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[burningpet]

Dwelvers is a spiritual successor to Dungeon Keeper.

Edit 21/12/2013

here's some of the latest screenshots (warning, large images)
Orc training:

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

Orcs having a drink

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

The portal from the surface overlooking a cliff

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

An impanzee lair next to a waterfall

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

--- End of Edit --

Now, you might say that there’s already such a game that was successfully kickstarted some time ago called War of the Overlord, but there’s a difference between the two, a difference that, in my opinion, makes Dungeon Dwellers a more promising and faithful successor to the spirit, rather than to the mechanics, of Dungeon keeper.

Dungeon Keeper great promise and theme was in the building and managing of an underground evil dungeon, and while it got the building right, it completely neglected the managing aspect.

Dwelvers is adding a production lines system such that can be found in the Settlers or the Anno series. what that means, is that not only you will have to build a dungeon, you will have to build a self sufficient dungeon, one with emphasis on synergies between monsters, between monsters and resources, and between monsters and your enemies.

Some monsters will like other monsters, some will hate others, some monsters will like to reside deep, some will prefer the outskirts of the dungeon, some will prefer raw meat, some will prefer to chew on corpses and some will love beer. you will not just collect gold or have a farm to feed all your monsters, you will need to turn harvested wheat into flour and then haul it to a bakery to make bread, or, mix with water pumped from the river and make beer through a brewery, which means monsters will travel back and forth and materials will not be arbitrary numbers, but “physical” objects.
This is basically how it goes. a better, deeper, production and managing aspect of the dungeon. one that force you to think where to place rooms, which monsters to bring and where and what production to focus on.

Not just building a tower defense dungeon, but actually building a lair of living, underground evils, all with their own affiliations toward each other.
The developer behind it sound enthusiastic about making games in a cute, nerdy way, that is, to my eyes, the core spirit that drive indieness. the fact that he seem more than capable is another bonus. all in all, i see no reason not to back this one up and i already threw my 30$+ something toward it.

What i wish to see in this game is a deeper relation system between your monsters. how some will react differently to others. A dungeon is not, i mean, can not be, a communist colony, it is filled with loot loving monsters. monsters should not automatically love each other just because they have the same boss. they are semi - intelligent, self focused beasts. they should act accordingly.

[Meta]

IMHO "adding a production lines system" does not make it "a more promising and faithful successor to the spirit, rather than to the mechanics, of Dungeon keeper".

Anyway, thanks for the link! Nice find!

[burningpet]

In my opinion, it does. the spirit of Dungeon Keeper is an Evil dungeon simulation, yet, Dungeon Keeper never simulated anything. with a production lines system such as this, and with monsters that prefer different food types, its a few steps closer to being a Dungeon Simulation, rather than a Dungeon/Tower defence game.

[hemmingjay]

I agree, this does seem to be a more faithful successor. Consider it backed.

[mastahcheese]

I am downloading the demo of it now, this looks awesome.

[Xinvoker]

Very interesting, ptw!

[Mephansteras]

Well, I'll have to check it out.

It's good thing I have a decent paying job. Otherwise all these promising kickstarter games would bankrupt me!

[Ultimuh]

I agree, this does seem to be a more faithful successor. Consider it backed.

Oh? Have people forgotten War For The Overworld already?

[nenjin]

I agree, this does seem to be a more faithful successor. Consider it backed.

Oh? Have people forgotten War For The Overworld already?

He actually mentions it in this video.

This seems more like a resource management game than either DKII or WftOW. So to me I don't know if that makes it a more faithful successor or not. I'm leaning toward not. There was nothing in DK that was about production chains, at all. It was a creature wandering sim.

Either way, I don't really care whether or not it's "faithful", I care whether it's cool.

Automatically, I like the visuals in this way more than WftOW. WftOW still looks like a pre-alpha, while this manages to look like something more advanced.

I doubt I'll back because I'm not interested in donating to an on-going project that's not really playable yet. But it's nice to see the market filling up with games like this. I suppose if the demo really wows me I might consider it.

[werty892]

Shut up and take my money.

[burningpet]

I agree, this does seem to be a more faithful successor. Consider it backed.

Oh? Have people forgotten War For The Overworld already?

He actually mentions it in this video.

This seems more like a resource management game than either DKII or WftOW. So to me I don't know if that makes it a more faithful successor or not. I'm leaning toward not. There was nothing in DK that was about production chains, at all. It was a creature wandering sim.

Either way, I don't really care whether or not it's "faithful", I care whether it's cool.

Automatically, I like the visuals in this way more than WftOW. WftOW still looks like a pre-alpha, while this manages to look like something more advanced.

I doubt I'll back because I'm not interested in donating to an on-going project that's not really playable yet. But it's nice to see the market filling up with games like this. I suppose if the demo really wows me I might consider it.

Yeah, i agree DK wasent about production chains, but what i think this game adds, through the production chains, is a method to force smart layout of the dungeons, and a more varied behaviour of the monsters (by having different monsters prefer different materials), and yes, while DK was really a creature wandering sim, i think this is a big part where it missed it potential of being bit more.

[Neonivek]

Successor does imply that it does step up... So in what way does this game improve upon the Dungeon Keeper formula?

Yeah, i agree DK wasent about production chains, but what i think this game adds, through the production chains, is a method to force smart layout of the dungeons, and a more varied behaviour of the monsters (by having different monsters prefer different materials), and yes, while DK was really a creature wandering sim, i think this is a big part where it missed it potential of being bit more.

Well to admit don't forget that in the original dungeon keeper things so quickly outpace your traps and blockades that there almost was no reason to put them there. In fact many heroes were immune.

So methods to make dungeon construction purposeful beyond room layout would be nice.

[nenjin]

Yeah, i agree DK wasent about production chains, but what i think this game adds, through the production chains, is a method to force smart layout of the dungeons, and a more varied behaviour of the monsters (by having different monsters prefer different materials), and yes, while DK was really a creature wandering sim, i think this is a big part where it missed it potential of being bit more.

I agree there, production chains can lend themselves to a more highly simulated environment. My worry, however, with games that emphasize resource management is that's where the fun ends up; what you can actually do with the resources is a smaller part of gameplay than simply managing them. Take DF for example. Resource management is huge in DF, it's a facet of gameplay unto itself. Yet there's plenty you can do with those resources, and plenty of gameplay hooks that play off it. If a dungeon game boils down to "keep your dudes fed so you can watch them work to keep your dudes fed", then resource production chains aren't adding a ton. If they help inform gameplay, and help you visualize the lives of these dungeon monsters (what I think these games really should be about), then it's a good thing.

[MoLAoS]

This game honestly isn't a successor to DK.

Having the same setting does not make something a successor. Having the same but superior gameplay does. Kinda like Towns isn't a successor to Majesty and WoW isn't a successor to Ultima Online and so on and so on.

That doesn't mean it can't be a great game though. Personally I am a fan of resource management. My favorite part of DK was mining gold.

[burningpet]

This game honestly isn't a successor to DK.

Having the same setting does not make something a successor. Having the same but superior gameplay does. Kinda like Towns isn't a successor to Majesty and WoW isn't a successor to Ultima Online and so on and so on.

That doesn't mean it can't be a great game though. Personally I am a fan of resource management. My favorite part of DK was mining gold.

Majesty, Elder Scrolls, Mass Effect, The Settlers and a bunch of others would like to have a word with you. (Which can be pretty hard, since i am not sure a discussion where one side just decides he can invent meanings on his own can go anywhere)