Free Game Friday: Dungeon Runners

Now that I have a new, pristine gaming machine, just full of life and potential for my gaming endeavors, what better way to put its prowess to the test than with a soundless Flash game? I know what you’re thinking; my indie cred has reached groundbreaking levels.

In all seriousness, however, I’m a big fan of time waster games. Desktop Dungeons is a perfect example of this, but this week’s Free Game Friday takes simple coffee break time wasting to a whole new level.

Though Ashley so graciously covered this year’s Ludum Dare competition just a few weeks ago, I simply couldn’t resist talking about Dungeon Runners. It’s true that there’s a rich cornucopia of games that come out of the competition, but the sheer simplicity and near-roguelike quality of Dungeon Runners has kept me playing it all week.

Dungeon Runners gives you five lives in the form of five little adventurers, each taking their turn bounding along through a maze which is covered in the fog of war. The only controls are your arrow keys, which allow you to direct your character at each intersection. Battles are automatic, and as you explore, you find keys to open locked doors, and armor which increases the amount of beatings you can withstand.

Each character that ventures into the dungeon is greeted by an old man, whom utters this year’s Ludum Dare theme, “It’s dangerous to go alone! Take this!” before handing you a random item which offers that character some sort of advantage during their time in the dungeon. This could be something that gives you the upper hand against a certain type of monster, or it could be something like a torch which increases the distance you can see as you uncover the dungeon.

The game is about as simple as they come, and while it’s nowhere near as involved as Desktop Dungeons, it’s definitely just as entertaining a way to distract yourself from whatever it is you’re actually supposed to be doing.