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Which dice-based roguelike should you play? Choose Dicevaders if you want to build a force on a grid and use resources to shape dice outcomes around scoring combinations. Choose Dicey Dungeons if you want a character-led dungeon run where equipment, monsters, and class-specific rules make each roll part of an evolving plan. That’s a comparison of their published mechanics, not a claim that one is objectively better.
At a glance
| Name | Best for | Key spec | Platforms | Checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dicevaders | Grid placement and deliberate dice manipulation | Build an alien force; use resources including rerolls and dice adjustments | Steam; Nintendo Switch 2 | Nov 2026 |
| Dicey Dungeons | Character-specific equipment and changing dungeon encounters | Six characters with distinct rules, equipment, and tactics | Steam; Nintendo Switch download software | Nov 2026 |
What is the main difference between Dicevaders and Dicey Dungeons?
The main difference is where the dice fit into the strategy. Dicevaders connects dice to a turn-based grid: you build an alien force and arrange units to increase scoring potential. Dicey Dungeons connects rolls to character equipment and dungeon fights, asking you to adapt your tactics as encounters and dice results unfold.
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That difference changes what you spend attention on. In Dicevaders, think about the board, the units you place, and how to steer a throw toward useful combinations. In Dicey Dungeons, think about which character you are playing, what their equipment can do with the dice available, and how to respond to the dungeon’s next encounter. Both are described as roguelike deckbuilders, but they organize a run around different strategic problems.
A quick way to frame the choice is to ask whether you would rather improve a formation or adapt a character. Dicevaders puts a built force and its grid arrangement in the foreground; Dicey Dungeons puts a character’s rules and equipment into the foreground. The dice matter in both, but the surrounding system determines what a useful roll means.
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How does Dicevaders use dice?
Dicevaders is a turn-based grid strategy game in which dice rolls support the scoring potential of the alien force you build. Its distinctive appeal, based on the game’s published descriptions, is the combination of unit placement and tools for influencing outcomes rather than simply accepting a roll.
The game is set in the StarVaders universe. You place units on a grid, develop synergies, and use resources to affect both dice and shop options. Nintendo’s listing describes two named resources: Chrono can be used for rerolls and shop restocks, while Budge adjusts a throw. The practical implication is that a turn involves more than asking what a roll produced: you also weigh whether a resource can improve the result or help shape what is available to build next.
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1Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errors2Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches3Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsThose resource uses point to two linked kinds of planning. A dice adjustment or reroll can help pursue a more useful outcome, while a shop restock changes the options you can consider. The choice is therefore not simply “keep or change the roll”; it can involve deciding which part of your developing strategy most needs help. The descriptions identify what Chrono and Budge do, but do not specify a universal best time to spend them, so that decision belongs to the run and the plan you are pursuing.
Commanders have distinct strategies, and unit synergies can compound. That makes board development central to the appeal: a placement can matter not only for its immediate contribution, but for how it works with the force you have assembled. If you like planning around a visible grid and finding combinations among units, those are the mechanics to focus on when deciding whether the game suits you.
In practical terms, the grid is a clue to the kind of question you will keep asking: how does a prospective placement contribute to the force, and could a combination make it more valuable? The published descriptions emphasize unit placement, commanders, and compounding synergies, rather than simply collecting a sequence of isolated dice results. Players who enjoy tracing how pieces fit together may find that decision structure more compelling than equipment choices tied to a particular adventurer.
Nintendo’s Switch 2 listing for Dicevaders describes these mechanics and notes optional Joy-Con 2 mouse controls. The listing is specific to Nintendo UK; it should not be read as a statement about availability or control options in every region or on every platform.
How does Dicey Dungeons use dice?
Dicey Dungeons sends six different characters through an ever-changing dungeon. You fight monsters, find equipment and loot, level up, and adjust your planned tactics to the dice rolls you get. The characters do not merely offer different starting statistics: their rules change what you do with a run.
The game’s press kit gives examples of that variety. The Thief steals random equipment from enemies; the Witch builds a spellbook; and the Robot earns dice through a push-your-luck blackjack mechanic. Each example suggests a different relationship with uncertainty. One character’s run involves taking advantage of enemy equipment, another builds around spells, and another has a dice-earning process of its own.
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These examples show why “six characters” is more than a character-select screen feature. The Thief’s equipment comes through stealing from enemies, the Witch’s play is organized around building a spellbook, and the Robot’s dice depend on a blackjack-style push-your-luck system. Each changes the context in which a roll is used. The available descriptions do not enumerate every class’s rules, so these three are useful illustrations rather than a complete account of all six.
Dungeon progression adds another layer to those character systems. You are not only working out what a character can do with a roll; you are also responding to monsters and the equipment and loot found as the run develops. Leveling up and changing equipment can make a previously sensible tactic less relevant, or give you a new option to consider. The central appeal is the adjustment: plan with what you have, then revise that plan as the next roll and encounter present different constraints.
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That makes Dicey Dungeons a natural fit if you want to learn a set of distinct play styles and adapt equipment-based plans to the roll in front of you. The game’s publisher press kit quotes Destructoid reviewer Darren Nakamura describing Cavanagh’s games this way: “That’s a hallmark of Cavanagh’s games: they’re easy to understand right away, but they hide a trove of gameplay to discover under the surface.” That is Nakamura’s assessment, not a developer statement or a direct comparison with Dicevaders.
Which game gives you more control over randomness?
Dicevaders is the clearer fit if you want explicit tools for modifying dice outcomes. Dicey Dungeons makes the roll part of a broader character-and-equipment puzzle, with class-specific rules shaping how you respond.
In Dicevaders, the published descriptions specifically identify Budge as a way to adjust a throw and Chrono as a way to reroll. Chrono can also restock the shop. Those mechanics give you ways to intervene, but they do not mean that every outcome is controllable or that every resource should always be spent. The decision is when a change to the roll—or another shop option—is worth the resource within your plan.
For Dicey Dungeons, the available descriptions emphasize balancing planned tactics with the unknown of each roll, filtered through the character’s distinctive rules. The central question is less about a universal reroll-and-adjust toolkit and more about what the current character’s equipment and systems let you do with a result. The supplied descriptions do not establish a complete, side-by-side inventory of every dice-manipulation mechanic in both games, so it is safest to compare the stated emphasis rather than assume one has no other ways to affect randomness.
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That distinction matters if “more control” is the deciding factor. In Dicevaders, two specific interventions are named: adjust a throw with Budge or reroll with Chrono. In Dicey Dungeons, the highlighted approach is to work within character rules and whatever equipment and results the run presents. This supports a recommendation about emphasis, not a claim that one title has more total control in every situation: the descriptions do not provide a complete inventory of all mechanics in either game.
What defines a run in each game?
A Dicevaders run is foregrounded around grid placement, units, artifacts, resources, and commanders. A Dicey Dungeons run is foregrounded around choosing among six character classes, finding equipment, fighting monsters, and progressing through the dungeon.
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Use that distinction to picture the decisions you want to repeat. If you enjoy building a force and looking for synergies in a spatial layout, the first game’s grid is its defining decision space. If you enjoy tailoring tactics to a particular character and to the equipment found along a run, the second game’s dungeon and class structure is more directly aligned with that preference.
For Dicevaders, the run identity is tied to the force you develop and the commander strategy you follow. For Dicey Dungeons, it is tied to which of the six characters you chose and how that character’s rule set interacts with equipment, loot, and encounters. So the two games offer different forms of variety: the first spotlights placement and unit synergies, while the second makes class identity a major organizing principle.
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Are the setting and tone different?
Yes. Dicevaders frames its strategy as a cartoon alien invasion in the StarVaders universe. Dicey Dungeons presents a colorful dungeon adventure starring walking dice and Lady Luck. If the mechanics sound appealing in both, the settings offer another straightforward way to choose the kind of run you would rather enter.
The tone can be a useful tie-breaker, but it does not replace the mechanics comparison. Choose the alien-invasion framing if that setting makes the grid strategy more appealing; choose the colorful dungeon premise if you would rather follow walking dice through encounters with Lady Luck. Neither setting, by itself, establishes which game has deeper mechanics or offers better value.
What platforms are the games on?
At the November 2026 available data, Steam lists Dicevaders for release on September 29, 2026, developed by Pengonauts and published by Playstack. Nintendo UK also lists it for Switch 2, with the same release date and optional Joy-Con 2 mouse controls. Check the store for your region and platform for current availability and details.
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Steam lists Dicey Dungeons as released on August 13, 2019, with Terry Cavanagh as both developer and publisher. Nintendo UK lists it as Switch download software. Platform listings and regional availability can change, so confirm the listing for the platform and country where you intend to play.
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The dates are notably different: Dicey Dungeons dates to 2019, while Dicevaders is listed with a September 29, 2026 release date. That is a release-history difference, not a verdict on content or suitability. The Steam listing for Dicey Dungeons also says the game includes the free Reunion DLC with six new episodes; check the store package details in your region to confirm what is included when you buy.
No comparable current price is established by the cited listings here. Store prices can vary by region and change over time, so check the relevant Steam or Nintendo store page before making a cost comparison. A listed release date or platform does not by itself indicate a current sale price.
Do Steam ratings settle which one is better?
No. The storefront figures are snapshots with different review counts and groupings, not a like-for-like measure of quality or proof that one game is better for you.
At the accessed 2026 Steam listing snapshot, Dicevaders showed 96% positive from 956 reviews. Dicey Dungeons showed 89% positive from 6,307 English reviews, while its recent English-review grouping showed 76% positive from 43 reviews. These figures can change, and the games have different sample sizes and review groupings. Use them only as dated storefront context; your preference between grid-based dice strategy and character-led dungeon encounters is a more relevant way to make this choice.
The distinction between the overall English-review count and the recent English-review grouping is important: they summarize different sets of reviews. Likewise, the percentages come from different numbers of reviewers. They can help you understand how each Steam listing looked at the time of access, but they do not isolate the dice systems, establish a representative player preference, or control for the games’ different release histories.
If you do use storefront ratings as one small input, look at the current listing and its review grouping rather than treating a remembered percentage as permanent. Even then, ratings cannot tell you whether you would rather build grid synergies or learn the Thief, Witch, Robot, and other class-specific approaches. The mechanic fit is the more direct answer to the question of which one you should play.
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How should you decide?
Start with the decision loop you want, not with an overall “best” label:
- Pick Dicevaders if building a force on a grid, placing units for scoring potential, and using resources to reroll or adjust dice sounds appealing.
- Pick Dicey Dungeons if you want six character identities to change the rules of a run, with equipment, loot, monster fights, and adaptation to rolls at the center.
- If both loops appeal, choose by setting and platform availability: cartoon alien-invasion strategy versus a colorful dungeon adventure, and the listings available in your region.
You can make that choice more specific by asking what you want to learn from one run to the next. If the answer is how placements, commanders, resources, and unit synergies can fit together, start with Dicevaders. If it is how a character’s rules interact with equipment, monsters, and changing dice results, start with Dicey Dungeons. This keeps the comparison tied to the games’ stated design rather than a general claim about roguelikes.
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If your decision hinges on a particular platform, verify the regional store listing before buying. Nintendo UK lists Dicevaders for Switch 2 and Dicey Dungeons as Switch download software; Steam lists both games. Those listings do not promise universal availability, identical features across versions, or a particular current price.
Dicevaders is the more direct recommendation for a player seeking dice control and grid-based unit synergies; Dicey Dungeons is the more direct recommendation for someone seeking character-specific equipment and evolving dungeon encounters. Neither description establishes an objective winner, and the available evidence does not include a controlled comparison or representative player-preference study.
How we picked
The recommendations above follow the mechanics and platform details in the games’ Steam and Nintendo listings and the Dicey Dungeons press kit. The comparison focuses on where dice apply, how the described games address randomness, what defines a run, setting, and listed platforms. It does not treat storefront review percentages as a head-to-head verdict.
Sources: Dicevaders on Steam; Nintendo UK’s Dicevaders listing; PC Gamer’s coverage of Dicevaders; Terry Cavanagh Games’ Dicey Dungeons press kit; Nintendo UK’s Dicey Dungeons listing.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does the Steam version of Dicey Dungeons include the Reunion DLC?
Steam’s listing says the game includes the free Reunion DLC, which adds six new episodes. Check the current store listing for the package details shown in your region.
Can I buy a physical Nintendo Switch copy of Dicey Dungeons now?
A limited-run physical Switch edition was previously announced through Super Rare Games. That historical release does not establish that copies are currently in stock or available in a particular region, so verify current availability before buying. Nintendo UK lists the game as Switch download software.
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No. The figures are storefront snapshots with different review counts and groupings, and they can change over time. They are not a controlled comparison of the games or a measure of which one best matches your preferred mechanics.
Which game lets me change dice results more directly?
The published descriptions for Dicevaders explicitly name Budge for adjusting a throw and Chrono for rerolls. Dicey Dungeons is described in terms of adapting tactics to rolls through character-specific rules and equipment. That is a difference in stated emphasis, not a complete inventory of every way either game affects randomness.
What does each game cost?
Prices vary by platform, region, and time. Check the current Steam or Nintendo store listing for the version you want; the listed release dates and platform details do not establish a current price.
Does Dicevaders support mouse controls on Switch 2?
Nintendo UK’s listing describes optional Joy-Con 2 mouse controls for the Switch 2 version. Check the listing for your region and version for current control details.
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Bottom line: Play Dicevaders for grid-based unit building and named tools for adjusting or rerolling dice; choose Dicey Dungeons for six character identities, equipment-driven tactics, and changing dungeon encounters. Check your regional store for current availability, platform details, and price.
