The Deeper Dungeons: Desktop Dungeons Out Next Week

After exactly 98 million years and 17 seconds in development, tiny puzzle-roguelike Desktop Dungeons will finally see its big, fat, proper, expanded, more or less finished release next week. If you haven't played it since its superb initial, free version, you're in for something that's changed almost as much as L'il Kim's face* - rather than a quickie, randomly-generated dungeon which must be 'solved' in a very precise order and which clearly warns you of looming death, now it's got an overworld, quests, character upgrades, an overhauled art style, a proper soundtrack and all sorts.

It's also got a jolly launch trailer set in a kitchen.

The release version is out on Thursday Nov 7, but in the meantime you can play the wonderful original - now deemed 'alpha - for free (also available in-browser), or have insta-access to the current beta of the overhauled new-fangled version if you pre-order the game now. Pre-orders past, present and presumably - I mean, I'm no prophet - will be given Steam codes too 'pon release, and savegames will apparently carry between versions.

While I spent an ungodly amount with the 'alpha', I've seen very little of the beta, which I'm happy about - I can drop straight into to an in-theory finished game with no surprises spoiled, no sense of ennui from exposure to incremental updates. I shall be as fresh and innocent as a newborn babe, only with swords and goblins and stuff instead of nappies and screaming.

WIT very soon, hopefully.

* Is that an awful thing to say? I'm sorry. But seriously, have you seen it lately?