Ahead of the Game - Dungeon Random Defense tests your horde-clearing tactics (with a special New Year code too)
New year, new dungeon
- Escape the dungeon by clearing relentless enemy waves
- Upgrade your heroes and boost their stats as you go along
- Check out the special limited-time code for more goodies
It's all about clearing merciless enemy waves in this week's Ahead of the Game series, where we tell you all about a new mobile endeavour that's playable in one form or another despite its unofficial launch.
I don't know what it is about Dungeon Random Defense that reminds me so much of Delicious in Dungeon, apart from the word "dungeon" in the title. It's incredibly cute though, and with the way everything is visually designed, I feel compelled to dive deeper into the aforementioned dungeon just to see what horrors I can find inside.
The mechanics are nothing new here - you stay in one place, much like Wittle Defender, and try your best to whittle down on your foes' HP while they charge relentlessly towards you.
As you progress through each wave, mini-bosses and stage bosses will pop up to stop you from escaping their lair. Thankfully, you get randomised buffs that boost your stats and helpful weapons you can unlock as you go along.
What's interesting is that there's actually a narrative to discover here, and it's presented with comic book-esque panels that add plenty of charm to the tower defence. After each stage, you also get to upgrade your heroes, unlock different skills for them, and even obtain permanent boosts based on resources you win in battle.
Now, I know it's all been done before, but when it comes to tower defence, I honestly believe that the more options there are, the merrier - especially when battles are effortlessly automated, and the characters are this cute.
So, how do you play Dungeon Random Defense?
It's a tad odd to say this isn't officially launched yet, given the devs' official announcement back in November, but it's still got the "Early Access" tag on Google Play, and a mysterious "Coming Soon" feature in the Camp tab to boot.
If anything, you at least get to enjoy the lovely intro song in the loading page, with a cheeky little "Insert Coin" button you can tap to start your adventure. And to celebrate the new year, the studio is giving away ten Royal Carriage Tickets with the special "2026DRD code - that's valid until January 31st, so you'd best get on it!
