Is Descent: Journeys in the Dark (2nd ed) For Me?

For whatever reason, I've been seeing a number of posts in different boardgame groups about whether someone should get into or try out Descent: Journeys in the Dark. Now, I'm a fan, so this isn't really a review. I am going to talk quite a bit about the game, so if this somehow helps you decide that the game is for you (or not your cup of tea) then great! I'll try and tell you what it is (and what I don't think it is) and why I enjoy it. I'm also going to use this as an excuse to show off my set of painted figures...

First off (since I already mentioned it), there are a lot of models/figures in the game. What you see above are all of the monster figures and all of the heroes that come in just the base game (as also mentioned, the above figures have all been painted by yours truly - if you buy the game, they come unpainted). Nine sets of monsters and eight different heroes come packed into the original set. And for those that want more, there is a LOT more. There are small expansions and large expansions. There are expansions that are nothing more than additional monsters and heroes to add more variety to whatever you currently own. Some monsters and heroes sets are more interesting than others (which is of course, subjective). But with the ENORMOUS library of expansions to choose from, you should be able to find something you like.

Assuming of course that what you are looking for is a fantasy dungeon crawler. Descent is exactly that - a fantasy based game set in FFG's Runebound universe of heroes and monsters. A scenario is setup (either for one simple session, or as part of a longer campaign of linked scenarios) and played and typically takes a couple minutes to setup (and tear down), and then will take roughly 90 minutes to play. Sometimes it might be faster, sometimes it can take longer, but this is a reasonable ballpark (this is considerably different from the first edition of the game, where scenarios were a multi-hour affair). Some scenarios have one team racing to get past the other side, some are target specific (keep this guy alive or knock that guy out kind of deals). Some are just stay alive long enough to claim victory.

As with many games of this style, combat and skill checks are done with dice. Descent has a number of custom 6-sided dice in various colors and depending on your skills, bonuses, and equipment, you roll a number of whatever dice you are supposed to roll to determine the outcome. If that sounds like every other dungeon crawler game you've ever played, well, Descent doesn't try to be something different, it just tries to do what it does really well - provide you with variety.

Let's start with the heroes. There are essentially 4 major archetypes (fighter, mage, thief, and healer to phrase it in a way most folks with any fantasy experience will understand). After selecting a character, you receive a card with that character's stats. Then you select their "class". Each archetype has a variety of "classes". Each class is a set of cards. The cards have some starting equipment as well  as set of skills and upgrades that can enhance your character as they earn experience (which can happen in some scenarios, but more often between scenarios in an ongoing campaign). The base set comes with a few classes for each type and the big and small box expansions have more types as well. One particular character can play quite differently depending on the class you choose as well as what upgrades you take.

But wait, how does it play? Well, the original, traditional version of the game is one (the Overlord) vs many (the heroes). And to keep it interesting for the Overlord, the Overlord also picks a class from the bad guy stuff. Their set of cards allow you abilities to thwart the heroes in a variety of different ways (which I can't describe, because I NEVER play this way). The Overlord also gains experience, so the "growth" happens for both sides. Each side takes turns - the heroes trying to thwart the Overlord, and vice-versa until one side achieves the scenario goal.

Wait, I never play that way, so how do I play? A few years back, FFG introduces an app (available on mobile/tablet devices as well as Mac/Windows machines) called Road to Legend. Road to Legend automates the Overlord side, making the game a co-op/solo game. You tell the app which expansions you own, and it provides a number of different campaigns for you to play through which incorporate your materials. And for those that don't have time (nor desire) to play multiple scenarios, the game has an option called The Delve, which is a randomly generated dungeon crawl. No real story, just a set of rooms strung together with monsters and traps to work through/around.

And if you are thinking the app replaces the game, it does not. It is nothing more than AI for your monster encounters and some additional story guiding. You still have to have the game and all of its glorious cards, counters, and bits to play the game.

What else might be interesting about the game? Well, during and after a scenario, your standard dungeon crawl stuff happens - which is to say that sometime you find stuff (equipment) and sometime you can visit a village store and find upgraded weapons and armor (and other fun stuff) for your characters. So not only do you expand your character's skill sets, but their equipment. And is there stacks of equipment... One thing FFG likes to do is print cards for their games, and Descent is no slouch. You'll find stacks of equipment cards in two sets (one is a little more advanced than the other and is meant for later on in a full campaign). There are also travel cards, which provide a little bit of extra flavor to the game and provide a story for getting from point A to point B.

So there you go. Is Descent for you? Well...

• Do you want a game with lots of variety (even if I only ever own the base game)? - yes, there is a good bit of variety even if you just have the base set. You can replay the same adventures with different characters and different skills and experience different monsters as well.
• Does it ever feel like the same thing? Sure, sometimes it does. If you only have the base game, it will eventually start to feel similar, even with different hero combinations and monsters, but if you get a little bit more (and that is a damn slippery slope, I know) - the variety amps up a lot.
• Do you have to play with a DM/bad guy/Overlord? Nope. The Road to Legend app is FREE and  while there is some in app content you can pay for, there is plenty that is free (seriously, a good amount to use is free).
• Do you have to use the Road to Legend app to play? Not all all, in fact, you don't have to use the app to play solo either. To play co-op or solo without the app, you have a couple of options. There are a couple of really good solo systems the community has built like RAMV. There are also a couple of Print on Demand co-op scenarios from FFG that more or less give you almost the same experience as the Road to Legend app, but in card form.
• Is there a strong story here? Strong? No. The narrative is a lot more loose. I mean, the campaigns have some overarching story, but to be honest, the story is not tight. You get a couple of paragraphs that setup each scenario (and how it ties to what you are about to do) and one or two more at the end of each. The gaps are left up to your imagination.
• Does this have a role playing (D&D) kind of vibe? Not so much. It is a tactical fantasy game of heroes vs monsters. It is a dungeon crawl with a loose story as fluff between scenarios.
• I've played Warhammer Quest - is this like that? Yes, but WAY WAY MORE. WHQ basically felt like the same thing every single quest. Same monsters, same hallways, same heroes. This is WHQ on steroids with a couple double espressos.
• Do I have to get expansions? Nope, the game is good out of the box, it just gets more interesting each time you add more. 
• Do you need it all? Nope, at a certain point, there are diminishing returns. If you play a lot, you'll want the added variety, but if you don't, you can be plenty happy with the base set and maybe one or two expansions.

I hope that helps. If you are interested in seeing all the stuff I've painted so far, check out some of my previous posts over the last couple years and see my list here.

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