Slap my Imp up: Bullfrog's Dungeon Keeper

Birds and Bile Demons

Warlocks are bookworms with heal powers and fireballs. Great for furthering my research in the dark arts but they can’t stand the sight of vampires, so if the two inhabit the same lair there are certain to be some skirmishes. This ability to know my monsters should inform the layout and creation of my dungeon.

Keeping your Bile Demon happy is a major preoccupation

As the game progresses, the monsters get more complex, interesting and impressive. Keeping my aviary of tiny chickens full to feed the likes of the Bile Demon was a full-time job.

All the creatures had different foul ways in ingesting these poor fowls – who look just like mini versions of Big Bird, the Sesame Street character. One of the most novel methods was used by the Warlock who, like some kind of Tolkienesque Nandos employee, zaps his chickens with a spell to create an appetising roast dinner.

Nobody here but us chickens

Creating a Hatchery and training room may have been fun but nothing in comparison to the possession spell. This is where I could jump into one of my creatures and flip into first person view,i scurrying along the corridors.

Every part of Dungeon Keeper feels as though it’s been given special attention. One of my fondest memories was the sound effects and narration – it helped immerse me in the demonic mindset needed to take on all and sundry with my evil retinue. From the “whoomphs” of blocks and pillars falling that indicated the construction of my treasure room, to the battle cries and chants of irritated grunts and screams of agony from my several torture rooms – the sound effects were awesome.

Aviary management skills required

There are two fights to be had in Dungeon Keeper, one with the Lords of the Land who were general do-gooders looking to cleanse their fair land of my evil machinations. Their trespasses were usually easily dealt with by a couple of demon spawn. Be sure they are getting nowhere near my dungeon heart!

The second type of fight – and often the most challenging – was with the rival dungeon keeper. Late game monsters to rival my own meant I had to keep my wits about me and use all my cunning to trick the AI with carefully placed traps and doors.

Battle royal: how to tame your dragon

It’s this cerebral aspect of the game that is a boon for the more patient gamer – the long periods of “training” creatures, micro-managing my economy, building new additions to my dungeon, manufacturing and laying traps, were a great counterpoint to the battles that could be frenzied and intense.

Dungeon Keeper was tongue-in-cheek and über cartoony. This distinct personality – combined with being endlessly addictive and also full of charm – meant that 15 years later it is still a great game to play. Certainly, much more so than Dungeon Keeper 2 and highlights why the Android/iOS cash grab is such an insult. Luckily, you can still buy the old-school Dungeon Keeper for only a few quid.

Training in progress

Going beyond the original Dungeon Keeper, I particularly enjoyed the god game Evil Genius that had me trapping spies instead of knights. Recently, being a dictator in Tropico bolsters my belief that being evil can be loads of fun: “Your minions are winning a battle".

Dungeon Keeper Gold is available from Gog for PC and Mac for £3.69.