Game: Dome Keeper
Genre: Action, Adventure
System: Steam (Windows, macOS & Linux)
Developer|Publisher: Bippinbits | Raw Fury
Controller Support: YES
Price: UK £12.59 | US $ 16.19 | EU € 16,19
Release Date: September 27th, 2022
Review code provided with many thanks to Johnny Atom.Â
Raw Fury Seal of Quality
Raw fury is a publisher I often attribute with two qualities; new original games and detailed pixel graphics. They have released several indie hits over the last few years. Although not every game is my cup of coffee I feel all their releases have a sense of originality and quality.
To this extent, one should attach the ‘Raw Fury seal of quality just like the old days only this time it’s true. Dome Keeper is another original title from the publisher which will no doubt appeal to roguelike fans or those looking for a fun pick-up and play experience.
Crash Landed
Dome Keeper does not present much of a story. Before you begin a run you are presented with a brief cutscene where your dome crashes onto a planet squishing an oily alien creature in the process. From there it’s up to you as a solo miner to dig for a hidden relic and make it off the planet before the rest of the planet’s life forms destroy your dome.
What little story there is, is discovered by just playing the game. I did actually enjoy questioning the mystery of my quest. Why was I on this planet hunting for a relic, did I come alone? Why did I not pack more alien defences? Or a packed lunch for that matter? So much is up to your own interpretation and if you have an open imagination you may enjoy creating your own version of the lore.
Under the Dome
The 2D gameplay is split into two parts: mining and defending your dome from the oncoming alien horde. The controller is recommended for the experience but you can go with a keyboard if you prefer. Mining is where things are relaxing and more zen-like. Using the D-pad you bump into the wall you want to mine and hey presto you create a new path. You then use just one button to pick up objects or interact with something.
The idea is to hunt around in the dark looking for resources like gold cubes, circular water balls and pink triangle objects. The typical things you find on an unknown alien planet. These are placed randomly in the ground so you’re really taking your best guess looking for them. You are provided with a mild hint if you are close as the dirt will change a mild colour representing the resource or secret you’re closest to. You then need to carry the recourse back to your base, however, you can only carry so much until you are slowed down significantly so multiple trips may be required.
Resources are not the only treasure. Large relics can be found and once returned to the base will unlock helpful new perks or you can swap them for resources. These can make and break a run. One can pulse out a wave highlighting where resources are in the dirt. You can install a lift to transport resources to the surface and even get an animal buddy to dig for you. Each of these perks can even be upgraded with the resources you collect.
Collect Resources
You can’t stay in mining zen forever though. Before you know it the alarm will ring to indicate aliens are about to attack your dome. You need to rush back to the control panel take control of your main weapon which starts as a laser cannon then move it to destroy the alien menace before they break through. When the wave is dealt with you’ll feel the stress lift off your shoulders enabling you to return to the calm tranquillity of the mines. But that peace won’t last. Controls are kept simple, with controls being clearly displayed at the bottom of the screen.
With your banked resources, you can make various upgrades. These include HUD additions such as a timer which will indicate when the horde is on the way or a tally of how many waves you have completed. The miners’ abilities can be improved such as drill strength, speed and resource carrying capacity. There are upgrades for your dome like weapon strength, movement speed and shield durability. You won’t have enough resources to improve everything and time is not on your side. With each passing wave, the number of enemies increases along with additional more dangerous foes.
Increase Defences
For most runs I found increasing my defences was the best bet. But it really depends on the random generation of resources and relic placement in the mines. This does make each run pretty tense but satisfying. My main niggle of the game is the moments where you defend your dome can be really unforgiving even in the early stages of the game. If you’re having one of those bad luck runs where you just can’t find resources it can make things very frustrating. The game does offer 3 difficulty modes with Normal actually being the easiest and the one I ended up sticking with after too many failures. Maybe with time, I’ll work my way up the difficulty ladder.Â
Looks and Content
Graphics are lovely detailed sprites with smooth animations. While the colour palette is limited, the developers created an excellent unknown alien world, which presents in different colours each time so you don’t always get the same aesthetic. Enemies are dark, oily and mysterious, becoming more terrifying when the big ones present themselves later in a run. This mystery extends to the dark cave systems. A detail I really liked is older parts of your cave system will start to grow moss as time progresses given a sense of how much time has elapsed.
Find the Relic
Initially your main goal each run is to locate a particular large relic hidden somewhere in a small mine. If things go well a run will last around thirty minutes give or take making it an appealing choice for a quick game. You can just drill down and hope for the best, the deeper you go the harder dirt is to mine unless you upgrade your drill. If you succeed, you get to choose from two new unlocks such as a new base type or a new game mode. You will also have access to a bigger mine which will increase the length of the run. As you unlock more options you can customize your game to your liking.
During the review, a new character type was also teased but this seems to be coming post-launch. When I first completed a run I decided to select a sword base. A dome which is defended by a giant sword sounded very practical. But I ended up being very disappointed with how this was controlled and found it more hassle than it was worth. Fortunately other unlocks weren’t as disappointing. The unlockable content feels a little light especially if you’re experienced with roguelike games.
Conclusion -Definitely a Keeper
I ended up really liking Dome Keeper. Its gameplay flow reminded me a lot of Kingdom, another gem also published by Raw Fury. Only this time it’s a bit more lonely as you are just a humble space person alone on a very angry planet. Its mix of mining for resources and defending your base quickly became entertaining, having me return run after run, even if many ended with my dome smashing into little pieces. Unlocked content feels a touch light and defending the base can get a bit overwhelming too early. But that wasn’t enough to cloud over the sheer fun I had playing this sci-fi wonder. If you’re looking for a fresh new roguelike then Dome Keeper comes highly recommended.
Final Verdict: I like it a Lot
