Board Games with "D&D feel" for kids

Whizbang Dustyboots · Dec 18, 2014

My seven year old has been playing Dungeon since he was six and loves it. We swapped the boring cardboard standees out with Reaper Bones minis and the game has been a regular go-to for our family ever since. (I also replaced the boring ivory dice with cooler ones from Chessex.)

Lidgar · Dec 18, 2014

Dungeon and Labyrinth are both good.

Mercurius · Dec 18, 2014

Thanks all, some great suggestions. I guess I'm going back and forth between Dungeon and Talisman, leading more towards Talisman. It looks prettier, plus maybe not as "combat only." But I might get both.

Descent looks awesome but is probably a couple years away.
[MENTION=28334]Lidgar[/MENTION], we've got Labyrinth - good fun.

Tormyr · Dec 18, 2014

It is a bit on the basic side, but you can sometimes find a cheap copy of Lego Heroica. It is good for younger kids in the 6+ range.

darjr · Dec 18, 2014

Tormyr said:
It is a bit on the basic side, but you can sometimes find a cheap copy of Lego Heroica. It is good for younger kids in the 6+ range.

Let me second this. Fantastic. It is competitive like Dungeon or Talisman.

Mishihari Lord · Dec 18, 2014

Mercurius said:
Thanks, but those are both woefully out of production! Kind of expensive and/or hard to get.

I picked them both up on ebay pretty cheap a few years ago, as I'd lost the ones from my childhood. Of course my original copy of Mystic Woods then immediately appeared in the game cabinet somehow.

Edit: Checked ebay and WOW! $550 for Fantasy Forest. I'm sorely tempted to sell my extra copy before the kids wreck it.

aramis erak · Dec 18, 2014

Mercurius said:
I know, I know, there's a dedicated forum for board games etc, but bear with me! I took a look there and it seemed like I could easily post something and no one would see it for days, and secondly I want something with a "D&D feel" - so I figured I could get away with posting it here!

My daughters are age 6 and 9 and I'd like to get a board game for the three of us (maybe my wife too) to play. I don't it to be too difficult, to involve complex rules and lots of reading, but I want it to have some of the magic of the D&D experience: finding treasure, accomplishing tasks, fighting monsters, etc. I'm thinking Wrath of Ashardalon etc might be too much, but I've considered that. Preferrably it would be something that could be played again and again. Heroquest comes to mind - anything more modern games like that? Unicorns and/or mermaids are a plus!

Any recommendations? Thanks!

Hero Kids (RPG aimed at ages 5-10)

With a little reading help, Talisman.

Cadamir, also needing a bit of reading. Not quite to the D&D feel for some, but it's a hexcrawl exploration, with single character, character growth, random encounters, and treasures to be found.

Mercurius said:
Thanks all, some great suggestions. I guess I'm going back and forth between Dungeon and Talisman, leading more towards Talisman. It looks prettier, plus maybe not as "combat only." But I might get both.

Talisman is almost all combat... Spirit Combat or Melee Combat, but usually described in rules as combat.

Wednesday Boy · Dec 18, 2014

I played Milton Bradley's Hero Quest and the Legend of Drizzt boardgame with my 6 year old daughter. She much preferred and grasped Hero Quest over the Drizzt game. (It warmed my heart when she made her very first character, Add the dwarf.) My friend played Mice and Mystics (http://www.plaidhatgames.com/games/mice-and-mystics) with his young kids and they enjoyed the game and especially the theme. I bought it for my daughters for Christmas--I'll let you know how they like it in about a week!

Warmaster Horus · Dec 18, 2014

I'm a big fan of Heroquest and Warhammer Quest. The kids love 'em and it's a good way to spend a rainy Saturday night.

Wrathamon · Dec 18, 2014

Surprising Talisman is a bit hard for kids under 10 imo. I tried and they get bored way to easy. Talisman can drag at the end game for them. Also there are lots of fiddly tracking going on.

The basic mechanics are super easy in Talisman, roll a six sider! but I think the D&D board games are much easier to keep the kids engaged, shorter in play and easier to track upgrades. Just pick scenarios that aren't too hard.

Descent is great, (but can get fiddly with the upgrades) and can be hard if you (playing the overlord) are tough on them.

Dungeon is the best to start with.