Shovel Knight: Pocket Dungeon

Shovel Knight Pocket Dungeon is a wonderful spin-off that combines block-falling puzzle and roguelite mechanics in remarkably clever ways, resulting in yet another excellent entry in the Shovel Knight series.

Shovel Knight: Pocket Dungeon combines familiar tile-matching puzzle mechanics with rogue-lite elements to make one of the best puzzlers in years.

A microsurgical blending of genres results in a lovely balance of precision and chaos.

Shovel Knight Pocket Dungeon might turn some people off with its roguelite framework and randomization, but there’s a deep puzzle game at work here; one that’s worth exploring if you’ve grown up on the action-puzzle genre. This is something I can see myself playing again in the years to come, especially with versus mode augmenting some of the leaner elements.

There’s not significant variety across these extra modes — and no online multiplayer is unfortunate — though when the core gameplay is this good, it's not a major detractor. Yacht Club Games and VINE ultimately provide an excellent puzzle spin-off, one that’s accessible for all players that'll appeal to existing fans. You won’t necessarily be here for a long time, but it’s an addictive experience that’ll keep you coming back for more.

Shovel Knight Pocket Dungeon is a smartly designed and truly delightful revitalization of the falling block puzzle genre. High intensity, combat-driven gameplay, oodles of replayability, a cute art style, and a surprising amount of depth make this one a ridiculously easy recommendation. If you're at all a fan of Shovel Knight or falling block puzzlers, you owe it to yourself to give this a shot; even if you don't fall neatly into either of those camps, we'd still very much suggest you give this one a look.

The last thing I expected was for Yacht Club Games and developer Vine to somehow emerge with a new take on the puzzle genre, but knowing what the original game did for platformers, I probably should have seen it coming.

Shovel Knight Pocket Dungeon may seem like a minor yet unexpected twist for the franchise, but it's a twist that pays off big time.

Original, brilliantly designed, varied, challenging, and loads of fun the Shovel Knight series has shaken up the action puzzler genre nicely

Shovel Knight: Pocket Dungeon relishes in the idea of punishing you. The roguelike nature and quick action puzzle elements can feel overwhelming, and it'll feel like a miracle when you beat the game for the first time. The solid mechanics are enough to keep you coming back, and the bevy of unlockable characters makes this similar enough to the original Shovel Knight in that the content will seem endless. For fans of unusual puzzles and Shovel Knight, Pocket Dungeon is perfect for you.