Dungeonborne is a dark fantasy extraction dungeon crawler

I think fighting skeletons might be one of the most fundamental joys of video games. The more implausible its movement seems the better, but I’m happy as long as it clatters to the floor as a collection of various physical objects when I’m done.

Dungeonborne seems satisfactory. It’s a “PvPvE extraction dungeon crawler” about venturing deep into a dark fantasy world with friends, slashing skeletons and monsters with swords, and then disappearing with your loot – or venturing further and to risk everything.

The extraction system appears to involve a battle royale-style safe zone that shrinks over time, putting pressure on adventurers to cut their losses and escape while they still can. The loot taken from the dungeon can then be sold at an above-ground in-game auction house or broken down into crafting resources. The resulting goodies will then help you equip yourself for your next run through the dungeon.

As the trailer above shows, there is apparently also the possibility of betraying your fellow players and making off with all the loot yourself. These players will operate as classes that can be either traditional (“rogues, priests, and fighters,” a press release states) or more specialized, including a cryomancer with ice magic, a swordmaster who can “rain down psionic blades,” and the undead death knights.

I like extraction games, especially ones that involve something other than modern assault rifles. It’s a nice format to create additional drama and excitement around a traditional RPG loot and upgrade system. I’m interested in seeing more from Dungeonborne, which will be launching an open alpha next week at the Steam Next Fest, February 2-12.