I love a good claw machine. In fact, when playing the Yakuza/Like a Dragon games I could spend hours playing around with the UFO Catcher mini-games. As such, it feels like a no-brainer to play a game like Dungeon Clawler, a Rogue-like centered around a claw machine.

In Dungeon Clawler, you play one of many rabbit characters who have accidentally lost one of their feet gambling. They have replaced their left arm with a claw and fight back using a claw machine to deal or block damage. Dungeon Clawler plays like a deck-builder, where you can collect new items for your claw machine after each encounter.

This allows you to set up builds, along with perks you collect from certain treasure rooms. There are the typical elements from other deck-builders too such as upgrading items, synergies, etc. Each character has a different playstyle that also changes how you play.

It is important to note that while Dungeon Clawler is a fun Rogue-like experience in its current state, it is by no means complete. It is in Early Access and will remain so for at least a year according to the developers. In this time they intend to release new items, characters, and even gameplay mechanics that they hope will flesh out the experience even further.

Right now I really like what the developers have done with Dungeon Clawler. The gameplay is simple enough to jump right in and play, yet complex enough that you can really sink your teeth into it and enjoy it. There is a “just one more run” quality to it that I really like too. The visual design is cute and easy to understand, though I do wish there was a way to refresh your claw machine.

Sometimes smaller pieces get stuck at the bottom under larger ones, and with only two claws (usually) per turn it can be frustrating to deal with and can sometimes even break a run. That’s the only major complaint I have with it though, otherwise Dungeon Clawler is a well-polished experience.

Overall, Dungeon Clawler is perfect for the people who like Rogue-likes such as Peglin, or deckbuilders like Slay the Spire. There is a lot to love here, and I can easily see the game growing and changing a lot between now and the full release. If you haven’t picked it up already, consider doing so when the Winter Sale rolls around, if not sooner. It is absolutely worth full price right now.

An Early Access PC Preview Copy of Dungeon Clawler was provided by Stray Fawn Studio for this Preview

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