Once more I return to the world of Colostle, a world I am always happy to explore more of. If you’d like to hear my thoughts on Colostle as a whole, my original review can be found here. I’ve also reviewed the Kyodaina expansion, which explored different lands, people and cultures inside the Roomlands. But now we are playing a very different expansion. This isn’t just about another area of the normal Roomlands with some differences. This is about a part of Colostle its inhabitants are likely not meant to see, or at the very least, not come back from. The Dungeons.
What lies beneath
The Dungeons are beneath Colostle’s ground floor. Many won’t realise they are on the ground floor (or any floor for that matter) until they stumble across a way down. A cave, a staircase, or just a break in the floor. There are many ways to discover the dungeons, but few return. Whereas the Roomlands are generally a bright, colourful affair, the dungeons are a dark foreboding place. They are as big as the rooms above them, but with much lower ceilings. Rivers of suspicious water run through them from who knows where. Massive pillars hold up the rooms above, and there is very little life to be found.
That isn’t to say life doesn’t exist. People do make their home here, albeit few. Rooks, our favourite mysterious antagonists from the rooms above, still exist down here, but there is something not quite right about them. Some have been infected by a type of lichen which seems to feed off them, making them almost like a zombie Rook. Beware, you can be infected too…but this might come with some benefits. Then there are the Spectral Rooks. Yes, ghosts. Ghost Rooks. Can you imagine anything more terrifying? I think my characters have long term trauma from their first encounter with one. They appear and disappear at will, and are nearly impossible to fight. You are best off avoiding them if you can.
Once more I return to the world of Colostle, a world I am always happy to explore more of. If you’d like to hear my thoughts on Colostle as a whole, my original review can be found here. I’ve also reviewed the Kyodaina expansion, which explored different lands, people and cultures inside the Roomlands. But now we are playing a very different expansion. This isn’t just about another area of the normal Roomlands with some differences. This is about a part of Colostle its inhabitants are likely not meant to see, or at the very least, not come back from. The Dungeons.
What lies beneath
The Dungeons are beneath Colostle’s ground floor. Many won’t realise they are on the ground floor (or any floor for that matter) until they stumble across a way down. A cave, a staircase, or just a break in the floor. There are many ways to discover the dungeons, but few return. Whereas the Roomlands are generally a bright, colourful affair, the dungeons are a dark foreboding place. They are as big as the rooms above them, but with much lower ceilings. Rivers of suspicious water run through them from who knows where. Massive pillars hold up the rooms above, and there is very little life to be found.
That isn’t to say life doesn’t exist. People do make their home here, albeit few. Rooks, our favourite mysterious antagonists from the rooms above, still exist down here, but there is something not quite right about them. Some have been infected by a type of lichen which seems to feed off them, making them almost like a zombie Rook. Beware, you can be infected too…but this might come with some benefits. Then there are the Spectral Rooks. Yes, ghosts. Ghost Rooks. Can you imagine anything more terrifying? I think my characters have long term trauma from their first encounter with one. They appear and disappear at will, and are nearly impossible to fight. You are best off avoiding them if you can.
One key thing about the dungeons though is it makes you start asking questions. What are these dungeons for? Why are there dead Rooks around? And why do the Spectral Rooks all have a chain attached to them that disappears into the wall? The Roomlands are a fantastic place, and we have seen clues as to what the world of Colostle really is, but the dungeons are where you might start to reveal some of its secrets…
Rather than a whole new class in this expansion, there is a class upgrade. The Infused. This lets you infuse your weapons, Rook arms and mounts with various elixirs for added effect. For example you might add poison to your weapon to surprise your opponents, or a healing potion to your mount if it has sustained damage. It's a cool thematic option to have and I think the right choice, as we already have a good array of classes to choose from.
Oubliette
The word Oubliette means a secret dungeon. It is French in origin and its meanings are similar to dungeons, except that this isn’t just somewhere things are sent to be imprisoned and tortured, it is a place where prisoners are sent to be forgotten.
So it is fitting I think that the major population hub in the Dungeons is the city of Oubliette, and what a city it is. Hanging upside down from the ceiling, suspended above the dangers below. Its glittering spires looking down on the darkness. It is a city of many towers, with bridges and tunnels leading between them for its population to get around. Those with wealth dwell in the upper floors and its peaks (but reversed), paradoxically looking down into the dungeons through their glass floors. While the poorer the soul, the closer to the ceiling they dwell, in the underbelly as it would usually be.
Honestly this city is so unique and interesting I could write about it for hours, but I’ll let you explore for yourselves. But just think about this. While there very much is a substantial population of people living here, very few ever leave, and of those that do it is unknown if they survive. So have the people of Oubliette been forgotten as its name would suggest?
The city is controlled by four clans, each with their own responsibilities and interests. The Cup Clan, who spiritually guide the city and help heal its citizens. The Rings Clan, who look after the finances and manage trade with the city. The Keys Clan, who are essentially the explorers. Not all doors in the dungeons are unlocked. Sometimes you find keys that fit specific doors, and the Keys Clan tries to keep track. Then there is the Cult of Shards. The smallest but most mysterious of the clans. They don’t communicate much, but if you find any Shards (an item you can find in the Dungeons, you can find other items for the other clans too), they will be very interested. Many if you bring them enough you’ll find out more about them…
The city itself is so large that it has its own exploration tables. I quite like this as it makes it feel like you would spend significant time there and it is more distinct than the outside world. Of course, you could just ‘go’ to specific places in the city, like we have done in the past, but this gives you another option if you want something more gamified and random.
Dare you enter the Labyrinths?
When you explore outside of Oubliette, there are two new tables for you to use. These are very similar to what we’ve seen before but in my opinion a little better laid out. Because the dungeons are so dissimilar from the Roomlands above, you don’t have to refer back to the core book for anything, like I found myself doing in Kyodaina (apart from reminders of basic rules, but you’ve probably got those down by now). There are various things that can happen while exploring, all interesting, but one of the key points is the labyrinths.
When you encounter a labyrinth you can choose whether to randomly generate it and make your own discoveries, or say you have encountered one of the major labyrinths. There are 5 major labyrinths in the book, all with really strong themes and story beats. Each one is a mini adventure unto itself, and you might spend a good amount of time in them (don’t get lost or it could be forever!). If you are interested in finding out more of the mysteries of Colostle, this is where you need to be. There is a lot to discover and once you have explored them all it just might lead onto something even greater…but I couldn’t possibly talk about that. Spoilers.
As with general exploration and the city of Oubliette, everything is nicely self-contained in each labyrinth. This marks a significant improvement over some elements of the Kyodaina book which had me flicking back and forth. One note here. Colostle is one of those games where you can, and are, encouraged to make your own narrative to the meanings behind everything. The story beats that appear in the expansions, especially this one, are entirely optional. It’s best to look at them as the author's vision of the story, but they might be entirely different to yours. In those cases the randomized labyrinths might be more useful for exploration.
A bright light in the darkness
Dungeons is by far the furthest departure from the original Colostle’s look and feel to date, and yet it doesn’t lose any of its charm. It’s dark and moody, but also intriguing and fascinating. It’s still the Colostle we know so well and I must admit, my favourite journey so far. The fact it gives us a little peek behind the curtain as to the inner workings of Colostle as a whole I think is what stands out most to me.
This expansion continues to expand the already rich, incredible world of Colostle. It has all sorts to discover through prompts and scripts, while also maintaining a stable, yet with each expansion ever growing, bedrock from which to create your own adventures.
In my opinion this is the best of both worlds and gives all types of players something to enjoy. I spotted a tease in the latter stages of my adventures about what is to come, and I can't wait! Hope to see you again soon.
