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Press release:
Montpellier, France, November 15th, 2023.
The Montpellier-based (France) indie games publisher Dear Villagers and Lyon-based (France) indie games developer Artefacts Studio, are today very ptoud and happy to announce that their dungeon-building management sim “Naheulbeuk’s Dungeon Master“, is now available for PC (via Steam, GOG, and EGS) via digital stores for $24.99 / £20.99 / €24,99, with a 10% launch discount available for one week.

Console versions will follow next year, and you can wishlist on PlayStation and Xbox platforms.

This latest entry in the acclaimed The Dungeon of Naheulbeuk franchise lets players create and customize their own zany, accursed dungeon. Imagine the Evil Genius series meets Dungeon Keeper in the Naheulbeuk universe. To commemorate this launch, Dear Villagers has released a new launch trailer, as well as a gameplay stream by veteran actress and The Dungeon of Naheulbeuk: The Amulet of Chaos star Felicia Day!

“We’ve all dreamt about owning a dungeon at one point or another, and Naheulbeuk’s Dungeon Master lets you turn that dream into reality! And what’s more, to be able to build the Dungeon of Naheulbeuk according to our wishes!” said Bruno Chabanel, CEO of Artefacts Studio.

“Playing as a baddie lets you unleash your dastardly desires for mischief and mayhem, and we worked hard to ensure that players can really let their imaginations run wild in this humorous, sadistic and stupid simulation. We’re beyond excited to see what manner of playful pandemonium our player base comes up with!”

“The Dungeon of Naheulbeuk series has always placed its central setting as a core character, so a game where you get to create your own dungeon is the perfect match for the franchise!” said The Dungeon of Naheulbeuk creator John Lang.

“As much as I’ve enjoyed making The Dungeon of Naheulbeuk content over the years, it’s such a joy to sit back and see what fans of the franchise have come up with, and Naheulbeuk’s Dungeon Master allows me to be constantly surprised and delighted by players’ creations.”

Here’s a few tips to get you started in your career as an architect of evil:

Create a must see tavern to increase tourism. Cater to your patrons’ needs to increase your Tripe Adviser rating and boost your income!
Produce plenty of resources, tools and weapons. Store these for bonuses or sell these on the market to increase your dungeon’s funds
Buy treasures and relics to decorate your corridors. It’s the perfect way to add prestige to your home and attract adventurers. But be wary of incursions. Set traps and hire guards to defend your dungeon!
Level up your guards to then send them on raids to gather resources from other dungeons. But be forewarned; your rivals will be sending intruders to do the same
Keep staff happy to avoid strikes! This will help prevent any delays when opening your dungeon…

More about Naheulbeuk’s Dungeon Master
The great sorcerer Zangdar has hired you, the half gobelin steward Reivax, to build, manage and defend your dungeon in this satirical heroic fantasy universe of The Dungeon of Naheulbeuk. Set years before the tactical RPG and comic books storyline, the Dungeon of Naheulbeuk is in bad shape, close to bankruptcy, and falling apart and under the surveillance of the Dungeons Fund. It is now your job to rebuild everything, replenish the account’s balance, restore the reputation, recruit employees, and attract adventurers. You can handle that, right?

As the new dungeon master, you’ll have to construct a dungeon and ensure it functions properly as a business. Grow it from a shaky establishment to an infamous lair. Construct many kinds of rooms and adorn them with furniture and decorations to make them functional and stylish. Oversee resource production, manage the tavern, and attract and kill adventurers with guards and traps! Recruit and manage minions from various jobs and origins to achieve your goals, and answer their needs to keep them alive and avoid a strike. Beware your rivals though, as other dungeons will compete to be the best, so send your minions on raids to collect treasures from opposing dungeons!

Naheulbeuk’s Dungeon Master will feature a soundtrack by The Dungeon of Naheulbeuk creator John Lang. In addition to creating the series as an audio saga, then expanding it into novels, comic books and games, Lang is also a musician and a singer in his own right with his musical group The Naheulband. Lang will also be featured as a voice actor for the game’s French audio track.

Visit the Naheulbeuk’s Dungeon Master website here.

About Artefacts Studio
Based in Lyon, Artefacts Studio is one of the major players in the French indie gaming scene, with more than 60 passionate employees, and a strong focus on narrative, tactical, RPG, and racing games. Since its foundation in 2003, the studio has helped develop major console titles like Blood Bowl III and Space Hulk Tactics. Artefacts has been creating full games since 2014, including Agatha Christie: The ABC Murders and The Dungeon of Naheulbeuk: The Amulet of Chaos.

About Dear Villagers
Based in the South of France, in sunny Montpellier, we are a boutique publishing label composed of a team of twenty people. Open-minded and versatile, Dear Villagers offers handcrafted marketing and production guidance. Our mission: We tell memorable stories through memorable games. We love pixels, but we believe in people.