Let’s Build a Dungeon’s Four Modes Are a Love Letter (and Roast) to Game Dev Sims

The Four-Mode Game Dev Sim That Actually Gets It

Let’s Build a Dungeon didn’t just pop onto my radar because it’s the next sim from Springloaded – the studio behind the quietly awesome Let’s Build a Zoo – but because it looks like the most self-aware, genre-savvy management sim we’ve seen in a while. When the devs announced not just one, but four full-blown gameplay modes today (Campaign, Just Build, Creative, and Dungeoneering), I raised an eyebrow. At first, it sounded like typical feature-bloat, but after combing through the details, there’s method to the madness – and it might actually shake up how game development sims, well, simulate game development.

• Campaign Mode lays on the pressure with tough managerial choices, even satirizing real industry woes (crunch, AI, “morality-driven decisions”).
• Just Build Mode is for the co-op crowd who want to create cool stuff without obsessing over budgets — it’s more relaxation than simulation.
• Creative Mode goes full sandbox, letting would-be devs build, draw, write, and playtest their own dungeons from scratch.
• Dungeoneering is your classic community hub to discover, share, and rate creations — like if Mario Maker had a bit more edge.

Breaking Down Each Mode: What Sets Them Apart?

Let’s start with Campaign Mode, because this is where Springloaded’s tongue-in-cheek love for — and critique of — the gaming industry comes through. They’re not pulling punches here: you run the actual studio, making the gnarly decisions about staff, investors, and, yes, crunch time. If you remember the meta-commentary of Game Dev Tycoon or Game Dev Story, imagine that — but with more grit and actual branching narratives shaped by your calls on topics like generative AI. The satirical “Buddyland” scenario suggests they’re not afraid to poke fun at industry absurdities either. This is the mode for sim purists (and masochists) who love optimizing, but it’s got modern, relevant problems built in.

Then there’s Just Build Mode, which feels like Springloaded’s answer to the folks who play Sims or Two Point Hospital just to decorate rooms or mess about with friends. The complexity’s dialed back. Instead, you get a deck-building system — think Slay the Spire or Monster Train, but for unlocking game assets and features. Up to four friends can hop in and vote together, so it’s social creativity, not spreadsheet hell. This is where the sim lets its hair down.

Creative Mode is, honestly, what I wish more management sims had. Hate the numbers? Skip ‘em. Here, you can write the dialogue, draw enemies, sketch out ridiculous dungeon labyrinths, and tweak mechanics directly. Need to make a bunny-obsessed rogue NPC who only speaks in riddles? Knock yourself out. Thousands of assets are available, but you’re also free to draw your own sprites. If you’ve ever hit the boundaries of Mario Maker or RPG Maker — or just want to build something weird with friends — this is the playground Springloaded wants you in.

Finally, Dungeoneering is the portal to community madness. Let’s Build a Dungeon wants to be a platform, not just a game: browse, play, and rate dungeons built by others, including the Springloaded devs themselves. Whether it rivals the Mario Maker, LittleBigPlanet, or Dreams communities will depend on how active and creative the player base gets — but the ambition is there.

Why This Matters (Especially If You Love or Hate Game Dev Sims)

I think what’s refreshing is that Springloaded isn’t pretending the “run a studio” fantasy is just about balance sheets and happy coders. They’re making a point about the awkward stuff: crunch, ethical quandaries, dealing with investors who think “just add AI” will solve all your problems. Anyone who’s made — or even closely followed — a real project will see the truth (and the black humor) in their scenarios. The inclusion of multiple modes is also a smart nod to how different people approach sims: some want hard choices, others just want to build, and some want to riff off each other’s work in a big creative soup. Too many tycoon games forget about player creativity; this game leans in.

I’m curious but cautious. On one hand, Springloaded’s Let’s Build a Zoo was packed with charm, depth, and replay value — and this team proved they’re allergic to phoning it in. On the other, modular sims can get messy or lose focus, and if co-op or community features flop (think of all those empty mod hubs), the shine wears off fast. Will the mechanics in each mode go deep enough for their respective audiences? I want to believe — especially since the demo is already out in a ton of languages, so the team’s apparently thinking global.

TL;DR

Let’s Build a Dungeon’s four modes signal a sim that’s both self-aware and ambitious. From tough studio management (with all the real messiness) to relaxed building and full-on creative chaos, Springloaded is giving every kind of player a way in — and throwing in co-op to boot. If the individual modes hold up in practice, this game could raise the bar for what sim-crafting and community-driven creation looks like. I’m genuinely looking forward to seeing whether it’s controlled chaos… or just chaos.