Disclosure: Meeple Mountain received a free copy of this product in exchange for an honest, unbiased review. This review is not intended to be an endorsement.
Dungeon Delve for One, Please
On lazy Sundays, I quite enjoy breaking out a solo game and throwing on some old records. No group bickering over game choice, no fear of another player’s analysis paralysis, just me, myself, and a deck of cards. There’s a particular joy in quieting down and figuring out a game by yourself, and Puzzle Dungeon is an ideal mix of dungeon delving and puzzle solving to keep those silent thoughts busy.
I was fortunate enough to experience the deluxe edition of the game, which comes with an overwhelming amount of heroes and baddies alike. It’s a smorgasbord of characters packed into this monster-hunting card game, so any characters mentioned here may not be present in the base game!
Puzzle Play
Puzzle Dungeon is a straightforward, solo-only hand management game that challenges players to defeat the required number and types of monsters listed on their hero’s card before their deck runs out. The monster deck is made up of five different monster types, randomly shuffled into four columns and laid out into ordered lines.
To defeat the frontmost monster in a column, players must discard cards with symbols matching that monster. These cards can be played from hand or from the player’s arsenal, which is a row of face-up cards splayed to the right in front of them. However, players can only use the topmost revealed card of the arsenal before working their way through the proceeding attack cards. Players can also use the symbol from a defeated monster card as a one-time-use attack, turning past victories into future momentum.
Once three of the four monsters of a given type are defeated, the fourth flips over to become a boss, which brings an ongoing negative effect until it’s defeated. The player wins when all specified monsters are defeated. They lose when a card needs to be drawn and the deck is empty.
Heavy on Heroes
Puzzle Dungeon is a neat little game that offers the challenge of both attrition and hand management. The puzzle comes from strategically defeating monsters in an order that compounds efficiently. You might not have the right symbols to attack the front monster now, but pivoting to a different column could defeat something else, giving you the effect or symbol needed to circle back to the original target.
Heroes also have an ongoing ability and a triggered ability when defeating a specified monster, called a trophy, giving players some helpful mitigation. Monsters also have “when defeated” abilities, teeing up some juicy combos that can help give you an advantage when the dungeon starts closing in.
Over my various plays, I found my win/loss rate to be pretty even, which to me indicates a fairly balanced game. The creeping dread of attrition is always there. You can always draw cards into the arsenal to find what you need, but each draw is one step closer to doom.
The cast of characters, along with the charming pixel art, is INTENSE. I kid you not when I say there are over 300 different heroes you can pick from. On top of that, there are over 80 different monsters to fight. I’m not a math guy, but that has to create thousands upon thousands of possible game combinations, making this pretty much endlessly replayable. Add in the Traps and Treasures expansion for more depth, and the possibilities spike even further.
According to Brian’s Kickstarter, 95% of the heroes were created by players. Some of the characters are wonderfully wacky, from Blueberry, who looks like a nightmare Cat in the Hat, to Danielle the Psychic Unicorn, to Alien, which…well, let’s just say there’s a familiar movie series being referenced.
The monsters themselves come from all realms of imagination, from dragons to vampires to flying pigs. It gives the game this wonderfully homemade, anything-goes energy, like a dungeon crawler that raided an old arcade cabinet and a community sketchbook at the same time.
Self-Made Dungeon
Puzzle Dungeon itself is a nice time, and if you love it, this will be one you’ll be playing for a long time. The rulebook could use some love, as I had trouble finding answers to a few fringe cases. For me, the loop does start to feel a bit repetitive after repeated plays, but what I really enjoy most is the story of creativity at the core.
The game is self-published by Brian Garber, the creator and illustrator. The charming pixel art is reminiscent of the 16-bit video games of old, but with modern themes that contrast well against the retro look. Puzzle Dungeon has seen multiple reprint campaigns, including a pledge tier that lets backers create their own hero. Many have taken advantage of this to put their loved ones and pets into the game, adding a layer of community charm that feels baked right into the deck.
That’s what makes Puzzle Dungeon stand out. It’s not just a solo card game with a mountain of content, but a showcase of indie game creation and how community engagement can help shape a solid gaming experience. While the core loop may not be one I personally return to forever, I can’t help but admire the amount of heart packed into this little dungeon.
While the game is currently out of print, its success has led to a reprint coming in 2026. In the meantime, Brian has offered Meeple Mountain readers 20% off his store with code MEEPLE20. Thanks, Brian!
