Dungeons & Dragons: Castle Ravenloft Board Game Review

I just played through my first game of the Dungeons & Dragons: Castle Ravenloft board game, and I can confirm your suspicions:

It’s full of awesome.

Now, I was never a huge Ravenloft fan. I like the concept, to be sure: a D&D campaign with a horror twist is intriguing. However, an entire D&D campaign designed around the principle of mere survival always sounded a bit less than fun. It was fine for the occasional one-shot, but not so much for an ongoing game. I always imagined it would wear on you after a bit.

That’s probably part of the reason I like this game. It’s self-contained, can be played occasionally and in just about an hour. Ravenloft is a wonderful setting for an afternoon, if not an entire campaign.

Here are some of the things that I really like about this game:

• You can play Dungeons & Dragons: Castle Ravenloft board game solo. You can play with up to 5 players, but there are a number of scenarios that allow you to play as a single character. For those boring Saturday afternoons when the kids are outside playing and Angie’s canning spaghetti sauce, it’s a wonderful distraction.
• This game very much emulates the spirit and feel of Dungeons & Dragons. Playing this game is very much like a fast-paced version of D&D. No, it’s not the full game, but it doesn’t require a 4-6 hour commitment either. It’s a great substitute when you’ve got an hour or two.
• Like the new D&D Starter Set, it is a wonderful intro to the Dungeons & Dragons game. Many of the basic ideas in D&D – things like movement, hit points and powers – are all capsulized in this box.
• The interlocking dungeon tiles keep the board stable. Unlike the D&D Dungeon Tiles, these tiles aren’t getting continually knocked out of place. Wizards should consider this model with their traditional tiles.
• This game makes for a unique experience every time. Even if you’re playing the same scenario, you can’t ever count on facing the same creatures or wandering the same floor plan.
• The rules are clear and concise. One thing that worried me was that this would be another Descent or Axis & Allies situation where you spend a couple of days learning the rules ahead of time. Not so. Even without familiarity with D&D, you could probably pick up the rules in an hour or two by playing the introductory solo scenario.

My list of complaints about this game is much shorter:

• Painted minis would have been nice. I get that it would likely put the cost of the game well over $100, making it a breaking point for many folks. I am considering the possibility of collecting regular D&D minis to populate the game to add an extra feel of coolness.
• I’m not sold on the cooperative nature of the game. D&D is, in many ways, a cooperative game, but there’s room for competition. It might be nice to see some of those elements replicated in the game.

Here’s a look at what you get in the box:

And, if you have the time and interest, here’s Mike Mearls going through the box and its contents:

Bottom line? The Dungeons & Dragons: Castle Ravenloft board game makes a wicked-cool Christmas gift for yourself or your favorite D&D geek.