It’s always exciting when a game designer strips down the essence of a complex genre and crafts an entire game around that concept. That’s pretty much how we got MOBAs, by taking just the hero elements out of an RTS. Now, we have Fellowship, a Multiplayer Online Dungeon Adventure that’s doing something similar. It’s pulling out the team-based dungeon raids that are central to modern MMOs and turning them into a focused experience, minus the countless hours needed to level up before hitting the fun parts.
After spending some time with a development build of Fellowship, I can report that the idea works as well in practice as it does on paper. The game delivers straightforward, endlessly scaling dungeon runs in teams of four: a tank, a healer, and two damage dealers, each from unique classes. Whether you’re jumping in with friends or teaming up via a convenient group finder, you can choose between quick, single-boss Adventures or more extended, multi-boss dungeons—so you can adjust your playtime to fit whatever window of time you have, be it ten minutes or an hour.
Once you’ve finished a run, it’s time to gather your loot, refine your skills, crank up the difficulty, and dive right back in.
Initially, I was unsure if Fellowship could truly capture the depth of an MMO dungeon experience without the massively multiplayer online component, but it truly hit the mark. As you advance, you blitz through enemies to reach the bosses, with all the expected mechanics intact: managing the tank’s threat, supporting the healer, interrupting dangerous enemy attacks, and mastering your class’s abilities.
Playing as an elemental mage-type character, I had a plethora of abilities to juggle even at a beginner stage. My mage could build up charges to unleash freezing meteors or channel ice blasts. Meanwhile, our healer had the ability to summon plants that could either damage foes or heal allies. Each class’s role was clearly defined—but my fragile mage didn’t fare well if I mistakenly drew the boss’s attention. Sorry, tank!
The bosses themselves offered intriguing challenges. I experienced four memorable battles that showcased the diversity expected from modern dungeon experiences. In one ghost pirate scenario, we faced a skeletal shipmaster who intermittently separated our spirits from our bodies. Another battle involved a giant treasure construct that couldn’t be held in place traditionally; our tank had to maneuver a ball to gather the treasure scattered during the fight. Then, a massive zombie employed tidal waves, forcing us to anchor ourselves and avoid sharks.
The game isn’t just about gimmicks, though. The developers aim for a balance that mixes fights reliant on quick reflexes and clever tactics with ones that test your skills and abilities to their limits. A prime example was a fiendish warlock boss whose rapid-fire skills required constant interruption, all while he created zones that demanded immediate tactical responses.
Perhaps most appealing is how Fellowship is structured. Dungeon difficulty ranges from one to six levels, gradually increasing challenges with new enemy abilities and mechanics until you hit the intended level of difficulty. Beyond that, it scales for dozens more levels, each featuring distinct combinations of curses that have unique pros and cons. For instance, one curse might sprinkle Empowered enemies within regular packs, yet defeating them provides a temporary boost, helping you clear waves faster or giving you a leg up for the boss fight.
The idea of focusing a game on infinitely evolving dungeons—familiar yet filled with fresh challenges—is thrilling. Coupled with the developers’ ambitious plans for competitive seasons, where players start from scratch to dominate leaderboards with world-first boss kills, I’m eager to gear up and tackle Fellowship’s challenges when it releases this year.
