Dark and Darker devs confirm solo dungeon as next playtest looms

As Dark and Darker's next playtest looms, developer Ironmace has confirmed a new solo-only dungeon that looks set to feature.

We've still got quite a ways to go before Ironmace launches its promising fantasy PvPvE adventure Dark and Darker, as the game isn't expected to arrive until Q4 2023. The good news, though, is that you'll soon have another chance to get in on the action early, as the next playtest will take place during Steam Next Fest, which kicks off on February 6.

The game sees you delve into a dark dungeon in groups of up to three after choosing your preferred Dark and Darker classes, battling monsters and gathering valuable loot. While the emphasis is usually on exploring with others, part of the upcoming playtest focuses on the solo experience. In an interview with Onepeg, the developer revealed that the new dungeon, containing the recently revealed Cave Troll boss, will be a solo queue dungeon.

This might seem odd for a game built for playing in parties, but it appears that this is something of an experiment by Ironmace to provide an entry point for players who might initially be put off by the multiplayer aspect.

Dark and Darker's third playtest took place in December and proved popular with players, reaching a peak concurrent player count of 52,576. The developer was seemingly taken aback by the game's popularity, writing on Twitter, "What the heck is going on?! We hit over 50K concurrent players today. Thanks a heap to our awesome community!" With momentum building in the run-up to launch, these numbers could be even higher during next week's playtest.

Check out what's coming to console and PC in the year ahead with our guide to new games 2023.