Dungeons of Hinterberg review: a breezy action RPG that’s as pretty as a postcard

Ditch deadlines for dungeon delving

Image credit:Rock Paper Shotgun/Curve Games

• Developer: Microbird Games
• Publisher: Curve Games
• Release: July 18th 2024
• On: Windows
• From: Steam
• Price: TBC
• Reviewed on: AMD Ryzen 5 3600, 16GB RAM, AMD Radeon RX 5700 XT, Windows 10

Usually when a game makes me want to stop playing and go outside it’s a bad sign, but with Dungeons of Hinterberg it’s different. It’s an action RPG that made me pine for the outdoors and want to be whisked away from all my responsibilities and just exist for a bit. Each time I would finish playing I’d be thinking about my next getaway, and although dungeon delving wouldn’t be on my holiday itinerary Dungeons of Hinterberg is making me think twice.

Protagonist Luisa is stuck in a place we’ve all visited before: Burnout City. She’s a busy lawyer who yearns for some downtime so has decided to escape to the picturesque Hinterberg, a whimsical alpine Austrian village. Hinterberg is essentially a recreational holiday destination where you can hike through the wilderness, knock back a few beers with the locals, and slay some monsters when the feeling strikes you.

Image credit:Rock Paper Shotgun/Curve Games

Outside of the game’s home hub of Hinterberg are four regions with their own handful of dungeons. You decide which region you’d like to visit in the morning, hack and slash your way through a dungeon during the day, hang out with the locals during the evening, then finish the day by returning to your hotel room. It’s a routine you settle into quickly thanks to each area’s distinct charm. From the snowy peaks of Kolmstein with its white wonderland of majestic mountains and ice caves, to the lush meadows of Doberkogel complete with cows, cable cars, and flowers - I was forever taking screenshots, slowly compiling a bumper book of holiday snaps.

Each of these regions will grant you two special magical abilities that can only be used in that area and its dungeons. For example, in Doberkogel you can summon a giant, spherical bomb that blasts through blockades and a ball and chain which you can fire at items and pull them towards you. Dungeons will test these abilities through a mix of combat encounters and puzzle-solving, all presented in wildly different ways. You might need to navigate an underwater castle, snowboard across a winter obstacle course, or survive a rickety minecart ride through a monster-invested cavern. When you reach the end of a dungeon you’ll get a satisfying travel stamp in your notebook.

Puzzles hit that sweet spot of being minimal effort where nothing is going to majorly stump you, but their breeziness and intuitiveness still makes them satisfying to solve. All the environmental puzzle-platforming regulars are here - switching buttons, pulling levers, moving platforms and the like - but because of each area’s regional magic, the puzzle design is constantly switched up. They push you to use your powers in interesting ways, and dungeons feel like they’ve been designed with the puzzles first and foremost, with the level being built around the core idea.

Magic isn’t only for puzzling but also a part of your fighting arsenal, alongside plenty of other abilities. Luisa doesn’t carry round a big sword for the drip either, as you’ll be hacking and slashing your way through hordes of monsters too. The way she moves feels incredibly fluid, and together with some equippable abilities, fights are often a frenzy of activity and action. I might leap in with 1, 2, 3 quick sword swipes, dodge away, hit ‘em with an ice beam (thanks to the magical power in Kolmstein), and then activate my Blade Tornado, a devastating spinning ability that’s as deadly as it sounds.

Dungeons have a suggested level so your level 2 Luisa doesn’t wander into a level 9 dungeon and get her butt kicked. |Image credit:Rock Paper Shotgun/Curve Games

Enemies are a rabble of ghouls and monsters but with an alpine folklore twist, which includes various pointy-hatted gnomes, cackling witches, gnarly goats, and creepy wicker men. You’ll happen upon them in groups, often plonked (sometimes awkwardly) in different parts of a dungeon. You’ll fight the same kinds of enemies over and over again, which is a little tiresome, but a nice steady stream of new gear and abilities keeps combat interesting. There’s also a handful of boss fights, which are a highlight of the game. In one I had to fight a rabid basilisk with a giant beak and too many eyes as I grinded on a rail on my snowboard. Fisticuffs with Krampus is also a thing, so look forward to that.

When you’ve dusted off a dungeon and all of its puzzles and monsters, it’s back to Hinterberg’s central town for some R&R. You can pop into the pharmacy to top up your potions, visit the corner shop for new gear, and get chatting with the locals. You get to choose what person you wanna hang out with each day and when you reach a certain friendship level with them you get new items and abilities Persona-style. Before you put in the time with folks, you’ll get a heads up on what rewards they’ll grant you, not like it matters when you really click with a character. I’d willingly hang out with Hannah the cute blacksmith even if all I got was a fist full of dust.

Each character has a mini-story that connects to the game’s wider story. The appearance of dungeons in Hinterberg has attracted many visitors, meaning that tourism is booming. With money flowing into the town, there’s a conflict between how the influx of visitors is affecting the locals and it’s got bureaucracy’s sticky fingers all over it. Like my girl Hannah, her shop is in danger of closing down because of pressure from corporate competition so I’m now booking it around town trying to get folks to sign a petition to keep it open. Chatting with the locals and helping them with their problems gives colour to the town and it’s characters instead of seeing them as item-spouting vending machines.

Image credit:Rock Paper Shotgun/Curve Games

Image credit:Rock Paper Shotgun/Curve Games

You may have a distinct routine, but I love how different the days are. Luisa wants to complete all 25 dungeons which means you’ll be bouncing back and forth between all four regions, and hanging out with different locals each day brings new story beats and mini-quests. The very best thing is that you don’t even have to do a dungeon if you don’t feel like it. Instead, you can sit down at different scenic spots and relax for the day, which also nets you permanent stat boosts. I was speeding toward a lake with a dungeon portal at its center when I came across a lovely wooden pier overlooking the water. I sat down on the edge of the pier and gazed across the lake. The wind rustled gently through the trees and Luisa mused about what her colleagues would be doing back in her busy office. It looked too cosy and laid-back, I badly wanted to jump through my screen, sit with Luisa, and split a schnitzel with her.

That’s what I love the most about Dungeons of Hinterberg. You don’t always have to be productive, and that’s okay. When I got a little tired of dungeon delving I just relaxed during the day at different scenic spots and worked on hanging out with the locals in the evening. I did this for an entire in-game week until I felt like bashing some monsters again.

There’s a climactic rush at the end of the game’s 20-hour runtime, but for the majority, Dungeons of Hinterberg is wonderfully laid-back. There are so many games that romanticize leaving your busy life and escaping to the wilderness, but here the topic is explored in an authentic and genuine way. There’s a lesson here about how rest is fundamental to health and happiness, but I also love how the game communicates that. It’s a gentle, reflective fantasy adventure that’ll have you reaching for your hiking boots.

This review is based on a review build of the game provided by the developer.

Find out how we conduct our reviews by reading our review policy .

Dungeons of Hinterberg

Video Game

Rock Paper Shotgun is better when you sign in

Sign in and join us on our journey to discover strange and compelling PC games.

All 75 Arc Raiders Blueprints and where to get them

These areas have the highest chance of giving you Blueprints

Image credit:Rock Paper Shotgun/Embark Studios

Looking for more Arc Raiders Blueprints? It’s a special day when you find a Blueprint, as they’re among the most valuable items in Arc Raiders. If you find a Blueprint that you haven’t already found, then you must make sure you hold onto it at all costs, because Blueprints are the key to one of the most important and powerful systems of meta-progression in the game.

This guide aims to be the very best guide on Blueprints you can find, starting with a primer on what exactly they are and how they work in Arc Raiders, before delving into exactly where to get Blueprints and the very best farming spots for you to take in your search.

We’ll also go over how to get Blueprints from other unlikely activities, such as destroying Surveyors and completing specific quests. And you’ll also find the full list of all 75 Blueprints in Arc Raiders on this page (including the newest Blueprints added with the Cold Snap update , such as the Deadline Blueprint and Firework Box Blueprint), giving you all the information you need to expand your own crafting repertoire.

In this guide:

• What are Blueprints in Arc Raiders?
• Full Blueprint list: All crafting recipes
• Where to find Blueprints in Arc Raiders Blueprints obtained from quests Blueprints obtained from Trials Best Blueprint farming locations

What are Blueprints in Arc Raiders?

Blueprints in Arc Raiders are special items which, if you manage to extract with them, you can expend to permanently unlock a new crafting recipe in your Workshop. If you manage to extract from a raid with an Anvil Blueprint, for example, you can unlock the ability to craft your very own Anvil Pistol, as many times as you like (as long as you have the crafting materials).

To use a Blueprint, simply open your Inventory while in the lobby, then right-click on the Blueprint and click “Learn And Consume” . This will permanently unlock the recipe for that item in your Workshop. As of the Stella Montis update, there are allegedly 75 different Blueprints to unlock - although only 68 are confirmed to be in the game so far. You can see all the Blueprints you’ve found and unlocked by going to the Workshop menu, and hitting “R” to bring up the Blueprint screen.

It’s possible to find duplicates of past Blueprints you’ve already unlocked. If you find these, then you can either sell them, or - if you like to play with friends - you can take it into a match and gift it to your friend so they can unlock that recipe for themselves. Another option is to keep hold of them until the time comes to donate them to the Expedition.

Full Blueprint list: All crafting recipes

Below is the full list of all the Blueprints that are currently available to find in Arc Raiders, and the crafting recipe required for each item:

Note: The missing Blueprints in this list likely have not actually been added to the game at the time of writing, because none of the playerbase has managed to find any of them. As they are added to the game, I will update this page with the most relevant information so you know exactly how to get all 75 Arc Raiders Blueprints.

Where to find Blueprints in Arc Raiders

Below is a list of all containers, modifiers, and events which maximise your chances of finding Blueprints:

• Certain quests reward you with specific Blueprints .
• Completing Trials has a high chance of offering Blueprints as rewards.
• Surveyors have a decent chance of dropping Blueprints on death.
• High loot value areas tend to have a greater chance of spawning Blueprints.
• Night Raids and Storms may increase rare Blueprint spawn chances in containers.
• Containers with higher numbers of items may have a higher tendency to spawn Blueprints. As a result, Blue Gate (which has many “large” containers containing multiple items) may give you a higher chance of spawning Blueprints.
• Raider containers (Raider Caches, Weapon Boxes, Medical Bags, Grenade Tubes) have increased Blueprint drop rates. As a result, the Uncovered Caches event gives you a high chance of finding Blueprints.
• Security Lockers have a higher than average chance of containing Blueprints.
• Certain Blueprints only seem to spawn under specific circumstances: Tempest Blueprint only spawns during Night Raid events. Vulcano Blueprint only spawns during Hidden Bunker events. Jupiter and Equaliser Blueprints only spawn during Harvester events.

Raider Caches, Weapon Boxes, and other raider-oriented container types have a good chance of offering Blueprints. |Image credit:Rock Paper Shotgun/Embark Studios

Blueprints have a very low chance of spawning in any container in Arc Raiders, around 1-2% on average. However, there is a higher chance of finding Blueprints in particular container types. Specifically, you can find more Blueprints in Raider containers and security lockers.

Beyond this, if you’re looking for Blueprints you should focus on regions of the map which are marked as having particularly high-value loot. Areas such as the Control Tower in Dam Battlegrounds, the Arrival and Departure Buildings in Spaceport, and Pilgrim’s Peak in Blue Gate all have a better-than-average chance of spawning Blueprints somewhere amongst all their containers. Night Raids and Electromagnetic Storm events also increase the drop chances of certain Blueprints .

In addition to these containers, you can often loot Blueprints from destroyed Surveyors - the largest of the rolling ball ARC. Surveyors are more commonly found on the later maps - Spaceport and Blue Gate - and if one spawns in your match, you’ll likely see it by the blue laser beam that it casts into the sky while “surveying”.

Surveyors are quite well-armoured and will very speedily run away from you once it notices you, but if you can take one down then make sure you loot all its parts for a chance of obtaining certain unusual Blueprints.

Blueprints obtained from quests

One way in which you can get Blueprints is by completing certain quests for the vendors in Speranza. Some quests will reward you with a specific item Blueprint upon completion, so as long as you work through all the quests in Arc Raiders, you are guaranteed those Blueprints.

Here is the full list of all Blueprints you can get from quest rewards:

• Trigger Nade Blueprint: Rewarded after completing “Sparks Fly”.
• Lure Grenade Blueprint: Rewarded after completing “Greasing Her Palms”.
• Burletta Blueprint: Rewarded after completing “Industrial Espionage”.
• Hullcracker Blueprint (and Launcher Ammo Blueprint): Rewarded after completing “The Major’s Footlocker”.

Alas, that’s only 4 Blueprints out of a total of 75 to unlock, so for the vast majority you will need to find them yourself during a raid. If you’re intent on farming Blueprints, then it’s best to equip yourself with cheap gear in case you lose it, but don’t use a free loadout because then you won’t get a safe pocket to stash any new Blueprint you find. No pain in Arc Raiders is sharper than failing to extract with a new Blueprint you’ve been after for a dozen hours already.

One of the best ways to get Blueprints is by hitting three stars on all five Trials every week. |Image credit:Rock Paper Shotgun/Embark Studios

Blueprints obtained from Trials

One of the very best ways to get Blueprints is as rewards for completing Trials in Arc Raiders. Trials are unlocked from Level 15 onwards, and allow you to earn rewards by focusing on certain tasks over the course of several raids. For example, one Trial might task you with dealing damage to Hornets, while another might challenge you to loot Supply Drops.

Trials refresh on a weekly basis, with a new week bringing five new Trials. Each Trial can offer up to three rewards after passing certain score milestones, and it’s possible to receive very high level loot from these reward crates - including Blueprints. So if you want to unlock as many Blueprints as possible, you should make a point of completing as many Trials as possible each week.

Best Blueprint farming locations

The very best way to get Blueprints is to frequent specific areas of the maps which combine high-tier loot pools with the right types of containers to search. Here are my recommendations for where to find Blueprints on every map, so you can always keep the search going for new crafting recipes to unlock.

Image credit:Rock Paper Shotgun/Embark Studios

Dam Battlegrounds

The best places to farm Blueprints on Dam Battlegrounds are the Control Tower, Power Generation Complex, Ruby Residence, and Pale Apartments . The first two regions, despite only being marked on the map as mid-tier loot, contain a phenomenal number of containers to loot. The Control Tower can also contain a couple of high-tier Security Lockers - though of course, you’ll need to have unlocked the Security Breach skill at the end of the Survival tree.

There’s also a lot of reporting amongst the playerbase that the Residential areas in the top-left of the map - Pale Apartments and Ruby Residence - give you a comparatively strong chance of finding Blueprints. Considering their size, there’s a high density of containers to loot in both locations, and they also have the benefit of being fairly out of the way. So you’re more likely to have all the containers to yourself.

Buried City

The best Blueprint farming locations on Buried City are the Santa Maria Houses, Grandioso Apartments, Town Hall, and the various buildings of the New District . Grandioso Apartments has a lower number of containers than the rest, but a high chance of spawning weapon cases - which have good Blueprint drop rates. The others are high-tier loot areas, with plenty of lootable containers - including Security Lockers.

Spaceport

The best places to find Blueprints on Spaceport are the Arrival and Departure Buildings, as well as Control Tower A6 and the Launch Towers . All these areas are labelled as high-value loot regions, and many of them are also very handily connected to one another by the Spaceport wall, which you can use to quickly run from one area to the next. At the tops of most of these buildings you’ll find at least one Security Locker, so this is an excellent farming route for players looking to find Blueprints.

The downside to looting Blueprints on Spaceport is that all these areas are hotly contested, particularly in Duos and Squads. You’ll need to be very focused and fast in order to complete the full farming route.

Image credit:Rock Paper Shotgun/Embark Studios

Blue Gate

Blue Gate tends to have a good chance of dropping Blueprints, potentially because it generally has a high number of containers which can hold lots of items; so there’s a higher chance of a Blueprint spawning in each container. In my experience, the best Blueprint farming spots on Blue Gate are Pilgrim’s Peak, Raider’s Refuge, the Ancient Fort, and the Underground Complex beneath the Warehouse .

All of these areas contain a wealth of containers to loot. Raider’s Refuge has less to loot, but the majority of the containers in and around the Refuge are raider containers, which have a high chance of containing Blueprints - particularly during major events.

Stella Montis

On the whole, Stella Montis seems to have a very low drop rate for Blueprints (though a high chance of dropping other high-tier loot). If you do want to try farming Blueprints on this map, the best places to find Blueprints in Stella Montis are Medical Research, Assembly Workshop, and the Business Center . These areas have the highest density of containers to loot on the map.

In addition to this, the Western Tunnel has a few different Security Lockers to loot, so while there’s very little to loot elsewhere in this area of the map, it’s worth hitting those Security Lockers if you spawn there at the start of a match.

That wraps up this primer on how to get all the Blueprints in Arc Raiders as quickly as possible. With the Expedition system constantly resetting a large number of players’ Blueprints, it’s more important than ever to have the most up-to-date information on where to find all these Blueprints.

While you’re here, be sure to check out our Arc Raiders best guns tier list , as well as our primers on the best skills to unlock and all the different Field Depot locations on every map.

ARC Raiders

PS5 , Xbox Series X/S , PC

Rock Paper Shotgun is better when you sign in

Sign in and join us on our journey to discover strange and compelling PC games.