From left to right: Arry, Miri, and Riona
Hearts of the Dungeon List is a Kickstarter-funded RPG with Visual Novel elements, developed and produced by NikuTreat. The game was released for PC on April 29, 2022. The main selling point of the game is a "streamlined" system, cutting out exploration and lengthy menus, and making all of the game's mechanics accessible through just the D-Pad and face buttons (or arrow keys and WASD if using a keyboard).The player takes on the role of a member of an adventurer's guild, who has been tasked with safeguarding a village so utterly devastated by the literal hundred of dungeons in the area that it's been reduced to three citizens: acting mayor Riona, the adventurous Miri, and the aloof Arry. By clearing the dungeons and checking them off of your Dungeon List, you'll be able to unlock harder dungeons, rebuild the town, and potentially warm the Hearts of the three girls.
Tropes of the Trope List:
- Betting Mini-Game: Although not implemented in the Version 1.0 release, a menu option indicates plans to rebuild Arry's Casino and engage in these.
- Closet Geek: Arry initially comes across as distant and aloof, but at one point mentions a flower before stating you're not really interested; if you say you actually are, then she'll go on an excited tangent about the flower's nature and growth before realizing what she's doing and acting aloof again.
- Fishing Minigame: After earning a few checkmarks from dungeon clearing, the player can repair the docks that Miri's family managed, and engage in these. Rather than efficiency like in battles, the minigame focuses on timing and accuracy in order to catch fish and earn experience & gold.
- Hello, [Insert Name Here]: The main protagonist must be named by the player at the start of the game, and there's no default.
- In-Universe Game Clock: The game tracks how many "Days" you spend in it, with each action in town (from recovering at the inn to talking with one of the girls) taking up one-fourth of a day. New challenges for bonus experience during Adventures are available every Day, but otherwise, there is no danger in taking your time.
- Plant Mooks: Many of the initial foes the player has to deal with are vegetation, such as mooks based on carrots and cherries, and the apple-based boss Barapple.
- Never Be Hurt Again: It takes a few attempts to talk to Arry before she'll even reply, and even then, she'll try to keep her distance and outright state she doesn't want to make a connection. Persist, however, and she'll admit that she's worried about being hurt after Parental Abandonment in her youth and her former lover being taken from her in a monster attack.
- Relationship Values: Each of the three girls can build a relationship with the player, with their level of affection displayed if you choose to talk to them at the local tavern. While the main way to increase affection is through those talks, each girl also gains points for the player doing something connected to them, like helping Riona rebuild the town or going fishing at the docks Miri's family maintained.
- Stepford Smiler: Riona usually acts as upbeat and positive as possible, but just a bit of conversation has her admit the pressure she feels from being forced into leadership after her parents and grandfather passed away and her sister went missing.
- Tomboy: Miri self-appointed herself as the dungeon explorer before the player's arrival. While she hadn't actually cleared one herself, she's still focused on training her muscles, and she's capable of rescuing the player when they fall in battle no matter where it happened.
- Tragic Backstory: All three of the girls have a few emotional issues as a result of their village being decimated by monster attacks, but it will take a few conversations before they're willing to open up about it.
- Turn-Based Combat: Battles in the game consist of the player taking an action, and then every enemy they're facing (from left to right) taking one action of their own before the player acts again.
