Many modern tabletop games draw a lot of their inspiration from Dungeons & Dragons. This beloved classic tabletop RPG influences many board games and has been doing so ever since it was first released to the masses. Many fantasy games, and games that add a bit of RPG flare, have D&D to thank.
Many D&D fans do not enjoy modern board games as much because the roleplaying aspect is generally removed quite a bit, if not removed entirely. However, some games ride the line very well and hold RPG players’ interests while still appealing to modern board gamers.
10 HeroQuest Introduced Players To Dungeon Crawls
HeroQuest is a classic board game and one of the most beloved titles in the hobby. While many modern gamers criticize the game for being too simple, not allowing enough agency for the game master, and relying too heavily on randomness, others applaud the game for its cut-to-the-chase approach. The game has been very popular since its initial release in 1989 which has led to Hasbro reprinting the game for a new version in 2021. HeroQuest continues to have many fans all over the world who enjoy its classic style.
9 Roll Player Makes Character Creation Part Of The Game
In D&D, one of the main things players do is create their characters. Roll Player turns that into a game all on its own. Players place dice into stat slots on their character sheet to complete goals. Throughout the game, players attempt to match up to their alliances, gain powerful items, and more.
Each game of Roll Player feels fresh as the game has a lot of variety. The game has been very successful and it has even spawned expansions and a spinoff game that allows players to use the characters in a different style of game.
8 Dungeon Fighter Lets Players Bounce Dice Onto A Target
In Dungeon Fighter, 1-6 players choose a hero to act as. Each round, the players encounter a monster in the dungeon which they must fight. However, instead of rolling dice or playing cards to fight monsters, players bounce dice onto a cardboard target in the middle of the table. Depending on where the die lands and what face it shows, players deal damage to monsters and activate different abilities. Dungeon Fighter was a huge success and a Kickstarter for a second edition was fully funded in 2021.
7 Mansions Of Madness Uses An App To Scare Players
Mansions of Madness: Second Edition is a horror-themed board game based on the terrifying novels of H. P. Lovecraft. In the game, players take on the role of investigators, searching for clues and evidence in an unsettling mansion. Mansions of Madness uses an app that drives all of the AI for monsters, random events, and more. Even when playing the same scenario, the game is different, thanks to the app’s integration. The app also provides thematic background music and narration for the story.
6 Western Legends Is A Sandbox Cowboy Game
Western Legends lets players make their own stories and follow their own path as they decide between good, bad, and ugly. In the game, players perform actions that will either lead them down the path of an outlaw or the path of a marshal.
Throughout a game of Western Legends, players can play poker, rope steer, fight off bandits, mine for gold, and much, much more. Gamers everywhere have highly regarded the game and it has become increasingly popular over the year, even appearing in an episode of South Park.
5 Destinies Is Storytelling Reimagined
Destinies is an app-driven board game for 1-3 players. At the beginning of each scenario, players choose a character they will control. During the game, players choose one of their character’s destinies to attempt to complete. Destinies uses an app to allow exploration and interaction with the environment. It can be played as stand-alone scenarios but it is highly recommended that gamers play the game through its campaign mode to get the most immersive and engaging experience the game has to offer.
4 Mage Knight Is A Tabletop Gaming Legend
Mage Knight is a complicated game that has been beloved ever since it was first released. The game is legendary, particularly with solo gamers, as many feel it is the best solo game ever made. However, the game can also be played with multiple players and many gamers do enjoy playing it that way. Players will take on the role of an adventurer as they make their way through the land and overcome the troubles they encounter. Mage Knight also has multiple expansions and an ultimate edition.
3 Eldritch Horror Is Globe-Trotting, Monster-Fighting Excellence
In Eldritch Horror, players take on the role of investigators as they attempt to keep an elder god from awakening and destroying the world. Throughout the game, players will perform actions and tests to fight monsters, collect powerful items, and unfold the mysteries that lie before them. Eldritch Horror has many different ways to interact with the story which comes through with the encounter cards. There are all sorts of encounters players will have from loan sharks coming to get them to Cthulhu breathing down their neck.
2 Gloomhaven Is A Tabletop Phenomenon
Gloomhaven exploded onto the tabletop scene, taking it by storm. The game promised everything and the kitchen sink and it delivered. In the game, players take on the role of extremely unique character classes, each with their own deck of cards and stats.
The gameplay is very strategic set in an unconventional fantasy world unlike most things out there. Gloomhaven has been so popular that its sequel raised just shy of 13 million dollars on Kickstarter. It also has a smaller, more accessible version available at Target stores.
1 Descent Is As Classic As It Gets
When it comes to tabletop dungeon crawls, it is hard to beat Descent: Journeys in the Dark (First Edition). When the game was first released in 2005, it blew players away. It is massive, both physically and gameplay-wise, as each scenario takes anywhere from 4-8 hours to play. Descent was so popular that there were also six expansions. Two of the expansions are full-blown RPG campaigns that add over a hundred hours to the game. Many gamers feel that a lot of modern dungeon crawls can trace their roots back to Descent.
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About The Author
Marc Musso (34 Articles Published)
Marc Musso is a writer, board game enthusiast, and aspiring board game designer based in Dallas, TX. He posts pictures and reviews of board games on his Instagram at @MarcMusso He has been a semi-professional game reviewer, a miniature-painting Etsy seller, an amateur musician, and is now a list writer for CBR.com. Marc loses most board games because he’s usually too distracted by the quality of the cards. His favorite games include Everdell, Gloomhaven, and Dungeon Fighter.
