Dice Dungeon is a free online dice roguelike for one player: eight floors, one monster each, and a run that lasts about fifteen minutes. Every turn hands you three dice and the equipment you are carrying, and the puzzle is the fit between them. Equipment is deliberately fussy — the Shortblade takes any die and hits for it, the Heavy Axe demands a four or better and adds three, the Needle wants a single one and turns it into a flat six, the Tower Shield only accepts an even number. A roll of one, two, six is not better or worse than three, three, five; it is a different shape, and the rack you happen to be carrying decides which of them you wanted. Clear a floor and you are offered three new pieces and choose one, so the rack you finish with is the run you played. The monsters are habits rather than bigger numbers. Armour eats the first few points of every separate hit, which makes three small hits worth almost nothing and one big one worth a lot — that is what makes the Heavy Axe worth carrying and the Shortblade worth leaving behind. A warding monster takes nothing at all from odd dice. A brittle one takes double from any single hit of eight or more. And if a fight drags past eight turns the monster starts to lose patience and hits harder every turn, which exists for a concrete reason: with two shields you could otherwise block every hit for ever and never attack at all. The dungeon, its eight monsters and every piece of equipment were written for this game.
How to play Dice Dungeon
- Press Play. You start on floor one with thirty health, a Shortblade and a Buckler.
- Each turn you are dealt three dice. Tap one to pick it up; the equipment it can pay for lights up.
- Tap a lit piece of equipment to spend the die on it. Each piece says exactly what it demands and what it does.
- The Shortblade takes any die and hits for that much. The Heavy Axe needs a four or better and adds three. The Tower Shield needs an even number.
- A shield blocks damage until the monster's next attack, and the block does not carry over — spend it on the turn you need it.
- When you have nothing left to spend, press End turn. The monster hits, and three fresh dice are dealt.
- Read the monster before you commit. Armour eats the first few points of every separate hit, so one big hit beats three small ones.
- A warding monster ignores odd dice completely, and a brittle one takes double from a single hit of eight or more.
- Clear a floor and you are offered three new pieces of equipment. Take one, rest a little, and go down.
- If a fight runs past eight turns the monster loses patience and hits harder every turn after that, so a stalemate is not an option.
- Clear all eight floors to finish the run.
Tips
- The rack is the run. A Heavy Axe and a Crown Cleaver turn big dice into real damage; a rack of small weapons dies on floor five to three points of armour.
- Against armour, count what actually lands. A hit of three against a soak of two is worth one, so three of those are worth three — while a single hit of nine is worth seven.
- Against the Pale Wisp, odd dice do nothing at all with a weapon. Spend them on shields and tricks and save the even ones for hitting.
- Glasswork takes double from a single hit of eight or more, so the question is whether anything in your rack can reach eight in one go.
- Do not hoard the Poultice. Healing at full health is a wasted die, and the block you did not put up is damage you did not need to heal.
- The Loaded Die and the Shim exist to fix a bad roll. A single 1 is nearly worthless otherwise, and turning it into a reroll is often the best thing it does all turn.
- Pick equipment for the floor you are about to meet, not the one you just beat. The monster you are going down to is named before you choose.
- If a fight is going long, stop blocking and start hitting. Past eight turns the monster gains damage every turn, and the clock only runs one way.
FAQ
Is Dice Dungeon free to play?
Yes. It runs free in your browser with no download, no install and no account.
How do the dice and the equipment work together?
Each turn gives you three dice, and each piece of equipment demands a particular kind of die — any die, a four or better, exactly a one, an even number, or two that match. You pick up a die and spend it on something that will take it.
Why can I not use this piece of equipment?
Because nothing left in your hand fits what it demands. It is dimmed rather than hidden so you can see what you would have needed, which is most of the information in the game.
How does armour work?
It eats the first few points of every separate hit, not of the turn. Against a soak of two, three hits of three are worth three damage between them while one hit of nine is worth seven — which is the whole argument for carrying a bigger weapon.
What does a warding monster do?
It takes no damage at all from an odd die. Even dice hit it normally, and flat damage — a Needle or a Whetstone, which do a fixed amount regardless of the die — goes through as well.
What happens if a fight goes on too long?
After eight turns the monster starts to lose patience and hits harder every turn. That exists because two shields would otherwise let you block every hit for ever and never attack, which is not a game.
Do I keep my equipment between floors?
Yes, and it is the whole progression. Clear a floor and you choose one of three new pieces, so by the last floor you are carrying a rack you built rather than one you were handed.
Is this the dice roguelike I am thinking of?
It is the same idea, but it is not that game and does not use its name. The eight monsters, every piece of equipment and the patience rule were written for this one.