I won't attempt to review this game in total, or go over the rules, as this has been done effectively many times before. I wanted to review it, however, as an experience for playing with young children.
Summary - 5/5
I have 2 kids, one 4 one 6.5. This game is excellent for introducing children 6+ to gaming concepts, and enjoying some quality time together. I would not recommend it as a first game, but once your kids have some basic ideas of gameplay, its cooperative nature offers a perfect blend of progressively independent action and bonding.
Theme and appeal - 5/5
The theme and appeal of the game is obvious. By the age of 3 or 4 most children will have been bombarded with a variety of fantasy narratives, and enjoy them. Spooky dungeons. Scary dragons. Heroic knights. While some parents may be concerned at the idea of crawling through caves and killing monsters, my personal view is that this comes very naturally to kids these days, and is in fact quite empowering - see a monster, whammo! blast it with a magic wand.
This game creates a very tactile upfront experience of the things they have seen on TV or in story books. The little miniatures are very appealing, both to my 3 (almost 4) year old girl, and to my 6.5 year old son.
Is it kid proof - 3/5
This game is sturdy and durable. You will, however, need to keep a close eye on all the bits, which can be easily lost if not kept in themed baggies, and without very clear 'putting away when used' rules.
The miniatures can probably take some abuse, but also need some care as there are bits that could be snapped off. You will also need to be disciplined with the cards. When my son gets excited, he waves his arms and is sometimes tempted to squish them inside his hands.
Assuming you play on the floor (which I do) you may also need to make clear no walking or rolling over the board rules...
Can a 6/7 year old contribute meaningfully, and feel fulfilled? - 4/5
Most certainly, but with guidance. Even a three year old can choose which corner of a new tile to explore, and count out spaces (although it helps if they have learned space counting in other games first). A 6/7 year old can choose which powers they want to use, although may need some tactical/strategic guidance.
I found the game offered plenty to make my son feel very fulfilled playing the game. We died in our first adventure, but despite this setback he was delighted to recall some of his more heroic moments, and how if we had only done this or that we might just have made it.
Can Dad enjoy it while playing with the kids? - 5/5
Certainly he can. One way to view it is as solo plus, in which you still may have to make a majority of the strategic decisions - which (despite some complaints about the game being too easy) are not always simple - but you also get the pleasure in sharing the experience with others.
You can also use the game to practice your story telling skills to a sometimes quite demanding audience!
Is it educational? - 5/5
OK, let's be clear up front that this is not going to enhance your child's understanding of world geography, or the way plants grow. It is fantasy.
But first up, I consider fantasy to be an important part of human culture, and one of the shared experiences that bind society together.
Beyond that, the game teaches social play. Teamwork. Tactical and strategic decision making. Logic. (If-then, if not-then something else). Basic AI. Planning. It encourages reading, and thinking about maths and probability. It teaches rule systems, and how to best use them to your advantage. What's not to love about this, especially in an era of electronic solitude?
Is it easy to learn/teach? - 4/5
Again, this puts a certain amount of onus on the parent. I highly doubt your 6.5 year old will be able to read and understand the rules without guidance.
I made the mistake of trying a first game without understanding everything myself, and my poor son was stuck watching me sweat my way through the rules (as can be seen from another posting I made). It might be a good idea to do a solo run first.
But once you get the basic concepts (how monsters move!), it comes quite easily. Yes, you do need to explain how the powers work. How the exploration works. How the monsters work. It is a lot to absorb at first.
But if your kid is interested, they will pay attention, and it can be revealed progressively through gameplay.
I am also amazed how much space a 6/7 year old has in his/her brain to absorb new rules... more than once I've opened an old card game and asked - hmm, how many do we deal to start? - only to have my son answer for me...
Does it play out reasonably quickly? - 4/5
I am assuming, with this score, that you know that you are in for a substantial game. i.e. This is not a ten minute frisson. The question is whether it can keep a kid's attention or not.
In my first game, I found myself wishing it would take a little less time. Not a lot less, but right at the end - when it went past bedtime, and was starting to drag a little.
That said, the denouement came roughly about the time I expected, and my son's attention was pretty gripped (allowing for a couple of short breaks). And there would be no harm in tweaking the game a bit... one or two fewer tiles, perhaps, before the final boss, could be one approach.
Is it fun? - 5/5
Yes! Its theme, fairly simple gameplay, and balance of achievement and challenge works well for kids. Everyone loves receiving a treasure. Everyone hates getting a nasty encounter.
Great game. And given it is a system more than a game, with a lot of variety, I hope to be playing this for quite some time.
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This game is a hack and slash dungeon crawler
I have really gotten into solo gaming the last year and I have been looking for a good D&D type game. The Legend of Drizzt does not create an immersive RPG environment but it does a decent job of capturing a D&D feel. This game is a hack and slash dungeon crawler. I have enjoyed the best playing solo; I found playing it with multiple people was a little tedious as the turns dragged on. I think a dungeon crawler should be fast-paced and the best way to accomplish that is to play solo. Still, it is a nice introduction to the D&D world for my kids and it is a step up from Dungeon the board game. We have the newer version of Dungeon which has Forgotten Realms characters. My son enjoyed seeing these characters in this game.The miniatures are very good. I only occasionally paint minis, but I am looking forward to painting these. I enjoy the Drizzt books so playing through the scenarios as they loosely follow the books is fun. Also, playing as Jarlaxle is pretty cool.This is the first game I have picked up in this series. I plan on getting more for sure.
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- Reviewed in the United States on May 21, 2012
- Reviewed in the United States on July 23, 2012
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Top reviews from other countries
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Información fraudulenta en la imagen ponen 4 pilas y solo son 2Reviewed in Mexico on December 11, 2024
Exelente producto
- ShelbyReviewed in Canada on January 19, 2023
Fantastic alternative to traditional D&D
- arunReviewed in India on February 20, 2017
One must try this board game without fail.
- Rodney SloanReviewed in Japan on December 14, 2012
Oh Yeah!
I love this game so much! In fact, this is THE GAME for me. I've been looking for something I can play solo or with friends and this game delivers.Rodney SloanOh Yeah!
Reviewed in Japan on December 14, 2012
You can read about my first thoughts of the game here: [...]
Buy this game if you are:
A fan of Drizzt
A fan of Dungeons and Dragons (the RPG, the Forgotten Realms setting or the Miniatures Game)
Want to play solo or in a group of up to five people.
Love miniatures, fantasy and dungeon crawls.
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