Get ready to roll the dice and assemble your party – Dark Quest 4 is coming to PC and console.
Indie publisher Brain Seal has announced Dark Quest 4, the latest entry in the Dark Quest series, a turn-based RPG dungeon crawler inspired by classic board games like Hero Quest, Descent, and Dungeon Saga.
Coming to Xbox, PC (Steam), PlayStation, and Nintendo Switch this fall, Dark Quest 4 promises a return to the series’ roots, blending strategy, imagination, and a unique tabletop aesthetic.
This isn’t just another dungeon crawler. Dark Quest 4 aims to capture the feeling of playing a physical board game, with animated figurines, charming visuals, and even a fully voiced dungeon master (the evil sorcerer himself!) guiding you through your adventure.
A Living Board Game, Ready for Adventure
Dark Quest 4 lets you build a party of three heroes and embark on epic, hand-crafted missions. The game promises over 30 hours of campaign content, filled with unique quests and challenges. You’ll explore a world that looks and feels like a tabletop board game come to life, with a focus on strategic, turn-based combat.
You’ll need to carefully position your heroes on the grid-based battlefields, plan your moves, and utilise each character’s unique abilities to overcome your foes. And if you’re feeling social, you can team up with up to two friends for multiplayer dungeon crawling.
Create, Share, and Explore: Level Editor and Workshop Support
One of the most exciting features of Dark Quest 4 is the inclusion of a level editor and Steam Workshop integration (at least on PC). This means you’ll be able to create your own quests and campaigns, sharing them with the community and exploring adventures designed by other players.
This adds a potentially endless amount of content and replayability to the game.
A Mixed Legacy, a Promising Future?
The Dark Quest series has had a, shall we say, varied reception on Xbox. We have reviewed both Dark Quest 2 and Dark Quest 3, with mixed feelings.
For Dark Quest 2, we acknowledged its retro charm and nostalgic appeal, but ultimately found it lacking in long-term engagement. We said: “At the end of the day though, did I enjoy this game? I’m not a the biggest fan of turn based games but this one does have its charms, taking me back to my Dungeons and Dragons youth and the nostalgia value of hand drawn 2D sprites taking me down memory lane to classics such as Golden Axe. Don’t expect anything modern or fancy, but after all the 2D graphics are what gives the game its charm. Perhaps therefore it has made me want to rush out and play the first game? Well, again, the answer is no. Dark Quest 2 on Xbox One is fun but doesn’t have enough about it to keep my attention for the very long term. I will however go back on a dark and rainy day when I fancy another trip down memory lane. All in all Dark Quest 2 is quite a niche game and one I’d say to fans of retro turn based RPGs to give a go. But you really need to be a fan of the genre to make this a worthwhile purchase.“
Dark Quest 3, on the other hand, was a surprisingly addictive experience, despite its flaws. We called it a game that “would anger us as much as it addicted us,” saying: “Dark Quest 3 shouldn’t work. It’s built on the shoddiest foundations possible, with turn-based combat that breaks all the rules, but not in a good way. It’s a strategy game that has had a tactical lobotomy, removing anything that resembles planning, synergy or cleverness. The blood-red cherry on the top is that it’s repetitive. So, why do we keep coming back to play Dark Quest 3? Blame a fantastic upgrade system, and the temptation of playing one more time. We would hate-play the combat, just so that we could snag a better spell or new character as a reward. We can’t recall a game that would anger us as much as it addicted us, so congratulations Dark Quest 3. It’s a questionable award, but it’s yours.“
With Dark Quest 4, Brain Seal seems to be aiming for a more polished and feature-rich experience, drawing inspiration from classic tabletop games. The addition of a level editor and multiplayer could significantly enhance the game’s longevity and appeal.
As Argi Baltzi, Game Director of Dark Quest 4 puts it, “Dark Quest 4 is the game I dreamed of playing as a kid — one where your imagination leads the way, every quest feels personal, and the table comes alive before your eyes. This is more than just a game; it’s an invitation to adventure, to create, and to relive the magic of the classics we grew up loving.”
Key Features to Roll the Dice For
- 30+ Hours of Handcrafted Campaign: A story-driven adventure with unique quests.
- Multiplayer (Up to 3 Players): Team up with friends for cooperative dungeon crawling.
- Turn-Based Tactical Combat: Position your heroes and plan your moves carefully.
- Level Editor & Steam Workshop Support: Create and share your own adventures (PC).
- Tabletop Aesthetic: Animated figurines and a charming visual style.
- Voiced Dungeon Master: The evil sorcerer narrates your journey.
- Coming to Xbox, PC, PlayStation and Switch.
Prepare for Your Quest This Fall
Dark Quest 4 is slated for release this fall on Xbox, PC (Steam), PlayStation, and Nintendo Switch. This is one to watch for fans of turn-based RPGs, dungeon crawlers, and tabletop gaming.
We’ll be keeping a close eye on this one and will bring you more information as it becomes available, hopefully with a full review in tow.
