreamlight Valley, Animal Crossing or any of the other cosy games that have taken the gaming space by storm, you may have been wishing for someone to add a little more dungeon-crawling and monster-slaying to the mix. Just us?

Well, you – or at least we – are in luck with Dungeons of Hinterberg: a slice of holiday bliss in the Austrian Alps, with vibrant colours, relaxing music and, of course, plenty of monsters to kill with your sword and collection of magic spells.

Hinterberg, ground zero for an eruption of magic that released monsters into the area, has turned into a tourist spot – encouraging visitors to live their wildest adventures and 'enjoy their slay'. Each morning, you'll choose the scenic space you want to visit (and slay monsters in), as if making plans for a stroll on your usual summer jolly.

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Each area is visually distinct and is home to a different flavour of enemies, as well as its own set of spells locked to their region – from controlling wind to creating a snowboard from ice.

There's a nice varied mix which helps feed into each region's theme while helping to keep the combat focused and taught. It may seem at first glance that it would make for fairly boring action, but there's a humble creativity unlocked in the minimalist aspect, which makes it easy to latch onto but hard to put down.

Even in the later stages, fights were always a challenge thanks to varied enemies putting the pressure on as waves progressed – offering you plenty of encouragement to experiment with the use of spells and various upgrades for your weapons.

As you explore your chosen region for the day, you can find a nice spot to relax and enjoy the view, buffing your relaxation and rest stats, but you'd obviously be missing out on the big draw of Hinterberg – its dungeons, and there's plenty to be found of varying difficulty.

You'll get a stamp to fill out your traveller's book each time you make it to the end of a dungeon, but you'll face some increasingly tough challenges as you try to do so. There's enemies to face and puzzles to solve all at your own pace, in levels designed to test your abilities and play on your nostalgia.

Blending gameplay styles and perspectives with each new dungeon, one minute you'll be platforming in 2D or battling monsters in an isometric maze, the next you'll be spinning around mini-planets like a modern reimagining of Super Mario Galaxy.

Even when you feel like you've settled into a groove, Hinterberg throws something else into the mix that makes it all the more engaging and endearing.

As the cosy town-explorer vibes may leave you to expect, there's plenty of characters to meet on your holiday in the Alps – not just interesting to know on a story level, with some fun dialogue and unique back-stories often poking fun at stereotypes, but also useful as each character will unlock specific skills or upgrades based on your relationship level.

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Each night when you return from a cosy dungeon crawl, you'll be able to choose who you want to spend your evening with. Each will boost stats like relaxation, fun and renown, which will help you in the long run, but also give you the chance to increase your friendship level and unlock those sweet rewards.

While the outer layer makes for a fun time, Dungeons of Hinterberg dives in and out of some deeper and more everyday issues, despite being set in a world full of magic and goblins.

Each character you meet and build a relationship with will gradually unfurl tales about how the tourism industry impacts c0mmunities and towns, or how burnout isn't just a real thing people face day-to-day but can destroy any semblance of what's important and how to move on.

The fact you can only pick one person to enjoy an evening with every night is a bold stripping back of your time that keeps the story well-paced, but also you’ll be eager to get to your next evening and see what can happen – much like how we remember our summer holidays as a child, eager to explore and see what events could possibly occur every day.

The art style can't be missed, with its bold lines and pop-art shading, but more than a gimmick to set it apart from the competition, it perfectly sets the tone and keeps your experience fun and inviting.

Dungeons of Hinterberg is an absolute delight to experience. It's challenging enough to keep you on your toes, but never so frustrating that it drops the ball on its cosy core. We were hooked from start to finish and can't wait to jump back in for another holiday in Hinterberg.