Descent: Journeys in the Dark

I've been sitting on top of Descent for some time, and just recently, Chri3 and I broke it out for a test drive. Over the holidays I picked up the expansion, Well of Darkness, thinking long term for a loose series of linked games, err, a campaign of sorts.

I had been reading up on the rules since I got the expansion, and although Chri3 had never played it, and I played it once years ago, the game went off without any major bumps or hitches. I could attempt the overview/review it, but there's many who have already done that, and with a more thorough job at that. Check out the Boardgame Geek page.

I will tell you it was fun, without a doubt, and I can see that once you get a single game under your belt, maybe two, you've got a good, fantasy romp with little prep and hours of adventure. My thinking, and why I picked up the expansion, was to run a campaign on the side with the group and go from there. It also works as a good pick up game, but not a filler game, 'cause a night of dungeoneering is just that, pretty much all night.

From what we saw and played, it looks promising indeed. Player mortality is a real threat, and there are tons of tactical options that become more in-depth (and fun) the more players you add. Using a campaign set, like Sea of Blood or Road to Legend, you can introduce all kinds of new mechanics into the game, such as overarching villains, half-sized dungeons, and most importantly in a campaign, a unifying narrative.



EDIT: Just today I picked up the Road to Legend campaign box at my FLGS on clearance for -50% off, thanks for the tip Chri3...