Unexplored

Unexplored is a game all about stories.

Not in the traditional sense, though. The setup for Unexplored’s “story” is about as basic as you can imagine: enter dungeon, beat dragon at the bottom, bring amulet back to surface. As rote as that might sound, this is simply the setup for a much more in depth and intriguing mystery - the story you tell as you delve into the Dungeon of Doom is what’s worth reading about. 

Unexplored is, in the most broad sense, a traditional style Rogue-like/lite. Dungeons are randomly generated, potions/scrolls/weapons and armor are unidentified and different every time, floor layouts and enemies will never be the same the next time through. There are literally billions of combinations available at your fingertips.

The dungeon generation on display here is nothing short of extraordinary. Instead of simple block room dungeon design, Unexplored uses something called “cyclic dungeon generation” to create incredibly organic level design, not only pertaining to the floor but the entire dungeon. Every dungeon feels genuinely handcrafted. This process can lead to an incredible array of possibilities, including multi-floor puzzles, item generation at earlier levels that relate to later ones, and much more.

The best part of this design is that a “failed” run in which you don’t make it out alive isn’t wasted time - your spelunking becomes a story in and of itself. On one of my earlier runs, an earlier level hinted at a Fire Ant Queen, as well as providing me with a couple resist fire potions. I also discovered a note mentioning a way to use parts from said queen in a crafting recipe for fireproof armor - of which came in real handy on lower lava filled floors. On another run, An intricate puzzle rewarded me with an underwater-breathing helmet - only to stumble across a floor spanning lake later on, with an aquatic boss at it’s center.

The art style might seem a bit simple, but the subtleties that arise from the simplicity confer a strong sense of character. Your little cyclops character is full of life, whether it be through the little chuckles when finding a staircase, their wide-eyed expressions when a secret is discovered, or the way they tsk alongside you when a room full of crates you’ve been searching presents bugger all of use.

It did take a few runs before getting my head around some parts of the game. Watching some of Waypoint’s stream, along with developer Joris Dormans basic walkthrough video, really helped it click, so if you’ve tried the game and aren’t sure, those are well worth checking out.

Unexplored might be a genuine forever game, full of unending potential for new experiences. Which is all the more wondrous considering how small the team is (most of the work was done by a single person) along with it’s incredibly cheap asking price. And even better, a positively beautiful and even more ambitious looking sequel is in the works, hopefully out some time this year.

I honestly can’t praise Unexplored enough - this game is a genuine hidden gem that more people need to discover and play.