Dungeons of Hinterberg review — A slay of a holiday

Being from the UK, I have a soft spot for European-born-and-bred games. I’ve had the ease of exploring many of its countries, knowing how diverse and rich they can be in culture, history, and art. Europe within the gaming industry has felt like untapped potential that is thankfully being represented more and more, thanks to the indie industry. You have the eerie installments of Little Nightmares that came from Sweden and the phenomenal feat of storytelling in the form of Disco Elysium from Estonia. There are plenty of titles you probably didn’t know came from these smaller countries. However, what becomes even more special are European games that place a focus on their home country as a talking point. I found this within Microbird Game’s title, Dungeons of Hinterberg, a video game that is unapologetically a commentary on challenges faced that are a product of the tourism industry.

You play as Luisa Dorfer, a young woman who is trying to escape her chaotic and relentless life in the city by going on an extended vacation to Hinterberg, a small mountain village renowned for its dungeons and monster hunting. She’s feeling lost on what she wants from life—join the club—as she finds herself weighed down by her profession in law. The game features multifaceted themes that are all a delight to explore. You have the internal struggles of Luisa against the backdrop of a small village that is booming with tourism. Hundreds, maybe even thousands, flock to Hinterberg to capitalize on portals showing up that take slayers to dungeons. The small village is reminiscent of the Amalfi Coast or any other tourist spot, as you find yourself amongst people from all over the world. It’s nice, but once you dive a little deeper, you begin to see the cracks showing.

Whilst the village is full of business and revenue, when you begin to engage with Hinterberg’s main residents, you realize this may not be such a good thing. What makes Hinterberg so relatable is its cast, as you meet a range of locals and tourists who provide insight into how they feel about tourism. You have the resentful youngster, Beth, who comments on how disconnected visitors are from Hinterberg, only focusing on the thrill of the dungeons. You also have the park ranger, Klaus, who wants to ensure everyone’s safety, combat litter, and promote recycling, but is constantly thrown aside by a power- and money-hungry mayor. I definitely liked some NPCs more than others, but the great ones far outweighed the weak. You initially speak to NPCs and then decide if you want to pursue a friendship with them, often having 3 or 4 events to engage with that can pose quests both in and out of dungeons. Every level grants you one of the four social stats in Hinterberg: Amusement, Renown, Familiarity, and Relaxation. They play a part in getting NPCs to open up to you and even have stakes in weapon stats. Each level will also grant you a perk, from a breakfast buff to your HP or MP to new attack conduits. Ranking up friendship acts a lot like it does in Persona games; every time you interact with them, it may level up their friendship, or it will just edge you closer to a level up. Even then, I found the filler hangouts to be just as fun as the main ones.

This can all be done in your recreational time after spending the day at a dungeon; days span out like they do in games like Persona, separated into day and evening. You’ll use Hinterberg as a hub for weapons, gear, potions, and other activities across a relatively small map. You have your shopping district and different areas where NPCs will congregate. I never really found myself engaging with optional activities like the spa or rowing on a boat across the lake because I much preferred spending my time with its residents. Progress is measured by how many dungeons you complete, but as I completed more, I found myself skipping daytime in the dungeons so I could hang out with people in the evening. However, don’t worry; there is no time limit on this game. You only finish the game when you complete its final dungeon.

Dungeons of Hinterberg’s commentary on tourism is an interesting one that maintained my interest throughout its 25-hour run time. Luisa is on a quest to complete all 25 dungeons of Hinterburg, scattered across different landscapes from snowy peaks to swamps. Things start off rather simple but get more twisted and in-depth as you play on. As you continue to interact with magic, you start to uncover the mayor’s hidden desire for control and how the magic of Hinterburg may not be stable or safe. Obviously, I won’t go into specifics of the story, but I will talk about how well they execute their themes. Dungeons of Hinterberg is a constant back and forth on the pros and cons of tourism, with discussion on national identity. This extends to the fantastical occurrences of magic, as the game treats it as a wonder but also an unknown entity that we may not be able to fully understand.

Dungeons are the crux of Dungeons of Hinterberg, as this is where slayers go to embark on quests across different landscapes and conquer these mini self-contained dungeons. The game has four main areas that unlock as you complete more dungeons; each landscape is quite vast, but don’t expect secrets and hidden pathways to delve into. Each area will have about 6 or 7 dungeons that you make your way towards, bumping into enemies that block your path. You have the odd NPC to talk to and spots to relax in if you don’t want to spend a day at a dungeon; these give you stat points, but that’s about it. Everything is focused on each dungeon, and despite a rather rocky start in the first area, I found they got more innovative as I progressed through the game.

Each area has a set of unique magical powers that Luisa can utilize; she gets a primary ability and a ranged ability. They form the gimmicks of each dungeon, playing a role in gameplay, from traversal to combat. Worryingly, the first set of powers—a big metal wrecking ball and a ball and chain—weren’t that fun. This was paired with simplistic puzzles where you put this big ball on a switch or pull a platform towards you using your sticky powers. The first few dungeons, therefore, felt quite lackluster and boring. However, Hinterberg ramps up its dungeons very quickly with other locations and innovative dungeon designs. A standout to me was the ski slopes of Kolmstein, a snowy mountain where you can glide through the snow on a snowboard and icy rails. Dungeons would be long slides that you could navigate through and admire the scenery—you can even run over enemies with it! So if you find the initial dungeons a bit of a slog, hang in there.

There are plenty of dungeons on offer in Hinterberg, and they get better as the game progresses. They can all easily be done in one session, but there are waypoints in the longer ones so you can come back to them the next day. I often found myself doing this just so I had more evenings to spend getting to know people, as doing a dungeon per day would make the game end very quickly. Furthermore, if you don’t fancy a dungeon, you can relax at a scenic spot where you’ll earn a variety of perks from increased MP to increased skills. It’s worth trying as many as you can, as they provide snippets of dialogue that flesh out Luisa and the world around her. Apart from that, these areas are mainly for dungeons; you’ll do all of your socializing and shopping in the evening back at Hinterberg.

Apart from using different special powers that are granted at shrines in each area, Luisa is equipped with your standard sword and magic. You can upgrade your armor and equipment in shops, but I always found it unnecessary, as dungeons often provided you with upgraded equipment. It’s your typical hack-and-slash gameplay; It felt weighty and easy to play with. Where Dungeons of Hinterberg gets fun is through its magic. You use magic to engage your two main abilities—you can use a light beam that can shoot switches to shoot enemies, or you can use it for Attack Conduits, special moves that do heavy damage to enemies. There are more than a few to choose from, from a swarm of raging butterflies to a simple spin attack. By increasing your magic stat and increasing slots for attack conduits, combat became even more fun, and we were even required to beat tougher enemies that had an additional magic bar to take down.

The enemies in the game are funkily designed, having been inspired by different mythological creatures. This is pointed out by Luisa, who thinks that magic is intimating the human world. You have little goblins that slash at you, but you also have a weird llama creature that sticks its head out of the ground and floating heads that shoot lasers at you. The bosses of each area are also fun but often gimmicky and easy. Overall, Dungeons of Hinterberg’s gameplay is both fun and accessible, but nothing stands out too much. I just enjoyed the novelty of exploring the dungeons and hanging out with friends in the evening.

After the credits have rolled, your time at Hinterberg doesn’t necessarily have to be over, as you can jump straight into New Game Plus. This is a  fun addition if you want to revisit all the dungeons on a higher difficulty scale. You keep all your gear, social stats, and friendships, so it can be the perfect time to get to know those residents you missed out on the first time around. The game also has a brief DLC where you play as the stoic and brooding monster slayer, Renaud. It’s definitely worth a play if you want more.

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