Soda Dungeon

Soda Dungeon is a Free-to-Play Idle RPG developed by AN Productions and Poxpower and Distributed by Armor games on Android, IOS, and Steam

One can sometimes envision the mobile game market as a slag heap, filled with cheap clones of more popular game, poorly made shovelware, and cheap voxel-based gameplay packaged as "idle" games. Soda Dungeon is a Gem among the rubbish. It's premise combines a combination of two very popular genres that had arrived on the market. Rogue-like RPGs (such as the original Pixel Dungeon or the excellent flash-port Cardinal Quest 2) and the expansive Idle genre (from the now older Adventure Capitalist to newer contenders such as Idle Apocalypse). Overall a fantastic game and one I have downloaded multiple times over the years.

The game uses a grinding upgrade cycle that actually pares quite well with the idle mechanics. You hire your adventuring party, supply them with whatever weapons, armor, and special items and then send them into the local dungeon. Once inside the dungeon you have the option of controlling the characters like a traditional RPG or set the game to Auto-Combat. The use of a toggleable idle mechanic is refreshing, (Anti-Idle: The Game for flash was the only other time I've seen it used.) and it is effective for the game. During gameplay it was relaxing to allow the characters to grind for me like any other idle game but taking control of my characters during the inevitable boss battle. The balance is excellent and the game developers have added side dungeons and other divertissements to help break up the main gameplay.

Most Idle games utilize a mechanic called Ascension, a reset which erases your progress but gives you a permanent boost. Soda Dungeons ascension are based off of getting to the end of the dungeon and defeating the boss. Each dungeon gives a soda, (which upgrades a base stat such as attack), and a bottle cap (which upgrades a class). The way that the ascensions are planned out is intelligent and well designed. Most games allow the ascension to be player initiated often when the game has slowed due to idle games exponential growth. SD's however act almost like a level system with clear progressions and limits. Knowing that the end of this dungeon can give me a huge boost to my game is a lot more powerful than the inevitable boost I would get from other idle games like cookie clicker or Adventure capitalist.

The soundtrack for Soda Dungeon is excellent providing an enriching experience while not being distracted. The audio effects add to the visuals and makes gameplay enjoyable. I enjoy listening to youtube or podcasts when I play games and Soda Dungeons is mutable and allows audio from other applications to play.

The sprite graphics have a almost retro charm to them bringing to mind the characters designs of older RPGs like the original final fantasys. The AP attacks are dynamic and interesting even with the rigidness that occurs with the art style. The fighting starts out with simple animations as the players body slam the rats, goblins, and chickens that dwell in the bottom floors of the dungeon but become more complex as the game progress. The art for the backgrounds is rich and detailed and makes upgrading the Pub enjoyable. Overall beautiful graphics and design.

Soda Dungeon offers microtransactions and advertisements but in a subtle and respectful way such as offering small banner ads for 10% more gold if you are running the dungeon on Auto-Combat. The ads are few and far between and while the game does offer in game purchases I've never been pressured to buy them, (though I have been tempted). Giving the sorry state of the market Soda dungeon has one of the best uses of the free-to-play module and many games could take a page from they unobtrusive marketing style.

Overall Soda Dungeon is a fantastic game both from its RPG and Idle angle. Like a fish tank I enjoy equipping my AP and watch them hack-n-slash themselves through the dungeon. The progression is smooth and provides engaging gameplay throughout the game which is definitely difficult with an idle game. Soda Dungeon is a well polished and excellent example of what the casual game market should be and an absolute classic for mobile.