Last updated on December 14, 2025
Paper Dungeon – Deep Down is an indie project that doesn’t try to reinvent the dungeon crawler genre, but instead refines it with care and intent. Developed by Prague based studio NiBo Games, the title blends old school dungeon crawling foundations with modern presentation and a surprisingly personal narrative focus. The result is a dense, atmospheric experience aimed at players who value slow exploration, tactical decision making and immersive world building.
The game borrows heavily from classic grid based RPGs, but not in a nostalgic, museum like way. It feels more like a conversation with the genre, one that understands why those games worked and why they often felt oppressive.
A dungeon that feels personal
The first thing that stands out is the setting. This isn’t just another underground labyrinth filled with monsters. The dungeon is framed as a massive tabletop environment, built from oversized miniatures, outdated tech, old VHS tapes and objects that clearly belong to someone’s past.
There’s a reason for that. Paper Dungeon – Deep Down treats nostalgia as something uneasy. Familiar, but uncomfortable. The Overseer, a towering Dungeon Master like presence, constantly reminds you that this place isn’t random. Floors feel curated, almost targeted, as if the dungeon itself is responding to your presence. Instead of delivering its story through long dialogue dumps, the game lets the environment do most of the talking. The result is slower, sometimes ambiguous, but far more unsettling.
Movement is grid based and deliberate. You won’t rush through corridors, and the game doesn’t want you to. Every room feels like it might hide something. A pressure plate. A trap. A secret passage that only becomes obvious if you’re paying attention. This design choice won’t appeal to everyone, and NiBo Games seems aware of that. Paper Dungeon – Deep Down is clearly built for players who enjoy mapping spaces mentally, making notes and occasionally stopping just to reassess what’s around them.
Combat that punishes autopilot play
Combat is turn based, you control a party of four heroes chosen from a larger roster, and success rarely comes from repeating the same actions. Positioning, timing and status interactions are what decide most encounters.
The condition system plays a huge role here. Fire, ice, shock, oil, curses. They don’t exist in isolation. They interact, cancel each other out or amplify effects in ways that reward experimentation. Some enemies even change mid fight, breaking their initial rules and forcing you to adapt. It’s the kind of combat system that quietly discourages grinding. If you’re not thinking, you’re probably losing.
The Attic, a pause rather than a power fantasy
Between runs, you return to a safe area called The Attic. It’s less a base and more a moment to breathe. You manage gear, tweak builds and prepare, but the game never turns this into a power fantasy. The Attic feels temporary by design. You’re not meant to get comfortable. It exists to contrast the pressure of the dungeon, not to erase it.
A debut project that doesn’t feel inexperienced
While Paper Dungeon – Deep Down is the debut title of NiBo Games, the team behind it brings decades of combined experience. Core members have previously worked on major projects such as DayZ, Kingdom Come Deliverance and Dying Light 2, and that background is evident in the game’s confident design and cohesive vision. Development began in 2021, with the project currently in an advanced pre early access stage. A playable demo is planned, followed by an Early Access release toward 2026. The full 1.0 launch is currently targeted for the first half of 2027.
A project worth watching
Paper Dungeon – Deep Down is not designed to appeal to everyone. It is slow paced, demanding and intentionally dense. However, for players who appreciate classic dungeon crawlers, thoughtful combat systems and narrative driven atmosphere, it stands out as a carefully crafted experience. By combining tabletop inspired visuals, psychological horror and deep tactical gameplay, NiBo Games appears to be building something that respects the genre’s past while confidently shaping its own identity.
