I try a lot of games for both work and pleasure, and sometimes I get completely hooked right away and want to shake and scream about it. crazy hyper dungeon chronicles is one such release. The dungeon crawler from indie developer Fix-a-Bug is one of the best RPGs to have crossed my table in a while. I was completely captivated within 10 minutes, and before I knew it another hour had passed in the blink of an eye. Combining D&D-style classes, a unique combat system, and a no-nonsense attitude reminiscent of Undertale, the game is free to try thanks to its extensive Steam demo, and a bargain price if you want the full thing.
The Crazy Hyper-Dungeon Chronicles’ top-down perspective makes it feel like a modern take on Rogue, but with more control as you roam the dungeons. Your goal is to find the 50th floor, where legendary relics await, but along the way you’ll have to deal with everything from evading traps from the past to battling a skeletal necromancer to (literally) cooking up a storm to impress a troll food critic. There are simple tests of agility, puzzles to solve, hidden buttons to find, cooking and crafting recipes to learn, and tons of loot to enhance your character.
Exploration is simple fun, but combat is even more important. Timing-based action is all the rage these days (hello, Expedition 33), and I love what Fix-a-Bug has built here. In battle, you will see a screen with enemies standing in a box around you. You must target enemies in real time to attack or block. A ticking meter records your next turn order, and every blow is exchanged for a timing mini-game with varying challenges depending on your opponent. This is completely unlike any game I’ve ever played and sells the fantasy perfectly.
The dialogue is mostly light-hearted, and to its credit, even if I shake my head at the fact that some of the jokes made me laugh, they come off far more often than not. They range from puns to more subtle philosophies to subtle jokes that draw on everything from D&D metaphors to classic rock. Fortunately, although it happens frequently, it is rarely intrusive. Fix-a-Bug knows when to present information clearly and when to have fun, keeping the humor flavorful instead of pushing it all over the place.
One of the best things here is that you can customize your experience to your liking. Character selection is as simple as choosing a hero or heroine (the other being a Gary Oak-esque rival who appears periodically to taunt you as you try to stay one step ahead) and setting your starting weapon. Spears are great for speed, swords and shields allow you to balance offense and defense, and maces are great for outright destruction.
However, you will then be asked to choose a play style. This is more important than how the game looks. I chose “Explorer”. This gives you more experience and inventory, and increases the amount of puzzles and crafting you have to deal with. Choosing “Resolver” will give you more dialogue, easier combat, and even important encounters that you can talk your way out of. Choosing “Destroyer” means you’ll face more and more powerful enemies, but the usual lengthy chatter is reduced to a minimum. It’s a clever twist on the difficulty that makes you want to try out other settings and see how they compare to your first playthrough.
The Crazy Hyper-Dungeon Chronicles is out now on Steam and will cost you $11.69 / £9.89 with a 10% launch discount if you buy before Thursday 30th October. You can also download the free demo and try it out first. Just be careful, you might get sucked in as easily as I did.
Do you love discovering hidden gems? Then be sure to check out our selection of the best indie games of 2025. For those of you who are primarily here for Tales of Dragons and Derring Do, here are the best fantasy games for PC.
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