Flashback Friday - DungeonQuest
Love it or hate it? Do you still play it?
You don't play DungeonQuest. DungeonQuest plays you.
DungeonQuest was oringinally published in 1987. This push-your-luck dungeon crawl with player elimination is classic old school Ameritrash gaming. Players explore the ruins of Dragonfire Castle, trying to find the treasure chamber and escape the castle with as much treasure as possible. According to the instructions, you have approximatley a 15% chance of getting out alive. It is possible to be eliminated on your first turn.
Some gamers call DungeonQuest an activity not a game. Others call it silly fun. What do you think?
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The first FFG reprint was of course a massive whiff. The revised edition was such a tremendous improvement and really kind of represents the best version of the game despite not having the classic art and shaped cards.
While wandering endlessly and never getting anywhere might be funny, it's not fun. Falling into spikes on the first turn is funny, but again, not fun. It felt like it would be more appropriate as a solitary video game.
I wonder if it's the same people who swear up and down that Co-ops are not puzzles?
I like Dungeonquest well enough. I have Pete's old copy and use RPS to resolve combats. No need for the bullshit convoluted card system FFG implanted into the game in order to cater to the BGG crowd who the industry thinks areneasily duped into believing complexity for it's own sake make a thing better.
Ah_Pook wrote: Would love to get the expansions for it but they're prohibitively expensive.
The latest FFG edition has most of the best stuff from the expansions. It even improved the rather dull catacombs. You could just get that.
Otherwise, I can't really improve on what MB said. It captures everything that's great about a dungeon crawl - the danger, the monsters, the exploration, the uncertainty, the treasure - into a neat hour-long package.
I can totally see why some folk don't like it. The original had zero meaningful decisions to make. The current - and best - FFG edition has so few that playing can feel like hanging from a precipice by your fingernails. But those folk are wrong. Every card and tile is a thrill, every game a journey. We have a faux scroll in our box on which we record the best scores and the best death stories. Often both.
MB is wrong on one thing: the odd-shaped cards are a pain in the arse and the square cut ones in the current edition are way better.
Still doubt its quality? I'll just leave this here:
therewillbe.games/articles-rants-a-raves...ballad-of-sir-roland
Draws card.
Spike Trap. Dies.
Other player: "Hey, that's rough. We're going to keep going and it will probably last for another hour or so. I know you came over to play games with us, but... Well, the TV is over there."
is a hard pass. I'm fine with player elimination games. (Wiz-War is one of the greatest ever.) I love dungeon crawls. I've enjoyed the vast majority of what GW and later FFG have released over the years, but DQ was never a good idea. It was GW's "life and dice are random!" approach to the nth degree that a lot of people remember through rose-colored glasses because it was their first real exposure to high fantasy gaming, instead of Milton Bradley or other more mainstream fare. I prefer games where everyone who came over to play gets to do so for more than a few minutes. In principle, the timed escape and push your luck aspects are great. In execution, they rarely were. The only reason I'd own a copy today is for the characters to play Runebound with.
hotseatgames wrote: It felt like it would be more appropriate as a solitary video game.
I think you're right about that, since there isn't any meaningful player interaction at least.
I think it would be more agreeable as a game if it had take that type of card action than drawing a tile and disallowing any sense of agency through player interaction.
My last game I was clearly winning and got greedy in the Dragon's chamber and died because of a lousy die roll. Fact is I can remember something about every single time I've played this game. It always tells a great story. Barnes is going to be telling about the time he died in a pit on the first turn till he dies.
(FWIW we play with the dice-based combat variant rather than the RPS combat cards, and no one is allowed out until they've stolen from the dragon's treasure first)
1) Anytime you die you can respawn at any entrance point. (new character optional)
2) Put a piece of paper and pencil in the box to track everyone's high scores.
Octavian wrote: My boy is 9, turning 10. DungeonQuest is BY FAR his favorite. The game he is always excited to show new people. We love the stories (mostly tragic) that develop each game.
(FWIW we play with the dice-based combat variant rather than the RPS combat cards, and no one is allowed out until they've stolen from the dragon's treasure first)
My son's the same age and this article really has me wanting to play some DQ with him. Anyone here have a FFG revised edition they'd be willing to part with?
We allow players to leave anytime after getting treasure, but only those who survive the dragon's lair get to sign the box.
jay718 wrote:
Octavian wrote: My boy is 9, turning 10. DungeonQuest is BY FAR his favorite. The game he is always excited to show new people. We love the stories (mostly tragic) that develop each game.
(FWIW we play with the dice-based combat variant rather than the RPS combat cards, and no one is allowed out until they've stolen from the dragon's treasure first)
My son's the same age and this article really has me wanting to play some DQ with him. Anyone here have a FFG revised edition they'd be willing to part with?
I honestly don't think you need the revised edition if you're interested in the game.
The combat cards (or whatever they're called, I don't know since I absolutely never use them) in the original FFG printing can be left in the box, or better yet, just thrown in the trash.
A simple round of RPS is all that is required to resolve combat, and is the only necessary change that need to be made to that printing.
Don't let a good deal pass you by if you can find it, simply because it isn't the revised edition.
Also, this:
www.fantasyflightgames.com/en/news/2014/...-dragonfire-dungeon/
[Edit #2] For the longest time, the revised edition was in the "Upcoming" section of the FFG website as "Awaiting Reprint". Such an entry no longer exists. This should make more people give the original FFG print more consideration when looking for a deal. You really aren't missing out on much, if anything at all. Especially since you can upgrade your copy with the materials in the link above.
Importantly, the few expansions it had did not expand the playing time beyond what was acceptable for a game of this type. (I'm looking at you Talisman.)