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If you've always wanted to get into tabletop RPGs but aren't sure where to start, the gods have smiled upon you with a new Dungeons & Dragons board game. Called D&D Adventure Begins, it's a co-op experience with character customization, iconic monsters, and a variety of bosses to choose from. It'll cost $24.99 / £27.99 and launches on October 1, 2020.
Following the announcement of a new campaign (Icewind Dale: Rime of the Frostmaiden) and the return of an old favorite (Curse of Strahd Revamped), this particular Dungeons & Dragons board game is designed as an entry-point to the world of D&D. It also adds in different character personalities to choose from, a range of attacks to use, items to collect, and choices to make as a group. Because D&D Adventure Begins gives everyone a chance to act as the Dungeon Master - the person 'running' the story, in this case by reading instructions on a card - it's a whistle-stop tour of the full tabletop RPG's mechanics.
What's more, it gives classic monsters a chance to shine. Each boss in D&D Adventure Begins is inspired by some of the game's most memorable creatures (including the Beholder, which is essentially a bundle of eyes on a floating mouth). They all have a different set of challenges you'll need to overcome to reach them, and that makes each session different.
Thanks to a friendly, approachable art style, this Dungeons & Dragons board game might be a good choice as a board game for kids or if you want to introduce family-members to D&D. It seems much more accessible than other D&D games like Lords of Waterdeep or adventures inspired by it (like Gloomhaven, for instance). Although these are some of the best board games around, they're complicated enough to scare off a lot of folks. D&D Adventure Begins seems ready to address that.
You can pre-order the game below. And if you're ready to start learning how to play D&D online, head over to our dedicated guide. Alternatively, check out our accessible write-up on how to start playing D&D.
D&D Adventure Begins pre-order
Will it become one of the best cooperative board games? We'll have to see when it launches October 1, I guess. Until then, be sure to check in with the best tabletop RPGs to find out what you've been missing.
