History YMMV / DungeonKeeper

* OvershadowedByControversy: The 2014 [[MobilePhoneGame mobile]] "[[AllegedlyFreeGame game]]" was tainted from the start by [[Creator/ElectronicArts EA]]'s decision to reboot the [[SequelGap long-dormant]], [[UsefulNotes/IBMPersonalComputer PC]]-centric franchise as a mobile game, much to the disappointment of fans who had wanted a new ''Dungeon Keeper'' game for PC like its predecessors. That said, the insanely long {{Freemium Timer}}s for basic actions doomed the reboot completely (digging a block of earth could take ten minutes, an action that takes five '''seconds''' or less in the PC games), as the "game" is all but unplayable without spending real-life money to shorten the timers. EA [[CantTakeCriticism forcing less-than-five-star-reviewers to fill in a feedback form instead of posting direct reviews]] [[note]] if one actually filled out the form, the site would automatically block those reviews from being posted with a ''fake error message''; as you'd expect, five star reviews got posted instantly [[/note]] did nothing to help the "game"'s reputation--[[StreisandEffect in fact it did the complete opposite]]--and despite EA's later efforts to reduce the timers, by that point it was too late; players had lost interest. The 2014 instalment ended up being such a spectacular failure that development studio Mythic Entertainment[[note]]Best known as the developers of ''VideoGame/DarkAgeOfCamelot''[[/note]] [[CreatorKiller was closed]] soon afterwards, and it's pretty much impossible to talk about it without mentioning the blatantly predatory monetization and how it lead to the end of Mythic Entertainment.

** The following level "Mistle" is also a total nightmare, for the simple but crippling reason you ''don’t get a training room''. You have to steal one from a nearby fortress, forcing you to rely one low leveled monsters until you can get it. The level does become more a manageable when you realize what the level wants you to do; you get a large amount of Mistresses, Bile Demons, and Trolls, allowing you to make an army of Horned Reapers which are strong even at a low level. Though of course this means you need to look after up to five or six easily angered monsters, forcing you to constantly monitor them so they don’t destroy your dungeon. Also, hoping to convert enemies? The makes this harder too by denying you the healing spell, if you want to torture enemies to your side you will need to slowly feed them chickens so they regain their health normally. All this combined makes Mistle a ridiculously tedious and stressful level.
* ViewerGenderConfusion: Only serious fans are aware that Horned Reapers are female due to them being created from Dark Mistresses, as they don't have any outwardly gendered characteristics and their gender isn't referenced in-game, instead being mentioned in the [[AllThereInTheManual official strategy guide]].

** The following level "Mistle" is also a total nightmare, for the simple but crippling reason you ''don’t get a training room''. You have to steal one from a nearby fortress, forcing you to rely one low leveled monsters until you can get it. The level does become more a manageable when you realize what the level wants you to do; you get a large amount of Mistresses, Bile Demons, and Trolls, allowing you to make an army of Horned Reapers which are strong even at a low level. Though of course this means you need to look after up to five or six easily angered monsters, forcing you to constantly monitor them so they don’t destroy your dungeon. Also, hoping to convert enemies? The makes this harder too by denying you the healing spell, if you want to torture enemies to your side you will need to slowly feed them chickens so they regain their health normally. All this combined makes Mistle a ridiculously tedious and stressful level.

* ReplacementScrappy: The salamander in the second game is this to the more useful dragon in the original.

* EvilIsCool: Basically the whole point of the game, that and [[LaughablyEvil evil being funny]].
* EvilIsSexy: The Dark Mistress, who became a sort of mascot for the game along with the Horned Reaper. Being a [[MsFanservice scantily clad]] and sadistic {{Dominatrix}} unit who is TooKinkyToTorture, this shouldn't be a surprise.

-->"My god... it's full of pies."

** Convert the [[AuthorityEqualsAsskicking Lord Of The Land]] to your side... then use the special items to carry him to the next level. You would be amazed how easier the next levels get when the initial waves of heroes are face to face with a stage boss that works for you. In the original, 16 of the 20 levels have an item that lets you carry a creature over to the next level and unlike Horny, the lord of the land is much less fickle, and almost as strong.

* TastesLikeDiabetes: In the first game, the description and the names of the lands are this. [[CardCarryingVillain This should give you enough incentive to put them to the sword, by the way]].

* AnnoyingVideoGameHelper: The Mentor, primarily when combat happens and he rattles off a ton of announcements.

* DemonicSpiders: Fairies of 4th level and higher can very easily reach this in groups, thanks to the lightning spell. On the plus side, they can't take as much damage.

* SugarWiki/FunnyMoments: [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KGHmr3D4Mnc Just listen to some of the mentor sound clips from the second game.]]

* GameBreaker: Convert the [[AuthorityEqualsAsskicking Lord Of The Land]] to your side... then use the special items to carry him to the next level. You would be amazed how easier the next levels get when the initial waves of heroes are face to face with a stage boss that works for you. In the original, 16 of the 20 levels have an item that lets you carry a creature over to the next level and unlike Horny, the lord of the land is much less fickle, and almost as strong.

* AnnoyingVideoGameHelper: The Mentor, primarily when combat happens.
--->'''Mentor''': Your minions are under attack! Your minions are falling in battle! Your minions are winning a battle! Your minions are falling in battle! Your minions are winning a battle! Your minions are fallYou need a bigger treasure room.

--->'''Mentor''': Your minions are under attack! Your minions are falling in battle! Your minions are winning a battle! Your minions are falling in battle! Your minions are winning a battle! Your minions are fall[[TheLastOfTheseIsNotLikeTheOthers You need a bigger treasure room.]]

* OvershadowedByControversy: The 2014 [[MobilePhoneGame mobile]] "[[AllegedlyFreeGame game]]" was tainted from the start by [[Creator/ElectronicArts EA]]'s decision to reboot the [[SequelGap long-dormant]], [[UsefulNotes/IBMPersonalComputer PC]]-centric franchise as a mobile game, much to the disappointment of fans who had wanted a new ''Dungeon Keeper'' game for PC like its predecessors. That said, the insanely long {{Freemium Timer}}s for basic actions doomed the reboot completely, as the "game" is all but unplayable without spending real-life money to extend the timers. EA [[CantTakeCriticism forcing less-than-five-star-reviewers to fill in a feedback form instead of posting direct reviews]] did nothing to help the "game"'s reputation--[[StreisandEffect in fact it did the complete opposite]]--and despite EA's later efforts to reduce the timers, by that point it was too late; players had lost interest. The 2014 instalment ended up being such a spectacular failure that development studio Mythic Entertainment[[note]]Best known as the developers of ''VideoGame/DarkAgeOfCamelot''[[/note]] [[CreatorKiller was closed]] soon afterwards, and it's pretty much impossible to talk about it without mentioning the blatantly predatory monetization and how it lead to the end of Mythic Entertainment.

* ThatOneLevel: "Woodsong" in the second game. You're on a time limit and have to build up a massive force, rush your way through an enemy encampment and lay siege to an enemy keeper while the whole heroic army bears down on your army (and your now-garrisoned dungeon) from behind. And if one of the heroes deals the killing blow to your enemy, you fail the mission. The 1.7 patch makes the level much easier by quadrupling the time limit. You probably still won't beat it, but the reason is [[GameBreakingBug completely different from before]].

** “Blaise End” is widely regarded as the hardest level in the first game, you have to deal with a huge fortress filled with a terrifying amount of heroes and even more that wander around. The worst part is your initial resources are severely limited, forcing you to attack the wandering heroes pretty early just to get money resulting a long grueling level of almost non-stop fighting and micromanaging your imps so they don’t alert stronger heroes.
** The following level “Mistle” is also a total nightmare, for the simple but crippling reason you ''don’t get a training room''. You have to steal one from a nearby fortress, forcing you to rely one low leveled monsters until you can get it. The level does become more a manageable when you realize what the level wants you to do; you get a large amount of Mistresses, Bile Demons, and Trolls, allowing you to make an army of Horned Reapers which are strong even at a low level. Though of course this means you need to look after up to five or six easily angered monsters, forcing you to constantly monitor them so they don’t destroy your dungeon. Also, hoping to convert enemies? The makes this harder too by denying you the healing spell, if you want to torture enemies to your side you will need to slowly feed them chickens so they regain their health normally. All this combined makes Mistle a ridiculously tedious and stressful level.

* OvershadowedByControversy: The 2014 [[MobilePhoneGame mobile]] "[[AllegedlyFreeGame game]]" was tainted from the start by [[Creator/ElectronicArts EA]]'s decision to reboot the [[SequelGap long-dormant]], [[UsefulNotes/IBMPersonalComputer PC]]-centric franchise as a mobile game, much to the disappointment of fans who had wanted a new ''Dungeon Keeper'' game for PC like its predecessors. That said, the insanely long {{Freemium Timer}}s for basic actions doomed the reboot completely, as the "game" is all but unplayable without spending real-life money to extend the timers. EA [[CantTakeCriticism forcing less-than-five-star-reviewers to fill in a feedback form instead of posting direct reviews]] [[NotHelpingYourCase did nothing to help]] the "game"'s reputation--[[StreisandEffect in fact it did the complete opposite]]--and despite EA's later efforts to reduce the timers, by that point it was too late; players had lost interest. The 2014 instalment ended up being such a spectacular failure that development studio Mythic Entertainment[[note]]Best known as the developers of ''VideoGame/DarkAgeOfCamelot''[[/note]] [[CreatorKiller was closed]] soon afterwards, and it's pretty much impossible to talk about it without mentioning the blatantly predatory monetization and how it lead to the end of Mythic Entertainment.

* TastesLikeDiabetes: In the first game, the description and the names of the lands are this. [[CardCarryingVillain This should give you enough incentive]] [[ForTheEvulz to put them to the sword, by the way]].

* OvershadowedByControversy: The 2014 [[MobilePhoneGame mobile]] "[[AllegedlyFreeGame game]]" was tainted from the start by [[Creator/ElectronicArts EA]]'s decision to reboot the [[SequelGap long-dormant]], [[UsefulNotes/IBMPersonalComputer PC]]-centric franchise as a mobile game, much to the disappointment of fans who had wanted a new ''Dungeon Keeper'' game for PC like its predecessors. That said, the insanely long {{Freemium Timer}}s for basic actions doomed the reboot completely, as the "game" is all but unplayable without spending real-life money to extend the timers. EA [[CantTakeCriticism forcing less-than-five-star-reviewers to fill in a feedback form instead of posting direct reviews]] [[NotHelpingYourCase did nothing to help]] the "game"'s reputation--[[StreisandEffect in fact it did the complete opposite]]--and despite EA's later efforts to reduce the timers, by that point it was too late; players had lost interest. The 2014 instalment ended up being such a spectacular failure that development studio Mythic Entertainment[[note]]Best known as the developers of ''VideoGame/DarkAgeOfCamelot''[[/note]] was closed soon afterwards, and it's pretty much impossible to talk about it without mentioning the blatantly predatory monetization and how it lead to the end of Mythic Entertainment.

* AlternateCharacterInterpretation: Hints throughout Dungeon Keeper 2 suggest the Forces of Good aren't quite so goodly, such as Lord Constantine being a coward who terrifies people into surrendering their land claims or Lord Avaricious taxing his people half to death so he can hoard their gold. The officially-licensed strategy guide one-ups this by stating that King Reginald [[KlingonPromotion murdered his father]] for the throne.

* SugarWiki/FunnyMoments: [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KGHmr3D4Mnc Just listen to some of the mentor sound clips from the second game.]]
** Some of the [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mNZfLeWw0Ko&t=2m52s voice lines from the first game]] are no slouch either.
-->"My god... it's full of pies."
** [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6fIjqwe3TcA the level intro/outro's in general]].
** Throw gold into a Temple and the game will say, "This is no wishing well, Keeper!"

* GameBreaker: Convert the [[AuthorityEqualsAsskicking Lord Of The Land]] to your side... Then use the special items to carry him to the next level. You would be amazed how easier the next levels get when the initial waves of heroes are face to face with a stage boss that works for you. In the original, 16 of the 20 levels have an item that lets you carry a creature over to the next level and unlike Horny, the lord of the land is much less fickle, and almost as strong.

** The following level “Mistle” is also a total nightmare, for the simple but crippling reason you don’t get a training room. You have to steal one from a nearby fortress, forcing you to rely one low leveled monsters until you can get it. The level does become more a manageable when you realize what the level wants you to do, you get a large amount of Mistresses, Bile Demons, and Trolls, allowing you to make an army of Horned Reapers which are strong even at a low level. Though of course this means you need to look after up to five or six easily angered monsters, forcing you to constantly monitor them so they don’t destroy your dungeon. Also, hoping to convert enemies? The makes this harder too by denying you the healing spell, if you want to torture enemies to your side you will need to slowly feed them chickens so they regain their health normally. All this combined makes Mistle a ridiculously tedious and stressful level.

* FirstInstallmentWins: Both games are almost on par, the first one benefits from a more creepy, cavernoid and less humanoid atmosphere and the second one has several improvements in gameplay and balance. What tips the scales in favor of the original is the [=KeeperFX=] Fan Mod, as it keeps the game very alive and fresh three lustrums after its release; the community is fairly active and new scenarios and updates appear on a regular basis, while the sequel doesn't receive much love. Fans can agree the mobile game is the worst though.

** “Blaise End” is widely regarded as the hardest level in the first game, you have to deal with a huge fortress filled with a terrifying amount of heroes and even more that wander around. The worst part is your initial resources are severely limited, forcing you to attack the wandering heroes pretty early just to get money resulting a long grueling level of almost non-stop fighting and micromanaging your imps so they don’t alert stronger heroes.

* UglyCute: Imps. Little bug eyed demons who are the only monsters 100% loyal to you.
----

* AnnoyingVideoGameHelper: The Mentor, sometimes. Nothing too egregious though.

* FirstInstallmentWins: Both games are almost on par, the first one benefits from a more creepy, cavernoid and less humanoid atmosphere and the second one has several improvements. What tips the scales in favor of the original is the [=KeeperFX=] Fan Mod, as it keeps the game very alive and fresh three lustrums after its release; the community is fairly active and new scenarios and updates appear on a regular basis, while the sequel doesn't receive much love. And let's not even talk about the mobile version...

** The Dark Knight is absurdly strong for his cost and is easy to amass in large numbers. It got to the point that he's limited (if not outright banned) in multiplayer. Compare to the Dark Angel, who is even stronger but is considered balanced due to his ludicrous cost.

* GoddamnBats: Witches, due to their "wind" spell. It doesn't do damage but it pushes all the creatures far away, messes up your battle plan, puts your fragile warlocks near the enemy heavy hitters, pushes creatures into lava etc. If there're several witches, doing this constantly from several directions, the battle (which aren't too orderly even in the best of times) will turn into a complete clusterfuck and drag incessantly. Witches' shrill laugh doesn't help either.

* UglyCute: Imps.

** [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6fIjqwe3TcA the level intro/outro's in general]]

** Some of the [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mNZfLeWw0Ko voice lines from the first game]] are no slouch either.