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Board Games and TCGs, video game reviews

What Lies Beneath is the most fun I’ve ever had with a Choose-your-own adventure book! Go back it on Kickstarter

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I was sent an early copy of What Lies Beneath, and while I am very grateful for the opportunity, this will be my honest review. If you enjoy these reviews, make sure you like, comment, follow, and share them with your friends. 

What Lies Beneath is a choose-your-own-adventure game with unique skill checks and a fun story. The game will be available in an interactive PDF and Printed Book format when the Kickstarter is fully funded. I got to try the interactive PDF, but there shouldn’t be a difference between versions other than the satisfying tactile experience the book provides. 

The PDF is great! Choices are hyperlinked, and navigating through the adventure is easy. Having to look for items in the appendix was a bit of a hassle, but it’s not a deal breaker. It only made me want the book more for the ease of flipping to the back when I picked up a new item. Keep in mind that you do get both versions if you are back at the book level. 

Players start each run by rolling to choose from the available classes: Bard, Berserker, Druid, Rogue, Warrior, and Wizard. You roll two dice and choose between the results. This gives the game a bit of randomness without taking away a player’s choice. Each class has unique stats that affect the many skill checks made throughout the adventure. 

Skill checks are easy to learn and make the game unique and engaging. While a wrong decision will kill you, your fate rests on the result of these skill checks. Some skill checks are simple rolls with modifiers, but others, like the Dex Checks, are a fun little mini-game that makes the adventure very interactive. You can use the alternate rules to make your checks rolls, but I recommend you play the game as written first. 

What I love most about this adventure is how quickly it is to get set up. All you need to get started is to grab your materials, open your book to the first page, and get rolling. The game teaches players new mechanics as they are needed, with clear and easy-to-follow instructions. I can’t stress how easy this game is to pick up, even if you’ve never played a board game. 

I loved every minute of this adventure. It took a couple of tries to make it to a good ending, but it was a very satisfying journey. The skill checks definitely kept the game from growing stale and repetitive. It is inevitable to run into the same encounters on multiple runs, but I never felt it was an issue. If you are a fan of the choose-your-own-adventure genre or simply want to pick up your first, go back What Lies Beneath on Kickstarter. It has a fun adventure, impressive mechanics, and some solid replayability. At the very least grab the free demo!

The Kickstarter is live until November 16th, so make sure you go back to it. You can pick up the print-and-play version for backing at the $6 tier, which is a fantastic deal. For those needing something more tactile, the book is available at the $12 tier. While you’re there, might as well back the whole project. For $50 you get a very nice update to the deck-builder dungeon-crawler, Dungeon Maker Deluxe, and the PNP version of What Lies Beneath. I haven’t played Dungeon Maker Deluxe, but it looks like a ton of fun, especially with a group of people. There are rules for solo play available. Go back the Kickstarter!

Board Games and TCGs, gaming news

Two unique dungeon-crawlers from Fervent Workshop are hitting Kickstarter on October 16

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Fervent Workshop is launching two unique games in their upcoming Kickstarter that you should look at if you like choose-your-own-adventure books, deck builders, dungeon crawlers, or Dungeons & Dragons. The campaign starts on October 16 and will feature the games What Lies Below and Dungeon Maker Deluxe. This will be a short campaign, so go back early. 

I play a lot of One Deck Dungeon, so when I saw the campaign for What Lies Below, I knew I needed to try it. This is a solo game where players dive through an immersive story-driven experience where danger is real, death is permanent, and your decisions matter. All you need to play this game is a pencil, a character sheet, and some luck. The game features unique skill checks, 14-win conditions, and many ways to die. Do you have what it takes to make it through once?

The game comes in two editions: Print-and-Play and bound printed book. The PNP version of What Lies Below includes an interactive PDF and a printable character sheet to get you started. Those who prefer physical media and have shelf space should opt for the book because you get both versions. Early backers will get an exclusive reusable dry-erase character sheet to use on their adventures. Most importantly, the Kickstarter will have a free sample of the game available for download. Make sure you grab your copy and try it out. If you like D&D and dungeon crawlers, you need to look into What Lies Below. I’ve got an early copy of the game and will post my impressions as soon as I get a few runs in. Stay tuned for that.

The second game making its debut is the dry-erase edition of Dungeon Maker Deluxe, which is an update to the existing Print-and-Play edition. Dungeon Maker Deluxe is a dungeon-crawler deck-builder that supports up to six players, with an option for solo play. Players draft from a deck of monsters and use them to fill the rooms and fortify their dungeons to keep out pesky adventurers. With all the possible combinations of dungeons, characters, abilities, and monsters, you are always guaranteed a unique delving experience. Do you have what it takes to stump your friends?

This game looks like a lot of fun, especially in a large group. I don’t have friends to play with, so I appreciate the solo play option. Dungeon Maker Deluxe combines all my favorite formats in one. If you like games like 7 Wonders or Tapestry, then you need to look into this Kickstarter. This update will include 36 unique cards (versus the 18 in the original), streamlined gameplay, new character art, and the dry-erase sheets.

If you want to see how these games are played, Board Games for One made a great video showcasing both. He gives a clear and easy-to-follow explanation of how to play the games and runs through a few scenarios to provide a solid preview of what to expect. Go check it out, and make sure you follow the Kickstarter. The campaign starts on October 16. 

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video game reviews

Unveiling Dragonbane: A Swedish RPG Gem with Stunning Art

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I’ve been playing  Dungeons and Dragons for a couple of years as a player and a DM and have enjoyed every minute. I have made some great new friends, and I look forward to hanging out with them every week. That said, there have been times in my D&D career when burnout has gotten to me. This burnout has made me curious about other systems. Sometimes just I want to live in a new system for a session or three to keep things fresh. Over the years, I’ve researched a few systems to sprinkle into our sessions. This time, my search brought me to the classic Swedish RPG Dragonbane. 

What first drew me to this system was the beautiful art style. If nothing else, you need to look up this system to appreciate the artwork. The system looks simple enough to pick up quickly, and it has an interesting parry/dodge mechanic that could make combat more interesting.

1 / 7

If you want to play Dragonbane, there is a free QuickStart guide you can download with the basic rules and even a short adventure you can run. You will not have to enter any payment information if you order it through the site, but the delivery does take a couple of minutes to get to you. I suggest you get a copy directly from Drivethrough RPG instead.

You can preorder the core set from the official site for $53.93. For this price, you’ll receive a copy of the rule book, an adventure book with 11 adventures, a set of dice, five pre-generated character sheets, five blank character sheets, a double-sided map, custom treasure cards, and cardboard standees for characters and monsters. People who preorder will also get immediate access to the PDF of the rulebook, so you can start playing immediately. The core set has everything you need to get you hooked for a very reasonable price. You can convert the pricing on the store page to your local currency but not the cart. A quick Google search should remedy this. They do ship to the US, but I am not sure about anywhere else. The shipping cost was reasonable if I did the conversion correctly.

Dragonbane looks to be a solid system if you are looking to get into a new TTRPG. I will be trying to get my players to join me on this adventure, will you be doing the same?

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