Fuzz Dungeon is a mixture of the Walking Sim genre combined with a collection of mini-games that we must undertake throughout this bizarre adventure. Our journey starts off in an office space where our coworkers resemble dog-like creatures. After noticing that one of them is browsing the P Hub on their computer, he then begins to write a rather meta document detailing some lore and the fact that the dev spent two years of his life in order to sell this game at $3.99. This self-deprecating humor and mind-meltingly odd situations will be par the course. It is insanely clever, and adding in its abstract visuals, this is what I’d imagine an advanced AI coming up with if it was somehow high on peyote.
After that opening, we are given control of our character. A high-heel-wearing dog creature with a witch hat and a fabulous strut. The controls here are relatively simple. Minus the movement, the only button you have to press is the jumping one, and on a few occasions, the action key. Interestingly enough, pressing the jump button twice will allow us to fly freely. There are no limits to using it, so we can float everywhere instead of walking if we choose. It is very much still a walking sim, but this 3D platformer movement scheme is another one of this title’s unique quirks.
Given all the strange things in that office, your eyes will still likely be drawn to a giant bald head sticking out of the wall. Behind it is a vault and opening that reveals a massive fleshy tunnel we must go through. This entire area was a pseudo tutorial, and once we fly out of a vertical section of this flesh maze, the real game begins. Flying out of there will pit us in a world mostly covered in darkness and inhabited by creatures even stranger than yourself. The only thing of note is this egg-like object called a Sasquatch Sex Amulet with a warning against touching it. So, of course, we opt to immediately touch it and accidentally warp reality as we know it after breaking it.
With the sex amulet gone out of existence, so too is the well we flew out of. With no way to return to our office, we must set things right by playing a collection of 15 mini-games. This area serves as a hub-world to access said games, with only a few unlocked from the get-go. As we complete them, more will be unlocked and, in turn, open up more of the hub-world to explore. For those more into the exploration side of things and just wanting to experience the strangeness of this title, that is covered. We only need to try a mini-game to progress, as victory in them doesn’t matter, and it will still unlock more. On the flip side, there are several tiers of trophies to shoot for in each if you want some gameplay substance.
Mini-games are very creative yet not too complex. Activities range from flying a satellite and shooting down flying heads, taking pictures of strange anomalies, or getting through a puzzle dungeon. Merely describing their basics in this matter does not capture how insane everything surrounding the simple gameplay and objective is. The style and charm of this game heavily carry what would otherwise be a tiresome task. One will likely be in a constant state of confusion and intrigue rather than meticulously thinking about what you’re currently doing. It is the type of game that can turn slowly planting seeds for a garden into an unforgettable experience.
The lack of involved gameplay does make returning to mini-games to shoot for a better score a hard sale. After I finished this hour and a half journey, the hub world was fully open to being re-explored, but I wasn’t tempted to play more. Many of the trophies are simply to see how fast you can finish the activity, and that didn’t translate all too well in these experiences that heavily lean on its style. With how short this title is and the number of mini-games, it is really dense in content if you don’t shoot for the high-scores. Every second was filled with amazement in the ever-increasing absurdity of it all. Contrary to first appearances, there are actually some underlying themes here, and it isn’t just madness for madness’ sake. It is nothing that will blow your socks off, but it does tie together much of the seemingly unrelated things going on.
One of the strangest things of all of this is that I have no idea how I found out about this game, and looking at its Steam page, it only has 22 reviews as of this time. I was shocked by that, given this title’s low price and high quality. Fuzz Dungeon is more catered to those looking for a unique experience than fun gameplay, but there is nothing else quite like this for those who know what they’re getting into. It is an incredibly creative and content-packed short game that seems to have been sadly drowned by the sea of shovelware on Steam. If you are into Walking Sims and/or bizarre experimental titles, Fuzz Dungeon is one I’d highly recommend checking out. It is a steal at the four US Dollars they’re charging.
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