The Dweller on Steam - User reviews, Price & Information
Quick menu
The Dweller is a puzzle game where you play as the MONSTER! It's time to get rid of all those pesky archaeologists snooping around in your lair. SCARE them, CRUSH them, DEVOUR them! ELIMINATE THE INTRUDERS!
The Dweller is a indie, casual and simulation game
developed by Villainous Games
and published by Forever Entertainment S. A..
Released on May 19th 2016 is available in English on Windows and Linux.
It has received 734 reviews of which 692 were positive and 42 were negative resulting in a rating of 8.8 out of 10. 😎
The game is currently priced at 4.99€ on Steam, but you can find it for less on Eneba.
The Steam community has classified The Dweller into these genres:
Media & Screenshots
Get an in-depth look at The Dweller through various videos and screenshots.
Load More
System requirements
These are the minimum specifications needed to play the game. For the best experience, we recommend that you verify them.
Windows
- OS *: Windows 7
- Processor: 1.0 GHz Processor
- Memory: 2 GB RAM
- Graphics: DirectX compatible graphics
- DirectX: Version 9.0c
- Storage: 200 MB available space
Linux
- OS: Ubuntu 14.04.5 64 bit
- Processor: 1.0 GHz Processor
- Memory: 2 GB RAM
- Graphics: nVidia GeForce 6200, ATI/AMD Radeaon HD2400 XT
- Storage: 200 MB available space
User reviews & Ratings
Explore reviews from Steam users sharing their experiences and what they love about the game.
What's here is small and short, make no mistake. But don't confuse 'short' for 'poorly made'. The Dweller is a reverse-horror puzzle game that features you, as an earth-bound spectre that can possess stone objects, seeking a way to kill or scare off all the archaeologists and agents in a room. What makes it interesting is that while you have free movement within the terrain, open air is impassable to you, in an inversion of the usual way things work. To cross open space, you can possess and animate boulders, slabs, and pillars and move them around, but they're subject to gravity and you can't move them upward. You'll need to use these stone features to transport yourself and bridge gaps to reach your targets - or, for the clever, perhaps drop these weighty objects atop them, or even scare them over a cliff to a lethal fall below! Fortunately, if you mess up, retries are infinite - a press of the R key will reset the level for you to try again, and you can return to the level select from the ESC menu at any time. In a pinch, you can skip a stage that's giving you trouble, but many of the stages are designed to build on the concepts of stages before them; skipping an intermediate stage may put you a harder stage that's more difficult to solve. Stages are very short - while there's a total of 59 of them, once you know the solution, most stages can be finished in under two minutes. There is a brief story, told through written logs and letters by the archaeological team that you will obtain as you complete stages. I'm not terribly fond of the ending, but it does serve as a potential sequel hook. All in all, given the price I certainly can't complain. It's much better made than I thought it'd be.
Expand the review
The Dweller is a compact but inventive puzzle experience developed by Villainous Games and published by Forever Entertainment S. A. that immediately distinguishes itself through its unusual perspective. Instead of placing the player in the role of an adventurer braving ancient ruins, the game flips the premise entirely and casts you as the ancient horror that dwells beneath the earth. Archaeologists who enter your domain are not heroes to be guided or protected, but intruders whose presence disrupts your slumber, and your goal is to eliminate them by manipulating the environment itself. This reversal of expectations gives the game a strong identity and frames every puzzle with a mischievous, darkly humorous edge. Gameplay is built around self-contained puzzle rooms where movement and interaction are deliberately constrained. You do not roam freely through open spaces; instead, you exist within solid rock and can inhabit or manipulate stone structures scattered throughout each level. By shifting between these anchor points, you guide falling boulders, redirect enemy movement, and trigger carefully planned chain reactions that ultimately lead to the demise of the unsuspecting explorers. Each level feels like a logic puzzle that demands foresight rather than reflexes, encouraging players to study the layout, anticipate outcomes, and commit to a solution. Mistakes are rarely punishing, but solving a level cleanly provides a strong sense of satisfaction as all the moving parts fall into place. As the game progresses, new mechanics are gradually introduced to expand the puzzle vocabulary. Teleportation elements, environmental hazards, and more complex layouts add layers of challenge without overwhelming the player. Importantly, the game rarely relies on speed or execution difficulty, focusing instead on mental clarity and spatial reasoning. This design choice makes the experience accessible to a broad audience while still offering enough complexity to keep puzzle enthusiasts engaged. Levels are short and focused, which helps maintain a steady pace and prevents fatigue, making it easy to play in short sessions without losing momentum. Narrative elements are subtle but effective, woven into the experience through collectible notes and journal fragments left behind by the doomed archaeologists. These pieces of writing slowly reveal the broader context of why the ruins were explored in the first place and hint at a shadowy organization operating behind the scenes. Rather than delivering a conventional story, the game allows players to piece together its lore organically, adding a layer of intrigue that complements the puzzle-solving rather than distracting from it. This restrained storytelling approach fits the game’s minimalist design philosophy and reinforces the feeling of uncovering forbidden knowledge from the perspective of an ancient, indifferent entity. Visually, the game embraces a deliberately simple pixel art style that prioritizes clarity over detail. The environments are sparse, but every visual element serves a functional purpose, making it easy to read levels at a glance and understand how objects will interact. While the presentation may feel bare to players expecting elaborate animations or rich visual effects, it aligns well with the game’s puzzle-centric focus. The audio design is similarly understated, using minimal sound cues to reinforce actions without drawing attention away from the mechanics. Together, the visuals and sound create a restrained atmosphere that supports concentration and reinforces the sense of cold, ancient isolation. In terms of length, The Dweller is a relatively short experience, but it makes good use of its runtime. With dozens of handcrafted levels, the game feels complete rather than padded, and it rarely overstays its welcome. Replay value comes less from variation and more from the pleasure of revisiting clever puzzles and refining solutions. Some players may wish for additional mechanics or a longer campaign, but the game’s concise structure ensures that every idea it introduces is explored thoroughly without unnecessary repetition. Overall, The Dweller succeeds as a focused, idea-driven puzzle game that leverages its unique premise to deliver a memorable experience. Its strength lies not in scale or spectacle, but in thoughtful level design, clear mechanics, and a clever inversion of traditional roles. For players who enjoy logic puzzles, environmental manipulation, and indie titles that experiment with perspective, it offers a tightly designed and quietly satisfying journey into the mind of the monster beneath the ruins. Rating: 9/10
Expand the review
I love it. It is slightly monotonous at times, as the game does not show new mechanics or objects for a long time. Also screen shaking is really uncomfortably big, and people ai is dumb, BUT this game is still very interesting and tricky, i love it a lot <3
Expand the review
A well rounded game overall. It took be about 2 hours to complete the full game, including all the achievements. Its a game where you are an earth spirit rampaging against intruding archaeologists. You use the environment around you to reach and kill enemies or to traverse to different platforms on the level. I have to say that some of the puzzles did stump me and I needed to look to friends, family or the internet for help. It has 59 individual levels with 26 lore related book pages for you to play and read respectively.
Expand the review
The game may not be a high budget masterpiece, it might look like it came from a 48 hours game jam, but it is a legitimate game. There's a lot of text-based lore if you're into that of the "found diary" variety. The first few levels feel like a prototype but after level 5 or so they're actually decent puzzles. Yep: this reverse horror, monster simulator is in fact a puzzle game. It solves the issue of being an invincible creature by putting the challenge in puzzles. Most games become boring when you are invincible and the dev solved that problem.
Expand the review
Similar games
View all
Pixel Puzzles 2: Birds
Pixel Puzzles 2: Birds is a traditional style jigsaw puzzle game, with crabs scurrying around so WATCH YOUR FINGERS!!!
Bomb Squad Academy
Save the world one wire at a time with Bomb Squad Academy, a puzzle game where you have to defuse bombs under a time constraint.
Pixel Puzzles: UndeadZ
Pixel Puzzles: UndeadZ is a traditional style jigsaw puzzle game with top down shooter gameplay throw in to ruin your day and peaceful puzzling experience.
Pixel Puzzles 2: Space
Pixel Puzzles 2: Space is a traditional style jigsaw puzzle game in a universal style, each piece uniquely shaped like no physical puzzle could be.
Pixel Puzzles: Japan
Pixel Puzzles: Japan combines traditional jigsaw puzzle style gameplay with light video-game interactivity.
Eets Munchies
A beautiful puzzle game for the whole family!Eets Munchies is a reimagining of the award-winning puzzle game by Klei Entertainment. Featuring gorgeous animation and ridiculous creatures, players help an adorable hungry creature devour cake in increasingly devious puzzles.
Reach for the Sun
Version 1.2 Out Now!Strategy mode is now available on the plant selection screenThis mode uses a set number of turns with no time limit. Plants will automatically collect resources between turns. Keep your plant balanced and try to maximize your resources on every turn to fruit each flower before winter comes!
Achievement Clicker 2019
Feel like a real Achievement hunter! Earn Achievements, upgrades and get the most Achievements on Steam!
Classic Sudoku
Presented by Cracking The Cryptic, YouTube's most popular Sudoku channel, this is the brand new “Classic Sudoku” game that their viewers have been requesting for the last two years!
FaeVerse Alchemy
What wonders await those brave enough to follow the alchemical path of magic?
Lines Infinite
Beautiful & relaxing Numberlink puzzles.
Frequently Asked Questions
The Dweller is currently priced at 4.99€ on Steam.
The Dweller is currently not on sale. You can purchase it for 4.99€ on Steam.
The Dweller received 692 positive votes out of a total of 734 achieving a rating of 8.82.
😎
The Dweller was developed by Villainous Games and published by Forever Entertainment S. A..
The Dweller is playable and fully supported on Windows.
The Dweller is not playable on MacOS.
The Dweller is playable and fully supported on Linux.
The Dweller is a single-player game.
The Dweller does not currently offer any DLC.
The Dweller does not support mods via Steam Workshop.
The Dweller does not support Steam Remote Play.
The Dweller is enabled for Steam Family Sharing. This means you can share the game with authorized users from your Steam Library, allowing them to play it on their own accounts. For more details on how the feature works, you can read the original Steam Family Sharing announcement or visit the Steam Family Sharing user guide and FAQ page.
You can find solutions or submit a support ticket by visiting the Steam Support page for The Dweller.
Data sources
The information presented on this page is sourced from reliable APIs to ensure accuracy and relevance. We utilize the Steam API to gather data on game details, including titles, descriptions, prices, and user reviews. This allows us to provide you with the most up-to-date information directly from the Steam platform.
Additionally, we incorporate data from the SteamSpy API, which offers insights into game sales and player statistics. This helps us present a comprehensive view of each game's popularity and performance within the gaming community.
Last Updates| Steam data | 23 January 2026 11:14 |
|---|---|
| SteamSpy data | 26 January 2026 07:34 |
| Steam price | 28 January 2026 20:45 |
| Steam reviews | 27 January 2026 20:08 |
If you'd like to dive deeper into the details about The Dweller, we invite you to check out a few dedicated websites that offer extensive information and insights. These platforms provide valuable data, analysis, and user-generated reports to enhance your understanding of the game and its performance.
- SteamDB - A comprehensive database of everything on Steam about The Dweller
- SteamCharts - Analysis of The Dweller concurrent players on Steam
- ProtonDB - Crowdsourced reports on Linux and Steam Deck The Dweller compatibility
Game modes
Features
Online players
0
Developer
Villainous Games
Publisher
Forever Entertainment S. A.
Release
19 May 2016
Platforms
Clicking and buying through these links helps us earn a commission to maintain our services.