Din’s Champion is developed and published by Soldak Entertainment. It lets players explore a 2D RPG sandbox world, defeat the world’s main boss with their own recruited army and choose from more than 30 classes. It also allows players to travel, explore and battle the enemies encountered across different biomes while upgrading their champion with new skills and armor sets. Meanwhile, its boss never slows down and continuously plots to destroy your world.
You can explore with up to three other people in this co-op adventure, which features Terraria-like elements that let you build bases, harvest resources, create potions and dodge traps. The title is available on Steam, GOG and Humble, and it’s available right now for about $20, which is a really good value.
Din’s Champion is an excellent new entry for those looking to jump into another survival sandbox side-scroller, offering a challenge and plenty of new ideas to explore. If you’re new to the genre, however, it can be confusing and punishing even on its standard difficulty. You’ll constantly encounter pop-ups while trying to figure out how to get stronger, and what’s needed need to craft. The world doesn’t reward players who take too much time.
Depending on the difficulty, the challenge increases. The world boss grows stronger the longer you spend in the world, which can put you at a disadvantage if you don’t adapt to your surroundings. Different events can range from elite monsters spawning throughout the world to swarms appearing near your starting point and attacking your village.
Its mechanics are simple on paper but can take some time for newcomers to understand. If you want to try Din’s Champion, I recommend finding copper on the surface and in early caves to get started on crafting armor and weapons suited to your class.
I also recommend picking a class that interests you when you first load into the title. You start with a healthy selection of about 10 choices, ranging from magic users to barbarians. This adds replay value because you can maintain your recruitment progress while growing stronger by putting points into various stats. As you complete specific achievements or move on to other worlds, you also unlock more classes. One of the best aspects of this system is that each class has its own buffs and active abilities, giving it a distinct feel.
One of my gripes with this class system is the lack of a respec option or the ability to swap skills around. Once you invest in specific skills or subclasses, you can’t undo a mistake or change direction if you regret your choice.
My second concern is that the balance between mages and other classes feels a little uneven. In the early to midgame, magic users can take advantage of enhanced speed buffs and efficiently cleave their way through caves and enemies. Their spells also break blocks, reducing the need for a better pickaxe. Meanwhile, melee armor and weapons slow you down, and the payoff doesn’t always feel as satisfying even when you start finding better equipment.
My third and final concern, which may depend on the player, is that some classes can be particularly difficult to unlock. For example, one class requires finding five god altars, but I haven’t encountered even one during my time playing. I’ve also seen similar concerns from other players in the community who have spent more time with the title than I have. Fortunately, most classes are unlocked through normal gameplay, typically by defeating specific enemy types or completing quests over time.
Building in Din’s Champion offers some interesting opportunities for creating unique structures, with various backgrounds and furniture available for NPC buildings. While this is a welcome feature, the game’s environment doesn’t always encourage relaxed building. You’re essentially working against a timer and are constantly reminded of other things you should be doing. That can create a lot to keep track of mentally, making this less of a casual building experience than some other titles in the genre.
NPCs serve a variety of roles ranging from temporary vendors to permanent companions who can join you on quests. They can also offer side quests for experience points and sell useful items.
The story is minimal, but it serves the game’s purpose. You play as one of Din’s champions tasked with saving the world you’re in. You can learn more about the lore through subtle details and stories that emerge from local NPCs.
Another great source of replay value is that the main bosses have randomized threats. Once you grasp how the core systems work, it’s easy to find yourself sinking hours into the adventure as everything starts to click. Some bosses can inspire more monster factions than others, while others can coordinate hazards or send curses your way.
Din’s Champion also features co-op for up to four players, and you can return to a world you’ve created to continue progressing even when your friends are offline. I was fortunate to be able to do this with some friends.
The process of creating a multiplayer world can be confusing for new players, but you do have the option of using LAN servers for local play or connecting over the internet, which is good. I also used the internet option to try out co-op mode. You have to create an internet ID and password, which is typically straightforward, but the menus made it a little difficult to navigate and figure out where the information belonged. The connection between me and the other players was good. Despite some minor ping-related stutters, the issues weren’t constant and didn’t significantly affect my experience.
One thing to be cautious about if you plan to create content featuring Din’s Champion is that a small pop-up in the corner can display the server’s IP address when you hover over it. Content creators should be careful not to reveal that information while recording or streaming.
The audio and visuals are serviceable overall, although I do have a particular concern with the soundtrack. There seems to be a lack of consistent ambient music when you’re venturing through the world. Sometimes the background music stops for a long stretch or doesn’t return until you reach a new environment, which can take you out of the experience. When the ambient audio is present, though, it does a good job of making me feel like a cave dweller setting out to explore. The audio alerts that play whenever the main villain is doing something in the world are also a nice touch.
I do wish the map did a better job of showing exactly where these events are happening when you zoom out. Sometimes the location being referenced is vague enough that I find myself thinking, “I don’t know where that is or what it means, so I’m just going to ignore it.” A clearer visual indicator would make these events easier to follow. The game’s visual direction in general is evocative and keeps the art style seen in Din’s Legacy and Din’s Curse while adapting it to a 2D format.
Overall, I highly recommend Din’s Champion to anyone looking for another Terraria-like RPG that offers a challenge, high replay value and plenty of ways to customize how you play. Playing with friends can make the experience even more enjoyable.
I do think the title could benefit from some additional quality-of-life improvements, especially in the areas I’ve mentioned. Even smaller issues, such as limited chest space or cave lighting that becomes too dark beyond the initial torch glow, can affect the overall experience.
Still, beyond those rough edges and its relatively modest presentation, Soldak Entertainment delivers another enjoyable entry in the Din’s series. It’s an ongoing adventure of slaying elite monsters and bosses, building your strength and eventually becoming a legend yourself.
