Duskpunk

About Duskpunk

Duskpunk is a gritty, story-driven RPG set in a crumbling steampunk metropolis. You play an ex-soldier stranded in Dredgeport, a city ruled by gangs and corruption where corpses are burned for fuel. Developer James Patton crafts a tense, dice-based system where every decision, like who to trust or how to allocate skills, feels weighted. Released on November 19, 2025, it’s available on PC, Linux, and Mac. The game leans into indie RPG traditions, blending exploration with moral dilemmas. Expect a single-player narrative where your choices might spark rebellion or self-destruction. Perfect for players who want a lean, mean, and morally murky experience.

Gameplay

You navigate Dredgeport by rolling dice for actions like bartering, combat, or sneaking. Each skill check uses a custom die pool, higher stats let you reroll or add bonus dice. Combat is turn-based but quick, with enemies exploiting failed rolls. The city’s layout is maze-like, rewarding careful route planning. You spend resources (like health or trust) to unlock paths or bribe factions. A typical session mixes scavenging for supplies, choosing between risky jobs, and managing relationships with NPCs whose loyalties shift. The game’s difficulty curves steeply; later zones require strategic die management to avoid being overwhelmed.

What Players Think

PlayPile users rate Duskpunk 4.7/5, with 88% positive reviews. 76% of players finish the main story, averaging 20.5 hours per completion. Critics praise its “tense, rewarding choices” (Eurogamer) and “dice system that feels both random and meaningful” (PC Gamer). The mood is split: 42% call it “relentlessly bleak,” while 31% say it’s “addictively tense.” Achievement hunters note 62 collectibles, with 82% completing the core set. 68% of players revisit key scenes to test different outcomes, a nod to its branching design. Only 14% complain about “unclear skill synergies.”

PlayPile's Take

Duskpunk is a lean, high-risk RPG for players who thrive in morally gray worlds. Its dice mechanics add randomness but rarely feel unfair. With a $29.99 price tag, it’s a steal for the depth of its narrative and 10+ hour replayability. If you’re okay with permadeath-style penalties and want a game that forces tough choices, this is for you. Avoid if you prefer hand-holding or predictable outcomes. The achievement set is solid but not completionist-friendly, 78% finish it with 80% trophies.

Storyline

Dredgeport is spiralling out of control. Gangs rule the slums, corruption trumps the law, and corpses of the war-dead are burned daily for fuel. You are an ex-soldier, mistaken for dead and shipped back to Dredgeport for processing. After a narrow escape, you find yourself alone in the guts of the city, with only two things to your name: your life and your sanity. Keeping both will prove a challenge.