In River Dragons, you want to move your pawn over a system of bridge-like planks to the other side of the board. An easy task! Or at least it would be if everyone were working together, but alas you’re not. Instead you’re all working on your own right next to one another, each convinced that your way is best. Set in the lands of Neverwinter, Dungeons & Dragons Adventure Begins is a board game for 2 – 4 players with elements of role playing sprinkled throughout. The game contains four different boss monsters with unique story lines to play through. The stories are written on cards which are revealed throughout the game. Unlike the main Dungeons & Dragons game, there is no singular dungeon master. Betrayal at Baldur’s Gate is almost identical to its predecessor, simply swapping out the classic haunted-house theme for supernatural terror. But there are some noticeable changes, most of which make for welcomed improvements. Haunts activate later in the game, preventing any irritatingly unfair early-game upsets, and player Adventurers are given greater specialisations. Dungeons & Dragons Adventure Begins is an enjoyable entry to the world of D&D. With four story lines and 24 adventure cards for each map (96 total), the game can be played multiple times whilst limiting repetition in the storyline.

And the city of Waterdeep works wonderfully as a setting. Prosperous and cosmopolitan, its lords live in luxury, ruling over a city of enviable cultural wealth and historical significance. But the downtrodden ordinary folk below eke out a precarious existence, beholden to criminal syndicates propped up by the city’s secret rulers. Those who have explored its seedy corners and grimy passageways when roleplaying will especially enjoy the board game’s ability to replicate the commercial intrigue and skulduggery of the City of Splendors.Step into the exciting world of D&D with the Dungeons & Dragons Adventure Begins board game! Choose your character and work together along the journey through the lands of Neverwinter, facing fantastic obstacles, battling monsters, and defeating the boss monster terrorizing the realm. The role of Dungeon Master passes from player to player with each turn, so everyone gets to be part of the storytelling. FEATURES CHOOSE A JOURNEY FOR YOUR PARTY: Choose a journey and which Boss your party of heroes will fight in the end. Choose from Felbris (Beholder), Orn (Fire Giant), Deathsleep (Green Dragon), and the Kraken. However it does feel slightly artificial. It feels as though there ought to be a difference in strength between, for example, a bard and a fighter. Yet in this game there is not. I can see why this choice may have been made, but the game is supposed to be cooperative. Taking away this difference does not encourage players to make strategic decisions about which actions different characters should perform and, in all likelihood, renders character creation in this game more aesthetic than substantial. Playing The Game

The quest is ended, but by no measure is the danger gone! Red Dragon Inn by Slugfest Games is a fantastic twist on classic questing/adventuring style games; no longer are you finishing the quest, instead you’re now fighting over the gold in the midst of gambling, bribing, brawling, fooling, stealing and drinking. Lots and lots of drinking. So, line up those drinks, pay the wench and get ready, as you’re not done yet! Gameplay But Lords of Waterdeep isn’t the complex eurogame it sounds like; it’s actually rather simple. Not shallow enough to feel underwhelming, nor a challenge for more seasoned eurogamers, it positions itself just right for D&D fans who want to explore the tabletop outside of the Theatre of the Mind. D&D MINIATURE FIGURES: The game includes 4 plastic mini figures that correspond with the heroes featured in gameplay. It might not be the most innovative map conquest game, but it’s a solid all-round choice. Bear in mind its style of play, though. You won’t be luring your opponent into clever, calculated defensive traps, so much as simply plunging forward as soon as your troops are on the field. Aggression is rewarded above all else.

A lot of ink has been spilled over the last decade or so about the onboarding new players into the world of modern board gaming. While Flamecraft is a bit too sophisticated to be called a children’s game, it absolutely fits the bill of an excellent gateway game. This is a AAA-quality experience that opens the door to a thriving and fascinating world — in more ways than one.