Dungeons of Hinterberg is the RPG escape we all need

When the chatter starts about which games of the year stood out, I’ll be championing Dungeons of Hinterberg, which is a very good time. It’s a wonderful little dungeon crawler based on the idea that portals have popped up in rural Austria and people from around the world flock there to experience magic and adventuring for the first time.

We gave it an 8/10 in our review and when I saw it pop up on Xbox Game Pass, I knew I had to try it. After spending many hours noodling away through various aspects of the game, I love what’s here - the adventure of it all.

However, I don’t really care that much about the dungeons or weapons, I’m there for the interactions.

The game is split into days and those days are split into morning, afternoon, evening, and night. The morning is for breakfast and catching up with one or two faces from the town, afternoons are usually spent in dungeons, and the evenings tend to be about being social. At night, you retire to your room and either read, watch TV, or sleep through to the next day.

Dungeons of Hinterberg - Curve Games

To be honest, the afternoons can be very chill. If you don’t fancy taking on swarms of monsters and looting chests, you can just wander the maps seeking out opportunities to meditate or collect litter and magical ingredients. Whatever you choose, it’s back to the village of Hinterberg in the evenings and time to find someone to spend time with.

Each villager offers perks, abilities, and some company. There are some wonderfully written, meaningful conversations to be had. Before you choose who to visit, you can see how they will benefit your adventure and it’s this balance of stats that’s most engaging for me.

There are several related to the social aspects of the game and various residents will boost one of a few traits for Luisa, our main character. There’s familiarity, which rates how much you know about Hinterberg, its residents, and the history of the area; renown is how good you are as an adventurer; amusement helps your overall experience on this dungeon-filled holiday; and then there’s relaxation, which boosts your health bar, allowing you to take more damage.

Most of these stats also unlock new areas, such as a dungeon that can only be accessed with enough familiarity about the area so you can guide yourself through a labyrinth to reach the entrance.

Dungeons of Hinterberg - Curve Games

I got into a rhythm of tackling a dungeon one day, checking in with a favourite villager, then relaxing the next day. I’d analyse who was available in the evenings to keep an even spread across the traits, while also figuring out which perks they’d give me and whether they would compliment my style of adventuring.

In the end, it became more of a cosy adventure game with a sprinkling of dungeon crawling. There are 25 dungeons and there’s plenty of combat in the game, of course, but I just don’t care. I like the management of my charms, special attacks, and finding the right balance of equipment. I prefer the more sedate moments of sitting by the lake and pondering life and existence.

Dungeons of Hinterberg is much more meditative than it appears. Luisa has come to the area on holiday because she hates her repetitive days. Working as a lawyer has always been her goal after formative years of overachieving and she’s come to realise there’s more to life.

It’s a concept we all reach at some point. We look back at our years and wonder what could have been if we weren’t focused on a career or learning, or raising a family. It doesn’t cancel out what you’ve done, but you come to realise that our time here is finite.

Dungeons of Hinterberg - Curve Games

That’s why spending time with all the villagers, learning their quirks, their personalities, and what makes their village tick, is so engaging. Because Luisa realises that she’s neglected her own growth as a person while only feeding into what made her a better cog in the machine.

Of course, the gameplay aspects of balancing perks and items that come from these interactions are great, but even the conversations themselves are a balm for the soul. There’s a moment where you can befriend a dog outside a blacksmith shop. You get to name them - I called him Captain Sprinkles from a choice of many - and on one of the evenings you sit there on the steps, petting the dog and contemplating how simple it would all be if you could avoid being an adult. It’s a conversation 99% of us have had at some point and it grounds Luisa’s journey as one we can relate to.

While a good chunk of Dungeons of Hinterberg is battling monsters or solving environmental puzzles, all of which is brilliant, it’s those moments of peace, social freedom, and meeting up with people who enrich your existence that makes all the difference. Much like life, really.