Play Away: Shuffle Dungeon Online

Summary

Away: Shuffle Dungeon turns the DS’s two screens into a constantly moving labyrinth. When you step into a dungeon you have only a few seconds to position your character before the layout slides, revealing fresh monster‑filled corridors and hidden chests. Lingering too long triggers the shuffle, draining HP and slamming you back to the previous section, which forces a quick‑thinking playstyle.

The shifting design lets you revisit cleared floors to grind for stats or hunt missed loot, and each descent ends with a boss encounter or a cache of gold and items before a save point appears. Exiting the dungeon returns you to the overworld, but the same maze can be re‑entered for further challenges.

In North America Majesco handled publishing, while AQ Interactive and Virgin Play brought the game to Europe with translations in German, English, Spanish, French and Italian. The title’s dual‑screen shuffle mechanic was praised for its novelty, though many reviewers found the overall difficulty too low.

Critical response was mixed: Metacritic aggregates a 65/100 score, with outlets ranging from a 7.5/10 in Game Informer to a 5.5/10 in GameSpot. Famitsu gave it 31/40, reflecting the divided opinion on its simple yet inventive gameplay.

Storyline

Away: Shuffle Dungeon, often referred to simply as Away, revolves around a mysterious curse that haunts a quiet village. The curse, called "Away," strikes once each year, causing a single resident to vanish without a trace. This annual disappearance sets the tone for the game’s adventure, as players must uncover the source of the curse and rescue the missing villagers. The story’s core mystery is built around the recurring loss and the quest to break the cycle.