Legend of Keepers | Nintendo Switch Review

Coming at you as one of the finer dungeon management roguelikes is a game titled, "Legend of Keepers". This fully voiced, and expertly crafted pixel perfect indie game sees you managing a dungeon's keep as the staffer of the illustrious Dungeon Corporation. A company that provides challenges for heroes while defending the treasures of it's monstrous employers. At your disposal are traps, troops, and a beefy dungeon master. Through preparations, execution, and many week's worth of resource micromanagement you are tasked with facing every heroic effort put up against you, and the company. The more you succeed in the endeavor the bigger the payout at the end of it all. 

Making bank in this unusual job requires the meticulous management of resources, and troops as well as preparations fitting of the hero based challenges set before you. Under your command is an army of monster soldiers for hire, traps, and a dungeon master or boss that is your last ditch effort should the trio of heroes and heroines in each encounter bypass all that you've set before them. Through weeks that pass by in numerical order you will have task options placed before you. Multiple choices ranging from training to morale boosting efforts, and even resource building. That, and options for spending amassed gold on troops, and traps. The later of which can be upgraded through weekly tasks or through the training garrisons and stock. It's all about managing what you have well enough to last to the end of a playthrough. An ending which rewards your dungeon master experience via a tally of gold earned, resources collected, troops gained, and traps obtained. 

The gameplay loop in 'Legend of Keepers' is both complex, and simple in nature. Through a hands on tutorial you learn early on the ropes of a hero versus monster encounter. This includes the preparation phase where you place troops, and traps while emptying one room along the way alone for spell usage. Leaving the last room as the dungeon master's quarters. The basic point of it all is to either kill off all three of the attacking heroes, or scare them off. That way they cannot loot the treasure lying in wait behind the dungeon master. Through the troops, traps, and spells beforehand you will be able to deal damage via various attacks of your choosing. You'll also be able to inflict a variety of negative status effects making it easier to either dispatch the heroes to the afterlife, or deter them from advancing further. Your reward depends upon the challenger's difficulty ranking. The higher the ranking of the heroes the better the payout. This includes resources (blood & tears), gold, and an optional end reward. The end rewards range from a new troop or trap to a new spell or dungeon master upgrade. Needless to say the more heroes you defeat the more money, troops, traps, and resources you'll have to spend on other task throughout the weeks.

Weekly tasks are randomized in each playthrough. They include hero versus encounters, and a variety of events that incorporate your troops. Some of these events offer you a chance to boost morale, or increase troop stats by spending blood, tears, and gold. Things like therapists, and vacations being among the many opportunities. There's also vendors such as merchants, and engineers that will allow you to purchase new troops, and traps for a price. On occasion you'll even get to send troops off for training at the garrison. A menu that allows you to send troops to a garrison room for upping their levels, and boosting their stats. These troops cannot be used in combat scenarios unless you place them back into your room one, and room two party menus. 

Each playthrough will reward you in multiple ways. Acting as a never-ending pathway to perpetual progress. As mentioned before you will be amassing troops, traps, wealth, and resources for your efforts. That and experience for your selected dungeon master. When a playthrough is complete you'll be met with a management tally, and your dungeon master rewarded experience accordingly. As you level up the initial dungeon master a couple others will be made available. While there is a beginning, and end to each given playthrough the next go around is a continuation of prior efforts. 

When it comes to other management options the game contains a skill tree as well as sliders pertaining to difficulty settings, resources, and a playthrough's length. In regards to the skill tree it is a basic RPG stat/effect inclusive tree of skills that benefit the troops, traps, and dungeon masters. Buffing them under certain met requirements, and applying effects that will make dealing with the opposition easier. The difficulty, and resource sliders on the other hand alter the base game experience. Making it more difficult, easier, or lengthier. Those things along with the game's archives compendium add to the gameplay, and it's lore. Through the archives, in particular, you'll actually find a listing of attacks and their elemental/negative stat afflictions.

The Verdict ...

Legend of Keepers is definitely a game that gives you more bang for your buck. It is a dungeon management roguelike with party, and resource management done right. An experience that is meant to be picked up, put down, and picked back up at your leisure. Letting you continue where you left off during the last playthrough. Visually the game is also stunning. From the impressively constructed, and animated characters and creatures to the background environments the developer spared no expense. It is top notch indie game with picture perfect pixel art accented by voice overs, sound effects, and a catchy soundtrack. I can definitely see this being a game that all fans of the Switch will enjoy. It being a budget priced indie is a plus! Don't miss out!