Dungeon Roll

I kick-started Dungeon Roll, a good amount of time ago, because the idea looked fun and the price was right.  I was following their progress all the way up until I got to unbox my own recently.  It was mixed emotions during the unboxing process.  When I cracked open the large box that I got in the mail I come to find a very small treasure chest.  The box (or chest) that this game comes in is really small.  It's only about 3.5 inches tall by 4 inches wide.  My opinion instantly changed when I saw how much stuff they managed to cram in that small box.  There was layer after layer of nerdy things in this box that made me smile.  There where layers of cards, dice, tiles, and booklets.  For their Kickstarters they skinned the outside of the chest differently and added the first expansion to the game.  If you are looking to pick this game up for the first time I can tell that the first expansion is fun, but it is not needed to enjoy this game to its fullest.

So I dumped everything out of the box with a group of friends to start our first play through.  I have to say the rules for this game did not jump out at me.  We had a little bit of trouble gaining a good foothold on the rules in this game.  The rule book is not bad, but I feel that it could be slightly clearer.  I would suggest that you find a good video to watch the game being played.  The game is not that hard, so once you see it once or twice you will get the picture.

Once we did have the rules in order we were off dungeon delving and having a good time!  If you want to get an instant idea of what this game feels like I would say it feels like a much more fleshed out and deeper version of zombie dice.  It is a press you luck game where your character actually grows and gets more powerful as the game progresses.  You are a powerful leader that brings together adventure parties and magical items to delve dungeons and become the most powerful at the table.  How do you do this?  You start by going into town and assembling your team.  You roll the dice to see who is on your team and what supplies they are brining.  Monsters are populating the dungeon at every turn, and the farther you go down the dungeon, the more monsters you need to face.  The real trouble is that the more time you spend in the dungeon the higher chance you are going to gain the ire of the dragon!

...more loot! ...more monsters!

Different heroes have different strengths and weaknesses.  You bring rogues to crack open locked treasure chests, you may need priests to fight the undead, or you may need to bring a champion to face anything that comes your way.  Then the person after you rolls for the bad guys.  The level of the dungeon you are on is how many black dungeon dice are rolled.  You start at level one and go as far as you want to, spending you hero dice along the way to deal with obstacles that are in front of you.  Beware, the more you press your luck in the dungeon the more ire you gain from the dragon.  If you roll three dragon symbols you fight the dragon.  To kill the dragon you need a whole party of three different heroes to take him down.

If you manage to clear the level you are on you can leave the dungeon and collect your XP for the run.  Level up your leader and keep on pushing deeper!

I have to say that I like the game and it will go in my rotation of “in-between” games.  I think that this is a great game to pull out when you are transitioning between bigger games.  Everyone playing only gets three turns and it moves very quickly once the group gets the hang of it.  I count this as another win for the Kickstarter gaming section.

The following video is from Watch it Played.  It goes through what's in the box and how to play the game.

The Resistance

So, I sat down last night with my gaming group and we popped open a fresh board game box.  There is really nothing better than taking the wrapping off a new board game, popping it open, and being greeted by that factory sealed freshness.  The artwork on the box, pieces, and cards is clean and very appealing.  The game did not take very long to learn, and we started playing right away.

The mechanics of the game don't get in the way of the game.  This is important!  The setup of the game is the most crucial part of the game.  We had a five player game so we pulled out 3 good guys (the resistance) and 2 bad guys (the corporate spies).  You mix them up and pass them out randomly to everyone at the table. 

Each player then looks at his or her card without revealing it to the others. This is where you find out if you are truly part of the resistance or a spy tasked with sabotage.  All players, after examining their card and discovering their allegiance, lower their heads and close their eyes. After a few seconds, the spies will look up and lock eyes with their partners in subterfuge. This process usually ends in an exchange of few traitorous smiles. The spies then quickly lower their heads again to avoid detection by the resistance agents that are about to return their attention to the other players.

Words alone cannot describe how fantastic this game mechanic is!  If you are a spy, you now know the identity of the other spy (or spies), and you need to work in concert, without verbal communication to take down the resistance. 

At this point, you figure out who is going to be the first team leader. As the team leader, you need to pick the team that is going on the current mission.  Everyone votes if the mission is a go or not.  If everyone at the table votes that the mission is a go, your fate is now in the hands of the people on that mission.  You deal a “Mission Fail” and “Mission Success” card to each person on the mission. 

Now, without revealing the card, you hand one of the cards to the mission leader. If you are a member of the resistance, you can ONLY play a success card. If you are a spy, you can play either card. It takes only ONE “Mission Fail” card to tank the whole mission! 

After the team leader shuffles up the mission cards, he or she will (hopefully in a dramatic fashion) flip over the cards... If a “Mission Fail” card is revealed, you KNOW that someone on that mission was a SPY! …but which one?

I can't tell you how much fun I had playing this game!  The rules are very slim and get you into the game very quickly.  The version of the game I purchased came with the first full expansion. This expansion added story elements into the game and really made the game that much better.

If you want a more in-depth look at the game, you can watch this amazing video of the full game (without expansion) in play on TableTop.