Surprise releases on Xbox Game Pass are always fun to have and this week, Terry Cavanagh, the developer of indie hits such as VVVVVV and Super Hexagon, will be releasing his 2019 title Dicey Dungeons onto the service this Thursday, November 11th.
Dicey Dungeons is being billed as a "fast-paced deckbuilding roguelike" in which the player plays as a giant walking die, and finds themselves trying to escape procedurally generated dungeons. Different classes are available to try out including The Thief or The Warrior and it is all presented in a charming almost Saturday morning cartoon sort of way.
The trailer for Dicey Dungeons from it's Steam release back in August 2019, is presented with a game show host introducing each type of class as their own die and color; The Warrior is a blue die and the The Inventor is an orange die for example. It appears to have players rolling dice to escape the dungeons, trying to get the best rolls and loot to make it out alive. Its Steam page describes Dicey Dungeons as "this new fast-paced deckbuilding roguelike from Terry Cavanagh (Super Hexagon, VVVVVV), Chipzel, and Marlowe Dobbe, you'll fight monsters, find better loot, and level up your heroes as you work together to take down the Goddess of Fortune, Lady Luck herself. Balance your carefully planned strategies against the unknown of a dice roll."
It can be difficult for games to gain a foothold in the overcrowded indie space but judging from the Steam reviews it appears as if Terry Cavanagh's latest gem has done well for itself in its first two years on the market. Its simplistic art style and charming aesthetic no doubt have allowed itself to stand out in a sea of titles and releasing on Xbox Game Pass will ensure that even more gamers will get an opportunity to check it out. With over 6,000 reviews to its name, it currently sits at a Very Positive review score on Steam. As Terry Cavanagh is the developer of much-loved indie darlings such as Super Hexagon and VVVVVV, it is no surprise that his latest venture into dungeon crawling has been another hit.
November 11th is a busy day this month as not only is Dicey Dungeons landing on Xbox Game Pass that day but so too is Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas arriving on the service. Not to mention the wider releases of Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy - The Definitive Edition and The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim Anniversary Edition coming to last-gen and current-gen consoles as well. All are on their way to Xbox in some form, but Dicey Dungeons is still one to keep on the radar.
Dicey Dungeons comes to Xbox Game Pass on November 11, 2021, and is currently available on Steam and Nintendo Switch.