Over the next three days, I’m going to be comparing some fantasy adventure board games, in an attempt to steer you into purchasing them all through my affiliate links help you decide which one is right for you. I’ll take a look at three adventure board games, one classic reborn and two new entries that make The Gamer Dome glad to be in the 21st century.
Age before beauty, they say, so let’s kick things off with a classic game that just got a facelift.
Talisman: I was lucky enough to get my hands on this at the Gencon release last year, and let me tell you…it’s not as good as I remember. I mean, in the mid-’80s it was as good as anything out there, and for a teenage kid and his friends it felt like an adventure every time we cracked open the box. Playing it at Gencon, though, where there are a couple of other things to do with your time is excruciating. Not to mention the fact that if I’ve got the 4-8 hours it’s going to take to finish this game I’d rather play four euros, some Dreamblade, or a one-off D&D session.
I was incredibly disappointed that the now defunct Black Industries didn’t take advantage of two decades of board game design, or even feedback on Talisman itself, to change the game up in any way. Sure, they updated the art, but it’s actually harder to read than it used to be. The characters they chose are horribly imbalanced, and in a game like Talisman it matters quite a bit!
The worst example is the Prophetess, who even my 10-year-old self knew was clearly the best character in the game. They didn’t change her a bit, and she still dominates the game in a way no other character can. Then there are the treasures…it’s great to have some diversity and different power levels for treasures, but having them randomly drawn can make for a terrible game. One example from the game I played: The Prophetess used her ability to avoid a Strength 7 dragon and instead pick up a Runesword, which gave her the Ghoul’s primary power in addition to already being far better than him. Talk about a kick in the nuts!
Gameplay is very simple in the grand old tradition of Monopoly: roll a movement die, move your character’s miniature (left or right…decision-making at its 1980s finest!), and do whatever it says on the space where you land. This can vary from losing a turn (always a barrel of laughs!) to being turned into a toad and losing everything (which, for Talisman fans, seems to be ultimate entertainment, and even funnier after the eighth hour of play), to gaining vital attributes and treasures with which to win the game. The fickle hand of fate is powerful here, as you can spend an hour or more trying to hit a specific spot that you need while other people traipse on by, hit the spot, and then go off on more adventures while you desperately try to walk to the next space.
Your goal is to reach the center section, as the board consists of three concentric rings. The outer ring has lots of ways to lose turns, gain treasures, and buy magic equipment and healing. The middle section has lots of ways to lose turns, gain treasures, and bu…you get the point. The only thing differentiating the two is that the middle ring is turned to 11. You get twice as many cards, face twice as many dangers, and can lose twice as many turns!
Depending on what cards you draw, and what character you’re playing, this endless cycle of roll and move can lead to feeling like you’re watching someone else work toward the inevitability of winning the game.
The center section is a series of challenges, made with either your physical or mental attributes, until you reach the Crown of Command. That doesn’t end the game, however, as you’re forced to start blasting your opponents one health per round until everyone else is dead. Since other players can buy healing, and you only have a 50% chance each round of dealing damage, this can become the most interminable and boring part of the game.
I really cannot recommend picking up the 4th edition of Talisman when there are much better adventure board games out there.
Is that a Talisman or an albatross on the chain around your neck?
Links of Interest
Official Site
Talisman on Boardgamegeek
Review:
Purchase: Buy Talisman 4e
