A quirky cel-shaded tourist town run amok with mythical folklore monsters, Dungeons of Hinterberg (DoH) is a unique take on the action-adventure RPG genre, with social sim elements, unique storytelling, engaging puzzles, exploration and combat; DoH is the most relaxing RPG of 2024.
The player takes on the role of Luisa, a lawyer who is in need of a break from city life. Luisa’s holiday destination is the Austrian town of Hinterberg. This picturesque town is in the idyllic Austrian Alps; the perfect location for stunning views, befriending the locals, snowboarding, puzzles and monster slaying.
Hinterberg is a wonderfully bizarre and oddly relaxing place. The townsfolk have doubled down on the mystery of the dungeons and monetized them as an ideal tourist location. Luisa’s goal, to defeat all 25 monster-filled dungeons, seems simple enough, but every town has its secrets. Befriend the locals, explore the Austrian Alps and discover what is really going on.
Dungeons of Hinterberg is split up into individual days and three different periods. Each morning, the player decides which of the four main locations Luisa is going exploring in. During the day of exploration, players will uncover new areas, treasures, meet other tourists and discover dungeons with puzzles and enemies to defeat. The day is limited to one dungeon per day as Luisa will become exhausted. Players can also choose to just relax and take in the scenery for the day instead of completing a dungeon. There is no rush.
The dungeons themselves vary in difficulty and use unique gimmicks for puzzles. Puzzles are fun and intuitive but never unfair, making them satisfying to solve without the usual frustrations. Early locations use mine cart puzzles, while later areas have snowboarding, map flipping and much more.
Combat is not the main focus of the game, resulting in a relatively simple combat system; players use basic sword attacks and build up magic attacks that are unique to each area. The enemy variety is rather small, with only a handful of unique enemy types and attacks, and the occasional boss; while the boss fights are the highlight of the combat, after a while, the enemies become more of a nuisance, and get in the way of the more fun puzzles and exploration.
Once the day is done, Luisa returns to the town to do some shopping and interact with the locals. Players can use this time to upgrade their weapons and gear, pursue friendships, and continue the main story. Regularly meeting up with individuals after a long day of dungeons and slaying is a fantastic way to relax and unwind. Each interaction is unique and not only do these encounters add to the story, but they can also lead to upgrades that can be used when exploring dungeons during the day. The friendships Luisa develops with the townsfolk and tourists are where the game really shines.
Dungeons of Hinterberg is a delightful and wonderfully weird experience. This is not your usual run-of-the-mill action-adventure RPG. It does a fantastic job creating a fun and relaxing experience, with a social sim that contributes to the unique story and world building, while also giving you a breather from the combat and puzzles. This is a superb game and should be on everyone’s radar.
Dungeons of Hinterberg is available on Xbox Series X|S and PC.
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