Best "Dungeon Crawl" Board Game(s)?

[CrimsonReaver]

Descent?
Talisman?
Arkham Horror?
Something else entirely?

Which dungeon crawl/RPG-lite board games are your favorites and why?

I've actually never played any of those board games - for shame, I know - and the impending release of Ravenloft has me itching to try out more of those style board games. So I'm really curious about which ones are the best or most enjoyable, especially for cooperative play, based on experiences of those who've spent more time with them. (I was always put off by Descent on account of one person having to play the role of Overlord, when I'd much rather be on the same team as my friends.)

So...which ones do you love? Which would you eagerly recommend? And what do you feel are the pros and cons of each, aspects you feel really make the game or might potentially turn someone off?

 

[Jhaelen]

Well, from the ones you mentioned, I have played Talisman and Arkham Horror.

I love Arkham Horror, but I wouldn't call it a "Dungeon Crawl" game.

Talisman is way too random and luck-based for my taste.

I've heard mixed things about Decent. Apparently it's fun but takes a lot of time and effort to set up. It also requires a GM.

Other Dungeon Crawlers, I've played:

- Dungeon!: Simple, but fun, imho.
- Hero's Quest: I assume this is something like 'Decent light', quite simple but also requires a GM.
- Fantasy Forest: Eh, I don't really remember a lot about the game. I thought it was fun, but not at all balanced.

Ravenloft looks quite good to me. I'm probably going to get it.

 

[CrimsonReaver]

I lumped Arkham Horror in there because it was among the glut of other FFG games. Plus, I love me some Lovecraft and just hoped to hear more about it from people who've spent extensive time playing it.

Ravenloft looks quite good to me. I'm probably going to get it.

Yeah, my quibbles aside, I'm really stoked for Ravenloft. I've already got it and Wrath of Ashardalon preordered. My hope is that, if there are future releases, they'll continue to release more 'hero' types and even find a way to link the various games together where players can carry over leveled up heroes and their items in sort of a campaign style of play.

 

[darjr]

Betrayal at House on the Hill | Board Game | BoardGameGeek

It isn't a 'dungeon' crawl, more a haunted house crawl, but some of the betrayers are cthuluesk and the game is very fun. It's going to be reprinted.

It's main influence, Chill: Black Morn Manor | Board Game | BoardGameGeek, which is sadly long out of print and is hard to find, is also a blast and a 'haunted house crawl'.


both, I think, have been stated as influences of the Ravenloft boardgame.

 

[Holy Bovine]

Descent with the Road to Legend expansion is easily the best dungeon crawl boardgame, imo. I've played all the ones on the OPs list and Descent w/Road to Legend is head and shoulders above them in this regard. They really should just repackage the base game to include RtL - it makes the game so much better I wouldn't play Descent without it.

 

[Philotomy Jurament]

Which dungeon crawl/RPG-lite board games are your favorites and why?

If you go with "RPG-lite" (i.e. you have a "PC" with stats/abilities/items) rather than pure dungeon-crawl, then I'd probably go with Fury of Dracula or Arkham Horror. Both of those manage to hold my interest better than most RPG-lite board games (although AH can go on too long).

Try as I might, I can't seem to get into dungeon-crawl board games. They inevitably make me wonder why I'm not playing D&D, instead. That said, out of the ones that I've played, I think Dungeon Twister probably holds up the best.

 

[Agamon]

Well, the best game involving dungeons is Dungeon Lords, though, it isn't a crawl, it's a "build the dungeon and kill the adventurers" resource gathering game.

I'm not really a big fan of RPG style of games. They feel too much like very simplistic versions of D&D, and like PJ, I wonder why I'm not just playing D&D. I do like Last Night On Earth, but that's more survival horror.

 

[CrimsonReaver]

Try as I might, I can't seem to get into dungeon-crawl board games. They inevitably make me wonder why I'm not playing D&D, instead.

I'm not really a big fan of RPG style of games. They feel too much like very simplistic versions of D&D, and like PJ, I wonder why I'm not just playing D&D.

Playing an actual RPG is almost always preferable, but sometimes it really isn't feasible. It's hard to have a really good game with just 3 people (with one of them having to be DM), because either the DM needs to run a character or the players have to take on double duty by running two characters each. Or if you can't establish a proper schedule because of conflicting work shifts, family obligations, or other responsibilities. Or sometimes everyone wants to be a player because no one is really in the mood to do the heavy lifting of creating a campaign, running all the monsters, etc. Dungeon crawl/RPG-style board games - provided they're done well - could really help to fill that niche. That's my interest in them, anyway.

It's not that I'd rather play a board game, anymore than I'd rather play a video/PC game in lieu of an actual pen-n-paper, dice rollin' RPG. Rather, when you've got the itch to get your geek on, sometimes a taste is better than nothing at all.

 

[John Crichton]

I love Arkham Horror, but I wouldn't call it a "Dungeon Crawl" game.

Me either. It's a great co-op game but doesn't lend itself to campaign play. FF does have the Arkham League Seasons on their website and they are a sorta "campaign" but not in the traditional sense as none of the characters level up.

I've heard mixed things about Decent. Apparently it's fun but takes a lot of time and effort to set up. It also requires a GM.

That's not exactly right. The "GM" role is the Overload and is simply another player that is trying to defeat the other players. The Overlord doesn't do nearly the amount of work a GM does, including designing the dungeons, encounters, etc.

Any any dungeon crawl kind of game is gonna have a high degree of set-up time. Goes with the territory of all the fiddly bits, minis and such.

I lumped Arkham Horror in there because it was among the glut of other FFG games. Plus, I love me some Lovecraft and just hoped to hear more about it from people who've spent extensive time playing it.

You can check out the Arkham Horror thread that's been going on here and then I'd pop over to boardgamegeek.com to see more. You'll get a better idea of things from that. Honestly, if you are a big Lovecraft fan and you don't mind dropping the $40 somewhat blind, it is a TERRIFIC game. And you can have a ton of fun playing it solo. Big bonus there. And the game has enough expansions to keep ya going for a long time.

Bottom line is that I think we're all going to like the two new games WotC is releasing as they sound exactly like the Hero Quest and Warhammer Quest games that served as the template.

 

[Agamon]

Playing an actual RPG is almost always preferable, but sometimes it really isn't feasible. It's hard to have a really good game with just 3 people (with one of them having to be DM), because either the DM needs to run a character or the players have to take on double duty by running two characters each. Or if you can't establish a proper schedule because of conflicting work shifts, family obligations, or other responsibilities. Or sometimes everyone wants to be a player because no one is really in the mood to do the heavy lifting of creating a campaign, running all the monsters, etc. Dungeon crawl/RPG-style board games - provided they're done well - could really help to fill that niche. That's my interest in them, anyway.

It's not that I'd rather play a board game, anymore than I'd rather play a video/PC game in lieu of an actual pen-n-paper, dice rollin' RPG. Rather, when you've got the itch to get your geek on, sometimes a taste is better than nothing at all.

I get that. I can see how these kinds of games would be great for people that don't have time or the right group for RPGs. It certainly is better than nothing. Just speaking personally, I'd rather play something more board-gamey than an RPG-lite (if that makes sense).

There are a lot of really great board games, dungeon crawl games don't even crack my top 30. That said, RPGs are my first love. Kind of a double-wammy against those kind of games fo rme.