Slightly reminiscent of Dwarf Fortress, Regions of Ruin is an decent mix between an action side-scroller and a city building game. Let's get the second point out of the way: the management mechanics are rather sketchy and add little to the economy of the title, other than slowing down progress in the first half of the game. Not that this is inherently bad or unpleasant, by the way: it's nice to see your tribe develop at the same time as your dwarf's strength. In this regard, the gameplay does some justice to this sense of evolution: the feedback on moves is nice – especially on critical hits – and the title has that welcome kick-ass feel. In truth, the game definitely seems to be designed for a measured consumption: the gameplay loop is relatively repetitive and is only interrupted by lore reading or the platforming sequences, when you have to light up pillars. In this respect, the game's biggest flaw seems to be its progression curve: it rises exponentially, so that the last enemy has a gargantuan life bar, which requires being very solidly equipped. However, the optimal equipment is most often bought, which requires enough money – since the prices also follow an exponential curve. Apart from this sometimes shaky balancing, Regions of Ruin can be a nice pastime.