Dark and Darker was one of 2023’s most talked about dungeon crawlers. Alongside its controversial delisting from Steam before being reinstated months later, Dark and Darker captured the attention of a plethora of fans of the dungeon crawler genre for its accessibility, addictive gameplay, and battle royale edge. Now, having been picked up by Krafton, Dark and Darker Mobile is in development and will be released before the end of the year, according to a recent interview we conducted with the game’s executive producer, Joonseok Ahn.
The premise sounds simple – head out on a dungeon run, collect loot as you go from slaying monsters, and successfully extract when you’re happy with your gear. In practice, it’s much more difficult. Terrifying monsters will try to thwart your every attempt, and as the Darkswarm creeps ever nearer, it forces the playable area smaller, meaning you’ll inevitably face off against other players in this PvPvE experience.
The game has been fully optimized for mobile, including simplified controls and immersive audio design, while staying true to the PC version’s unique blend of battle royale, dungeon crawler, and RPG. The new additions don’t stop there though, as Ahn explains. “We have enhanced the game’s accessibility to appeal to a broader audience, considering the mobile platform’s characteristics.” Included in that broader accessibility is the inclusion of mercenaries. These are hireable NPCs with AI technology that you can bring along on your dungeon runs. While you can form a party with up to three friends, if you’re struggling to align your schedules, opt to recruit mercenaries instead. You can meet and recruit these AI companions, and they could take on the role of any of the game’s six classes – Fighter, Cleric, Rogue, Wizard, Ranger, or Barbarian. Mercenaries will level up as you head through dungeons, eventually having the possibility of being promoted which allows them to learn new skills, or improve their gear.
While these are the game’s six starting classes, Ahn says that there will be more from the desktop version added to the game, as well as original classes exclusive to Dark and Darker Mobile. “We will continue to develop various classes to offer new experiences to our users,” he explains. While there’s no further information on what those classes might look like, if the six existing are anything to go by, the new additions could be anything from a Summoner to an Archer, or even a Paladin, allowing for customization and adaptability to your preferred way to play Dark and Darker Mobile.
While the PC version of Dark and Darker can be quite taxing, Ahn says there has been consideration to the difficulty level of Dark and Darker Mobile. “We will adjust the game’s difficulty and support various play styles to ensure more users can enjoy the game,” he says, “Dark and Darker Mobile strives to balance the hardcore gameplay elements with casual accessibility. Our goal is to make the game more approachable while retaining its core fun elements.” Ahn goes on to promise that the team at Krafton will continue to listen to players’ feedback and analyze various play styles to continue its development long after release.
One major difference between Dark and Darker Mobile and its PC predecessor is the Patron system. When Dark and Darker runs end prematurely without you being able to successfully extract with your loot, Dark and Darker Mobile introduces a way to enjoy the game more smoothly with its Patrons. The Patrons are NPCs that have a limited supply of items, but those items will be permanently available across your account rather than locked to specific characters. They have their own quests which, upon successful completion, will increase their reputation and make higher-grade equipment available to you.
Alongside this, there is the village which is also exclusive to Dark and Darker Mobile. You can fish, cook, and accept quests while here. Ahn says that development of the village aspect of the game is ongoing, and that there are plans to add even more features after launch. “Upcoming updates will include guild systems, community activities, and various features that enable users to communicate and collaborate with each other,” he explains, “We are also considering providing users with spaces they can own within the village, allowing them to personalize it.” The village, which was introduced as a space for social interaction in the game, will be expanded further with communal workspaces as well as events and quests to provide a more immersive and socially rich experience.
It’s true, then, that Dark and Darker Mobile has had a lot of optimization for the platform, alongside unique features that mean it’s a different enough experience from the PC version to be worth a try. You can pre-register for Dark and Darker Mobile now. Keep an eye out for the room full of the dungeon pets – it has no function, but it’s surprisingly adorable for a dungeon crawler game.