HOW TO PLAY
Dungeon Eyes is sort of a comic, but mostly a game. Each page posted represents a turn in the game, and in order to play all you have to do is leave a comment under the most recent turn suggesting what the characters should do next. These suggestions drive the game, and the story, forward!
The goal of the game is for the characters to explore and clear dungeons, which are full of enemies, traps, and puzzles. Each dungeon has a different criteria for clearing it. Sometimes you have to escape, sometimes you have to defeat a boss, sometimes you have to retrieve an item.
READING THE CHARACTER SHEET
In Dungeon Eyes the readers control Ricki, a goblin thief. She has a character sheet listing her attributes, equipment, and abilities. Other characters might join her on her adventures, and they’ll each have their own character sheet with their own unique traits. These things are explained below.
ATTRIBUTES
These are the basic traits of a character that determine their overall power.
HP: Hit Points. A measure of a character’s health and stamina, represented by red hearts. Hit points are lost as damage is taken, represented by black hearts. Running out of HP means death, and if Ricki dies, the game comes to an abrupt end!
Atk: Attack. This value, represented by swords, is how much HP your enemies lose when you attack them. Weapons can increase Atk.
Def: Defense. When attacked by enemies, this value (represented by shields) is subtracted from their combined Atk, reducing total damage. Def applies to the sum of all attacks taken in a turn, not to each individual attack. Shields and armour can increase Def. Some damage is unblockable, which bypasses Def without diminishing it. If a character gains extra Def when hit by a certain damage type (such as fire or ice), this extra Def applies even to other types of damage taken that turn.
Mov: Movement. Each turn, in addition to taking an action, characters can move through a certain number of doors to other rooms. Movement within a room is unlimited unless a character is blocked by an enemy or obstacle. Mov is represented by boots, and for each point, a character can move one room. Characters can always use their action to move one additional room. No matter how many rooms a character can normally move through, they can’t move any further if they enter an unexplored room. Finally, although usually a character can move or act in any order, a character can’t move to a new room after attacking.
Enc: Encumbrance. How many items you can carry. Every item a character can pick up has a weight value, and each white box on the character sheet can hold one weight worth of items. Heavy items may take up multiple squares. Some items are so light that they can stack together, allowing several identical items to take up only one Enc slot.
EQUIPMENT
There is a huge variety of items waiting to be found within the dungeons. Despite their wide range of effects, all items have two attributes in common; weight, and cost. An item’s weight indicates how many Enc slots it takes up. An item’s cost determines how many Gold Coins must be paid to buy that item between dungeons. Some items can be sold for half their cost (rounded down). Some items have no cost, meaning they can’t be bought or sold (and often can’t even be removed from a dungeon). Note that picking up an item or swapping an item between characters takes an action, but dropping an item on the ground does not.
Below is a list of all the different types of items.
Weapons: Increase a character’s Atk value. Most weapons are held in one hand, leaving the other one free for a shield, but some weapons require both hands. Some weapons have different damage types, such as fire, ice, or poison; these do nothing on their own, but some enemies might be strong or weak against certain damage types. Atk added by a character’s weapon will be indicated on their character sheet with red swords.
Ranged Weapons: These weapons work differently in that they don’t increase a character’s Atk value, or even use their Atk value at all. Each ranged weapon deals a different amount of damage. Many of them require ammunition in order to use, while some are expended upon use.
Ammunition: Used in conjunction with ranged weapons. Ammunition almost always stacks, allowing a character to carry a lot of it.
Shields: Increase a character’s Def value. Shields take up one hand when used. Def added by a character’s shield will be indicated on their character sheet with blue shields.
Armour: Increases a character’s Def value. Armour is worn on the body, and only one armour can be worn at once. Def added by a character’s armour will be indicated on their character sheet with green shields.
Wands: Wands can do a variety of different things, such as restore HP or enable a character to make ranged attacks. A wand must be held in a character’s hand to be used, but leave their other hand free for a weapon or shield. Some wands can be used any number of times, but others can only be used once per dungeon.
Staffs: A staff is similar to a wand. Each staff can only be used once per dungeon, like some wands. However, each staff also has a limited number of charges. Once expended, a staff is destroyed forever. Use them wisely!
Tools: A tool is used to overcome certain challenges or obstacles within dungeons. Some tools can only be used by certain characters, and some are expended when used (but not all).
Accessories: Various items that are worn on a character’s body and which provide a variety of effects. Many different accessories can be worn at once, but two accessories cannot be worn in the same place; a character can’t wear two different pairs of gloves or two different hats, for example. Any attribute changes caused by a character’s accessories will be indicated on their character sheet with yellow icons.
Rings: Unique in that they don’t take up an encumbrance slot when equipped, only when carried unused. Worn rings will appear as a round item box on the character sheet. Each character can equip two rings at once. Any attribute changes caused by a character’s rings will be indicated on their character sheet with white icons.
Consumables: Potions are the most common, but anything a character expends for an instant or limited-time benefit counts as a consumable. Some consumables work differently for different characters. Some consumables must be used as a character’s action, while others are used as part of a different action, such as an attack. Any attribute changes caused by consumables will be indicated on their character sheet with orange icons until the benefit runs out.
Treasures: These items rarely have any immediate use. Some dungeons might require you to recover a specific treasure, while others can be sold or traded between dungeons. Unlike most items, treasures can be sold for their full cost.
ABILITIES
Every character has unique abilities which can have almost any effect on them. Each ability describes what it does. A few broad examples are described here.
Attribute Change: Some abilities can change attributes. Permanent alterations are always included in the character’s attribute listing. Temporary or situational attribute changes are noted with purple icons.
New Actions: Some abilities let a character do things other characters can’t. Unless otherwise specified, these sorts of abilities count as a character’s action for the turn when used.
Negative Abilities: Very rarely an ability will actually be detrimental to a character. If an ability reduces an attribute, some icons will be blacked out with a red X over them. Some, but not all, of these negative abilities can be changed or removed over time.
Limited Use Abilities: Certain characters may have abilties with a unique icon listed next to its name. These icons generally indicate that an ability can only be used a certain number of times per dungeon. A full list of a character’s unique icons can be found at the top of their character sheet, and will be blacked out as they are used. Blacked out icons are restored at the start of the next dungeon.
GAINING NEW ABILITIES
After clearing a dungeon, Ricki gains a new ability! A list will be provided showing which ones are available. Sometimes she can improve an existing ability instead of gaining a new one. Abilities that can be improved are numbered (such as Trap Detection I).
OTHER CHARACTERS
Ricki may meet with other characters in her travels that are willing to help her. Some of these are little more than nonhostile NPCs within their respective dungeons, but other may decide to travel with her. These friendly characters will accept suggestons from the readers as Ricki does, and if they decide to permanently join Ricki’s party, they can be empowered between dungeons just as she can. Each character in Dungeon Eyes has unique attributes and abilities available to them. Only four characters in total are able to enter a dungeon together, and one of them will always be Ricki.
As Ricki adventures with her friends, she will gradually become closer to them. By adventuring repeatedly with the same character, new side dungeons can be unlocked which will progress those characters’ individual stories. Doing so will usually make Ricki’s friends more powerful. After developing a strong bond with one of her friends, Ricki will also become more powerful.
PETS
In addition to recruiting other characters, each character can have one pet assigned to them. Pets aren’t as strong as characters but can still be beneficial. They can make their own attacks alongside their owners, but they can also be killed by damage, so take care of them. Pets are only vulnerable to enemy attacks if the pet makes an attack of their own, so it’s possible to have a pet abstain from fighting in order to protect it. This doesn’t necessarily protect them from hazards or traps, but some pets are small enough to be carried, and these can be fully protected by doing so.
Most pets are limited in that they cannot carry or use items and they can only follow their owner; they can’t enter a different room on their own. Therefore, although pets have their own HP, Atk, and Def ratings, they usually don’t have a Mov or Enc attribute. If they do, however, that pet is an exception to this rule.
Like characters, some pets can be improved by performing certain actions. This is unique for every pet, so check their pet sheets and pay attention to how they act in the dungeon.
Some characters have the ability to summon a pet. As each character can only have one pet with them at a time, these abilities don’t work if the character already has a pet with them, and the character can’t enter a dungeon with a different pet if their ability already grants them one.
COMMENTING
Below are some guidelines for posting comments. Mostly, as long as you stay on topic and don’t be a dick, everything will be great!
WHAT YOU SHOULD POST
The following are cool things you can put in your comment that will make everyone like you!
Actions for Characters: With a single comment, you can suggest actions for each character and pet in the party! If you don’t have a good idea for all of them though, posting a suggestion for just one character is also fine. You can also upvote other comments, in place of or in additon to posting actions.
Planning Future Actions: Deciding ahead of time what Ricki should do next can be useful, so feel free to make suggestions for future turns as well! But remember that I won’t be looking at comments from past turns to decide what happens on the current turn, so make sure to still post your actions when it’s time for them to happen.
Pointing Out Details: Sometimes the dungeon will have traps or tricks hidden in the art, and it can be helpful to point those details out to others who may not have noticed them. This is especially important for traps, as characters won’t avoid them unless they are pointed out.
Speculation: Not every character or element in Dungeon Eyes is fully explained or obvious when it first appears. I welcome the readers to try to crack some mysteries ahead of time.
On-Topic Discussion: It’s okay to talk about things related to Dungeon Eyes even if they aren’t immediately relevant! This can include characters that aren’t present currently, abilities that haven’t been unlocked yet, story themes that you like or don’t like, or even other comics or games that Dungeon Eyes might remind you of.
WHAT YOU SHOULDN’T POST
Some things just don’t belong in the comments section of this particular website.
Offensive Content: Racism, sexism, homophobia, transphobia, and any and all other kinds of hateful speech are not tolerated here.
Adult Content: This isn’t the right place for graphic sexual innuendo or links to pornography. There are plenty of other places for it, though, and they’re real easy to find.
Illegal Content: Don’t tell people where they can download a car, or any other kind of product that people who can afford lawyers would rather you pay for. That’s how websites get taken down.
Arguments: It’s okay to disagree with other readers on the best course of action, and it’s okay to explain why you think your idea is the best one. However, arguing back and forth with other readers usually isn’t productive. Instead you should make your case as best you can, upvote other suggestions that you like or that are similar to yours, and downvote suggestions that you don’t like.
Off-Topic Discussion: If conversations in the comments get too far away from Dungeon Eyes and related subjects, consider taking it to Discord instead. You can talk about all kinds of things there!
ADVENTURING IN THE DUNGEON
Inside a dungeon, things can get complicated. Although it’s perfectly possible to just figure things out on your own most of the time, here are a few clarifications on some of the rules of this game.
TURNS, WINNING, AND ABANDONING
Dungeon Eyes is a game played in turns. Each dungeon begins on turn 0, then proceeds one turn at a time until it is cleared. During each turn, Ricki and every other allied character can take one action and move a number or rooms equal to their Mov attribute. Moving within a room doesn’t use up any movement, and dropping items doesn’t use up an action. If an enemy drops items when defeated, nearby characters will also automatically pick up whatever they can carry without requiring an action. What each character does is determined by the comments on each turn.
Most dungeon have some kind of turn limit in place, either a soft limit or a hard limit (or both). With a soft turn limit, after a certain point the dungeon will change in some way, either to make it more difficult to clear or to lock away some reward. The dungeon can still be cleared after a soft limit passes. With a hard limit, however, after a certain point the dungeon becomes impossible.
However, note that many dungeons can be abandoned before they are cleared. In order to abandon a dungeon, Ricki must be near the exit, but all characters will leave immediately, even if they’re far away. Abandoning a dungeon allows the characters to leave with any loot they’ve already gathered, but they won’t be able to learn new abilities and they’ll forfeit any reward that they might have received from clearing the dungeon.
Once the condition is met to clear a dungeon, all characters will immediately leave safely even if there are still monsters or traps to deal with, and even if they were separated.
WALLS AND DOORS
Solid walls are black and four pixels thick (eight at the typical display resolution). These walls are impassable in most cases. If a wall is thinner than this, or if it is a different colour, it may be passable in some circumstances. Having Ricki examine a suspicious wall may be necessary to determine how it can be bypassed. If some dungeon element looks like a wall but isn’t one, or doesn’t look like a wall but is nonetheless impassable, this will generally be explained when the element is encountered for the first time.
The outer border of a room is always impassable, except where that border is broken. This indicates a doorway leading to another room. Sometimes there are doorways in the back wall as well. These usually lead to small side rooms, such as shops.
ENEMY ALERTNESS
Most dungeon enemies are surprisingly unaware. Most enemies stand in place and wait for characters to approach them before they attack, but there are a few exceptions. An enemy who appears to be engaged with something may not be paying attention and can be easily avoided. However, if an enemy is looking down a hallway, they might be keeping watch and likely to attack more quickly. This is more common with enemies who can attack at range. Some might even attack as soon as a character enters a room.
However alert an enemy is, if they’ve already been attacked or otherwise engaged with, they will generally be more alert afterwards. Enemies that previously waited for the characters to approach might charge forward to attack in the future, especially if the characters try to pick them off from a distance.
ENEMY TARGETING AND BYPASSING
When multiple characters, or characters with pets, attack an enemy group, which character or pet does the enemy attack? For the most part, the only way to know this is to learn about the type of enemy in question. Some will try to attack weak-looking targets, or lightly-armed targets, or pets specifically. Try to attack enemies in situations where they can’t kill a character in order to learn how they behave.
Sometimes an enemy is guarding an item, a chest, or a passage. If a character tries to steal a guarded item, loot a guarded chest, or simply run past an enemy without fighting them, the enemy can still attack that character. However, the enemy can still only make one attack per turn. In some cases it may be possible to distract an enemy using an item or the environment, which allows the enemy to be bypassed with no danger, at least temporarily.
RANGE AND COMBAT AREAS
When an item or ability says that it can affect a target at range, this means any valid target in the same room, so long as a line can be drawn between the character and the target. If the target is behind a solid wall, it isn’t in range.
Sometimes an item or ability will make reference to affecting “nearby” targets, or all targets “in an area”. Generally, this refers to any group of characters and/or enemies who are near each other or engaged in melee combat. It is possible for multiple groups or areas to exist within the same room, or even for different groups in different areas to be fighting each other at long range. It’s kind of vague, but it should make sense in context.
In some cases, an item or ability affects every target in a room. In this case it doesn’t matter if the target is in a different area or even if there’s a wall in the way.
TRYING THINGS
Although the most common actions for a character in Dungeon Eyes to take are attacking, examining or interacting with objects, and looting chests, it’s always possible to try other things. Sometimes items can be used in ways other than what their descriptions seem to allow. Some creatures can be talked to or avoided instead of being fought. Dungeon elements might have uses that aren’t immediately obvious or explained.
Remember that the game is being written and adjudicated by a person rather than a computer! There is always room for creativity.
DEATH
If a character’s HP drops to 0, they are dead. A dead character cannot be revived, and is gone from the game forever. If Ricki dies, then Dungeon Eyes will come to an abrupt end. No other character has her unique ability to navigate a dungeon! It’s important to bear this in mind and be careful about allowing characters to be hurt.
However, there are a few caveats to death to be aware of. On each turn, all combat happens at the same time, so if a character takes damage but is also healed, it is possible for lethal damage to be mitigated. Some characters may have special abilities to help them avoid death as well.