Why the new 3D dungeon crawler from former Gothic developers falls short

Cralon is the first game from Pithead Studio, founded by former Gothic developers Jennifer and Björn Pankratz. After leaving Piranha Bytes in 2023, the married couple went on to form their own company in 2024. The first trailer for Cralon was released in 2025, introducing the title as a dark first-person dungeon crawler with RPG and adventure elements. The game eventually launched on Steam on April 17, 2026 – but its reception among players has so far been lukewarm.

In Cralon, players descend into an old mine and have to fight their way back out in classic dungeon-crawler style by gathering equipment, completing quests and battling demons. What sets Pithead’s debut apart from many other games in the genre is its fully 3D presentation from a first-person perspective. That approach seems to work well when it comes to immersion. Players have praised the oppressive dungeon atmosphere and the strong sound design, including the German voice acting. When it comes to the gameplay itself, however, the game has been far less convincing.

At the time of writing, Cralon had 62 Steam reviews, with 66% of them positive. The combat system in particular has drawn criticism, with users citing weak hit feedback, unclear hitboxes, sluggish controls and frustrating melee encounters. Reviews have also pointed to performance problems, stiff animations, bugs, overbearing dialogue and a slow-moving quest structure filled with backtracking. The roughly $20 price tag has also been questioned, as many feel the game is still in a beta-like state. Anyone unsure whether it is worth the money in light of those criticisms can at least try the free demo. Steam Deck compatibility is still listed as “Unknown.”