A few days ago, I got an email that caught my attention. The subject contained “Roguelite Mining Game” and I was instantly intrigued. I read the body and learned about an upcoming game called Dome Keeper, coming later this year to Steam. It mentioned having a demo, so, I jumped onto my Steam Deck and proceeded to download it. After about an hour of fooling around, there is something definitely here, and I’m eager to experience more.
Mining and Protecting
The main concept around Dome Keeper is mining for resources on a desolate planet. But, as you’re exploring the underground and mining for resources, you also have to be wary of mysterious enemies that are looking to destroy your mining structure.
While this sounds pretty straightforward, there is a lot of “depth” involved. You have to juggle how much time you’re spending digging and mining, getting back to the surface to process what you’ve found, fighting off the waves of enemies, and trying to improve both your character and the structure to do more.
My first run didn’t last very long because I wasn’t quite grasping the severity of the enemy attacks. The first few waves are pretty easy to defend if you’re quick and prepared, but they get increasingly more difficult. You can upgrade a radar, so you can be prepared for an attack, but you can’t just wait around and defend. If you’re mining for resources, you’re not improving your defenses, which means enemies will still destroy your dome.
It’s that give-and-take that kept me playing. After my first, quick run, I used what I learned and improved greatly on my subsequent runs. Every run is going to be different, which opens the door for some creative ways to try out a variety of strategies. In the runs that I played, I ended up lasting around 20-25 minutes before the monsters toppled my dome. I feel like I can do even better but luck plays a huge part in how long you last.
Worth Trying
Dome Keeper’s demo is pretty light on what you can try out, but it serves its purpose of introducing the core mechanics. I want to play more, and I’m eager to see what other content gets added to the full game. The developers, Bippinbits, have Dome Keeper slated for release before the year ends. I’ve already added the game to my Steam wishlist, and can’t wait to see more over the next couple of months.