New fantasy RPG enters Steam's trending charts alongside a launch discount and 95% positive reviews
We've covered a lot of RPGs in the past few days, such as IdleOn and Guild Wars: Reforged, but not every RPG tries to look bigger than life. Some just want to tell a strange story, in a strange world, and let players take it from there. Kingdoms of the Dump, which launched on Steam on November 18 last month, fits neatly into that space. The game had a slow yet steady start after exiting its early access period, but it has now managed to secure its spot on the Steam's "Popular New Releases" chart as of writing.
In Kingdoms of the Dump, you play as Dustin Binsley, the Trash Can Knight. The general setting is the Lands of Fill, where everything - from towns to enemies - is built out of discarded junk and ideas. Your goal is to travel across the five and a half Kingdoms, beat up the invading Toxic Grimelin Army, and put the trash-heap world back in order.
The combat shouldn't really feel too unfamiliar if you're already into old-school RPGs. Battles are turn-based and happen on small grids, so positioning is pretty important. There are no random encounters, as in, you see enemies and then face them. You can also time attacks to do extra damage, which adds a bit of rhythm to fights. Exploring maps should give you a sense of platforming, mixed in with traditional RPG navigation. Some players say that the overworld feels like an old Mode-7 game from the SNES era.
Characters in the game also have unique field skills. Some can climb, some can break rusty obstacles, and some have gadgets that help open new paths. That means backtracking and puzzle-like exploration should play into progression as much as leveling up and new gear.
The game launched at $19.99 on Steam and is currently discounted by about 15% for the first week of release, bringing it down to $16.99. Steam reviews so far are "Very Positive." Players dig the worldbuilding and combat, since it feels nostalgic without being stale. In one player's words, "the game is a little rough around the edges, but it more than makes up for it with a lot of heart, a great story and endearing characters." Speaking of rough edges, multiple players mention that Kingdoms of the Dump can be a bug galore at times. Some others have gone as far to say that the game has a "severe lack of polish". If bugs annoy you, this might be something to keep a note of.
However, the reason Kingdom of the Dump is still climbing the charts is likely its theme, even though it's not a polished sci-fi universe with elves and dragons. It’s trash. Towns made of old cans. Enemies made of soggy paper and broken toys. This out-of-the-box vibe comes from the developers' own backgrounds - they worked on this game while holding down real-world jobs, and that does come through in the creative writing and designs. You can also play it using a controller. If all this interests you, check out the game here.
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