Necropolis is a game about digging holes and filling them with monsters. That sounds simple. It is not. The game asks players to build a network of tunnels, chambers, and traps beneath a ruined city, then watch as waves of undead enemies pour in and try to break through. It is a strategy game dressed as a dungeon crawler, and it splits the difference between the two without fully committing to either.
Building the Dungeon
The core loop is straightforward. Players pick a location, dig a tunnel, and place a room. Rooms can be simple corridors, branching paths, or complex chambers filled with traps, walls, and locked doors. The goal is to funnel enemies into dead ends, force them to fight each other, and strip them of health and items before they reach the center of the map.
The construction tools are generous. Players can rotate rooms, connect them with stairs, and link entire sections of the dungeon together. The game rewards planning over brute force, since a poorly designed path can let enemies bypass traps entirely. It is a satisfying system, even if it takes time to master.
The Enemies
Necropolis throws a steady stream of enemies at players, from shambling zombies to armored skeletons to flying wraiths. Each type reacts to traps in a different way, which forces players to adapt their layouts. A room that stops a zombie might let a wraith fly over it, and the game does not shy away from punishing that mistake.
The enemy variety is the game’s strongest feature. It keeps each playthrough feeling distinct, and the challenge scales smoothly as the difficulty rises. The game also introduces new enemy types regularly, which helps keep the early hours from growing stale.
The Problems
The game stumbles when it tries to balance its two identities. The strategy layer asks for careful planning and foresight, while the dungeon crawler layer rewards fast reflexes and quick reactions. These two modes often clash, leaving players unsure whether they should be thinking several moves ahead or dodging a wave of incoming enemies.
The pacing suffers as a result. Early levels move quickly, but as the difficulty ramps up, the game slows down significantly. Some players may find themselves spending minutes on a single wave, carefully positioning traps and reorganizing rooms to survive. That patience is rewarded, but it is not always fun.
“It’s a game about digging holes and filling them with monsters.”
The game also leans heavily on repetition. Once players understand the basic mechanics, the novelty of building a new dungeon starts to wear off. The game’s progression systems, which unlock new rooms and enemy types, help, but they do not fully mask the underlying sameness of the core loop.
The Look and Sound
The game’s visual style is dark and moody, with a grim palette of browns, blacks, and deep reds. The art direction is competent, if not memorable, and the enemy animations are suitably grotesque. The sound design does a solid job of conveying the chaos of battle, though it rarely stands out.
The presentation is adequate, but it does not elevate the experience. It is a game that looks and sounds the way you expect a dungeon crawler to look and sound, which is fine, but it does not do anything to distinguish itself from the pack.
Final Word
Necropolis is a game with a strong idea and a weaker execution. Its construction tools are deep, its enemy design is sharp, and its difficulty curve is fair. But the game’s identity crisis holds it back from greatness. It never quite commits to being a pure strategy game or a pure action game, and that indecision shows in the final product.
Players who enjoy careful planning and puzzle-solving will find plenty to love. Those who want fast, chaotic action may find themselves frustrated by the slow pace of later levels. The game is best enjoyed in short sessions, since its demands grow quickly and sustainment drops off sharply.
Necropolis is a solid, if flawed, addition to the genre. It is worth playing for players who appreciate careful design and clever enemy behavior, but it will not satisfy everyone.
