They just remade Hero Quest with expansions. It plays like the old system only now you can use app to be the dungeon master so you can play solo.
One of my favorite games as well however runebound ranks pretty high on my favorite RPG board game.
1 Like
I agree with this whole-heartedly. Eldritch Horror has great theme and tone - and dice! The Investigators can give players a chance to really get into character if they wish.
1 Like
SPI’s John Carter was similar with individual combat/adventures and a couple scaled up levels of warfare. I wouldn’t recommend it to someone today, but I still have it. As huge ERB fan when I was a kid, I thought it was the greatest thing ever!
3 Likes
FASA’s Crimson Skies uses a similar pilot advancement mechanic with options that give each pilot some personality and style. I really like it, and it adapts well to narrative campaigns with some RPG flair. The awesome setting and cast of villains doesn’t hurt either!
Newer games like X-Wing and BSG Battles have adapted decks of unique pilot cards and upgrades to achieve a similar effect, but I find players aren’t as invested in those as they are in their own daring pilot creations.
1 Like
Certainly hard to recommend them usually unless doing a nostalgic trip. There’s a few I’ve upgraded because the game is near and dear to me. Russian Civil War by SPI I made into a 6’ by 4’ board game.
But there’s really no wargame quite like it. I find it humorous how almost in every game Stalin is without fail the first to be assassinated.
These games aren’t bad but we’ve had 40-50 years of game design advancements that can make some of them really long in the tooth for sure.
2 Likes
I’ve been really enjoying Gloomhaven. Honestly, it’s less linear than any of the modules D&D has put out in the last eight years, since you occasionally have an actual choice about where to go and what to do. I’m not sure what it is you dislike about the combat, so I can’t directly address that, but I find it at least as engaging as any number of tabletop RPGs, and more than most. You know, since most RPG combat only has meaningful choices before the fight starts, then once you’re there, you just do the thing in the pre-established optimal order. A simple thing like locking in your actions before you see what anyone is doing means you have to think on your feet a lot more.
The Runebound series has been pretty awesome. That and old school Talisman are my faves.
You could argue that Diplomacy has role-playing elements.
and friendship-ending elements as well. 
We have a monthly board-game group with a guy who touts diplomacy. It sounded a little like a more in-depth version of RISK.
To be fair, I don’t own it. My 5e DM owns it and when we set it up it took over 30 min and the first “dungeon” wasn’t all that long. We got through that one okay but it wasn’t a breeze. The next one took about 2 tries. The third one just seemed too tough to even enjoy it. We didn’t try to nerf it but maybe we’re doing something incorrectly. How far along in it are you? Maybe we should try it some more. I don’t think he’ll play it again but if I offer to paint the minis he’ll likely let me borrow it.
This looks terrific. I’m amazed at what folks can design. We have a guy at our monthly board-game group who created a game called Parliament (i think) which takes place in the Victorian era. There’s a set number of turns and the goal is to finish as Prime Minister. It was very fun but there was no point in being a “moderate”. Being a partisan netted the most points, but it was very polarizing.
1 Like
Yeah, it takes a while to get it set up, for sure. It’s not unique in the world of boardgames that way, but it’s definitely on the longer side of the curve in that area. We’re about ten sessions in, I think, and while we haven’t lost any yet, there have been a number of close calls. I will say that one of the difficulty sliders is which characters you bring, and the game doesn’t do anything to warn you about this beforehand. Classes like the Spellweaver and Mindthief are powerful if you know what you’re doing with them, but they are a lot harder to play well than the Brute or Cragheart.
I’ll also point out here it falls into a similar category as roguelikes and Soulslikes in video games: the difficulty is part of the attraction.And not just difficulty in general, but a specific type of difficulty. The game is pretty unforgiving, and early mistakes can wreck your whole run. Especially with movement. Due to the way movement works, and the built-in time limit, if you’re not always moving towards the goal, you can make the scenario unwinnable long before you’re aware that it’s unwinnable. Aggressive play and always moving forward is absolutely mandatory.
1 Like
I get more “role play” out of the Sheriff of Knottingham than I do D&D 5e. It’s a fun liars game where you have to convince the Sheriff of Knottingham that you are being honest about the goods you are taking into the city. Lots of lying, stupid voices, bad Shakespearian accents, and mind games.
3 Likes
Sheriff of Nottingham is a great party game. I took it to a gathering of non-gamer friends, including a couple with a 10-year-old kid. You should have seen his eyes light up as it clicked with him what the game was really all about – getting to lie to his parents’ faces and see if he could get away with it! 
1 Like
Maybe I’ll give it another try. It’s encouraging that you’re 10 sessions into it.
I just saw Sheriff of Nottingham at Barns and Noble tonight. I might have to get that.
1 Like
I was a bit worried we were teaching my friends 12 year old to be a better liar, but they were convinced they could still read her poker face. 
2 Likes
Talisman is the only one on my game shelf. I have one of the expansions for it which changes the game significantly. Similar to how Settlers of Catan is way different with a few of the expansions in play.
1 Like
I’m a Talisman fan too. A little long with 6 people but fun. Must be great to have the expansions.