THE STORY

Fancy graphics are all well and good, but when it comes to seeking out the mythical Yithidian orb within a dungeon filled with all manner of monsters, where life is life and death is permadeath, only retro 3D will do…

THE EXPERIENCE

If you like to occasionally hark back to a simpler, vintage gaming time, you’re going to love Delver. With a story as basic as the graphics, explore the warren of tunnels and caves that make up the dungeon, collect as much loot as you can find, and pick up weapons and armour on the way with which to fight the terrifying low-res monsters that hide around nearly every corner, bringing with them that aforementioned permadeath.

Yep, permadeath – when you die in Delver, you stay dead, forced to start afresh in a new, randomly generated dungeon. And while this may seem like an inconvenience, what it actually means is that you get a fresh adventure every time you play, preventing the whole shebang from becoming predictable and boring.

Once you’ve managed to fend off permadeath long enough to find the fabled orb, you’ve then got to get back to the surface, backtracking through the maze and hacking your way through the nasty dungeon denizens who may have not taken too kindly to you killing their kin and making off with their orb.

THE BOTTOM LINE

Having been raised with games that looked and played just like this, I love Delver. True to the vintage classics, Priority Interrupt has created a hugely enjoyable homage to the dungeons and dragons adventures of yore. Graphics are perfectly basic, gameplay smooth and simple, and the whole slash ’em up with a sword shebang eminently playable. Younger gamers might not get it, but 8-bit aficionados will instantly embrace the adventure.

Additional information

Current version: 0.57
Requires Android 2.1 and up

Download the Delver app from Google Play

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