Building & Upgrading Rooms

Building & Upgrading Rooms

As a Dungeon Keeper, your primary objective is to construct a formidable underground empire. This involves strategically digging out territory and then converting that raw earth into functional rooms that attract and sustain your creature army. Understanding the nuances of room placement, construction, and upgrading is crucial for success.

The Basics of Room Construction

Before you can build any room, you must first claim the desired territory. This is done by having your Imps dig out the earth. Once a tile is dug out and claimed by your Dungeon Heart, it becomes available for room placement.

1. Select the Room Tool: On your user interface, locate the "Rooms" tab (often represented by a hammer icon). Click on it to bring up the list of available rooms.
2. Choose Your Room: From the displayed list, select the room you wish to build. Early game essentials include the Lair, Hatchery, and Treasury.
3. Paint the Area: With the room selected, your cursor will change. Click and drag across the claimed dungeon tiles where you want the room to be. The game will highlight the area, showing you the minimum and maximum dimensions. Remember, rooms like the Lair and Training Room benefit greatly from larger sizes.
4. Confirm Placement: Release the mouse button. Your Imps will immediately begin converting the designated tiles into the chosen room. This process costs gold, which will be automatically deducted from your Treasury.

Pro-Tip: Always ensure you have a steady supply of gold before embarking on large construction projects. A depleted Treasury will halt construction and can lead to creature unhappiness.

Essential Early-Game Rooms & Strategies

Prioritizing certain rooms early on will set you up for a strong dungeon economy and defense.

• Treasury: This is your bank. Imps will automatically transport gold from gold veins to your Treasury. Build it large enough to store your initial gold income, but don't overcommit space too early. A 5x5 or 6x6 is usually sufficient for the first few levels like Eversmile or Cosyton.
• Lair: Creatures need a place to sleep and rest. Without a Lair, they become unhappy and may eventually leave. Build a reasonably sized Lair (at least 7x7) near your Dungeon Heart to accommodate your initial creature influx. Remember, different creatures require different amounts of space in the Lair.
• Hatchery: Your creatures need to eat! The Hatchery spawns chickens, which your creatures consume. Place it strategically so your creatures don't have to travel too far to feed. A 3x3 or 4x4 Hatchery is usually enough to start.
• Training Room: To strengthen your creatures, they need to train. A Training Room allows creatures to spar and gain experience. The larger the Training Room, the more creatures can train simultaneously, and the faster they level up. Aim for at least a 7x7 when resources allow.

Upgrading Rooms: Beyond the Basics

While rooms don't have direct "upgrade" buttons in the traditional sense, their effectiveness can be significantly enhanced through several methods:

1. Expanding Room Size

The most common way to "upgrade" a room is to simply make it larger. This increases its capacity or efficiency.

1. Dig Adjacent Tiles: Have your Imps dig out more earth adjacent to an existing room.
2. Select the Room Tool: Choose the same room type from the "Rooms" tab.
3. Extend the Room: Click and drag from an existing part of the room to encompass the newly dug, claimed tiles. Your Imps will convert these new tiles, expanding the room.

Example: Expanding your Treasury allows it to hold more gold. A larger Training Room can accommodate more creatures training simultaneously, accelerating their leveling process for encounters in levels like Waterdream Warm.

2. Strategic Placement & Adjacency Bonuses

Certain rooms gain bonuses or become more effective when placed near other specific rooms or dungeon features. While not a direct upgrade, this is a crucial strategic consideration.

• Library: Placing a Library near your Training Room can encourage Warlocks to research new spells more efficiently.
• Torture Chamber: This room is most effective when placed near prison cells or areas where captured heroes can be easily transported.

3. Creature Presence & Room Leveling

Some rooms, particularly the Library, improve over time with the presence of specific creatures. The more Warlocks you have researching in your Library, the faster new spells will be discovered. This is a form of organic "leveling" for the room's function.

4. Special Room Enhancements (Later Game)

As you progress through the campaign, you may unlock special room types or discover artifacts that enhance existing rooms. Always be on the lookout for these opportunities to further strengthen your dungeon.

By mastering these building and upgrading techniques, you'll be well on your way to becoming a truly fearsome Dungeon Keeper, capable of conquering any hero or rival Keeper that dares to challenge your domain.