The existence of monsters in game worlds is generally taken for granted by most players. After all, we assume that the journey from point A to B will be fraught with peril, and monsters are the perfect obstacle. But their existence and the general danger they pose to humanity are rarely a core plot point. But in some other games, these monsters form the core of the conflict. In Dicefolk, an evil sorcerer called Salem has driven the world’s monsters, called Chimeras, into a frenzy, threatening humanity’s survival. You play as Alea, one of the titular Dicefolk, people with the ability to control Chimeras through dice, who sets out to end Salem’s reign of tyranny once and for all.
Dicefolk combines roguelike gameplay with monster collection elements, having you journey through different biomes, recruiting stronger Chimeras to fight for you, and gathering equipment. You’ll navigate throughout each region’s map, encountering battles, events, shops, etc. After beating a region’s boss, you can progress to the next. Throughout this journey, you’ll make tons of little decisions that can drastically affect your run. There isn’t much story to this game, though- mostly just a scene at the start of your playthrough and at the true ending, and some unlockable lore scrolls.
Battles in Dicefolk are turn-based, and the actions you can do are determined by dice rolls. Every team has 3 Chimeras active at once, with one per side having one in front, as the leader. Most actions on die faces are executed by or dealt to the leader, like your regular attacks, buffs, etc. Other die faces let you change formations, making another Chimera the leader. Carefully choosing who leads and when, and in what order to use your die faces, is key to success.
Uniquely, a Dicefolk’s ability to control Chimeras through dice also extends to the enemy, as you can also choose when to use the opponent’s dice and in what order. You obviously can’t manipulate the opponent as much as your own Chimeras, but there are many opportunities to be had to turn luck in your favor. For instance, Chimeras who are currently asleep cannot take action until they are woken up by being attacked. So if an opponent in the backline is asleep, you can use a rotation die face to make them the leader, and have them use the attack die face to purposefully waste a strike that otherwise would’ve hit your own leader.
Another way to control the flow of battle is through tokens, single-use items that can heal, inflict status effects, or even give you a die that only lasts in one battle, giving you a lot of ways to turn random dice rolls into advantages.
Any good monster collection game needs a solid bestiary, and Dicefolk does not disappoint. At the start of every run, you choose a Talisman, which determines your playstyle and what types of Chimeras you can find. For instance, the Warrior talisman gives you straightforward attackers, while the Storm talisman gives Chimeras with abilities based on frequent rotations. Every Chimera has a set amount of max HP and ATK, as well as a unique ability that can produce a variety of effects. Some also have an intelligence stat, which increases the potency of those unique abilities. Others have a spell: an ability that can be manually activated once per turn at the cost of one mana. Every Chimera with a spell starts the battle with a set amount of mana, but it can be refilled with a specific die face. By choosing Chimeras that work together and using the right equipment (more on that later), you can create incredibly powerful builds. For example, one of my most successful runs used the Storm talisman with the Chimera Odoragon, which has a chance to inflict Burn (which deals damage when the target is attacked) to a random enemy whenever it changes positions, with the amount scaling on its intelligence. By giving it tons of intelligence and frequently rotating, I could inflict tons of Burn stacks, massively increasing the damage of my attacks.
But how do you get new Chimeras? Every region has 3 Chimera statues you can visit, each having one sealed within. By visiting it, its inhabitant is revealed. However, you can only claim one Chimera from a statue per region. If you pick one, other statues that have revealed Chimeras become inert, and statues you haven’t visited yet turn into chests. This gives you a couple of options: do you pick the first Chimera you find, turning the other statues into chests, or do you wait for more options, but miss out on extra loot? The choice is yours.
There’s more to team building than just what Chimera you recruit. They can equip a wide variety of items in one of their equipment slots, and more can be added at campfires and tents. Each has unique effects, and some have additional gimmicks. Cursed items can’t be equipped; edible items give you a disadvantage, but after the battle, the item is consumed and gives a permanent buff, etc. There are also Activations, a buff that does nothing on its own, but triggers specific Activation items if they are equipped.
Your dice can also be customized. Not only can you buy new ones (which can have specific gimmicks too), you can buy new die faces to replace ones already on the die. You can use this to replace useless faces like Wait for incredibly strong ones like Strong Attack or Mirror.
Because of all this, there are tons of ways to improve and customize your builds. In true roguelike fashion, there are obviously going to be runs where none of your equipment fits your Chimeras, but when you find something that works, it’s incredibly satisfying. Learning the systems and finding working strategies is how you eventually beat Salem, but there is a minor permanent progression system too. By playing with each talisman, it levels up, unlocking new biomes, Chimeras, equipment, and lore scrolls, gradually expanding your options.
A replayable game like Dicefolk needs charming presentation to keep you engaged, and it delivers! The art style is plenty cute, using colorful visuals for the character designs, and a more paper-like style for the map and icons. Speaking of the characters, while the average Chimera design isn’t the most unique compared to other monster collectors, there are some stand-outs. The music is also catchy, putting you at ease when exploring the world, but on edge when combat starts. Each monster also has unique sounds, which can be replayed in the compendium.
If you’re looking for a challenging yet satisfying roguelike, Dicefolk has you covered! The roster of Chimera is made up of a variety of archetypes, each offering unique abilities, making for a wide variety of builds, especially with the many different types of equipment. Even with the talismans offering specific playstyles, no two runs will be the same. While there isn’t much to the game in terms of story, the core gameplay loop is strong enough to keep you hooked as you learn the game’s systems, improve your strategies, and eventually defeat Salem.
Dicefolk gets an 8/10.
