In case you haven't heard, there is a new D&D board game that just came out. And it is actually good. You can read more about it here:

http://www.boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/ ... board-game

My copy of Castle Ravenloft arrived today. So I punched out the tiles, read the rules, and gave it a go. I played the first mission, which is played solitaire (you against the game).

I've only played it once so far, but wow, that was fun! There was a lot of hype about this game, but judging from the first play through, it lived up to the hype and then some.

The game requires light strategic decision making, light to medium tactical decision making, and it is moderate to slightly heavy on the luck side. So basically, it is a fast, simple, "beer & pretzels" type of game. I can only imagine the fun I would've had if I had had this back in college with my ol' D&D buddies.

I was hoping to play a second game tonight, this time with my wife. However, she said the game smells too bad for her to play tonight. The freshly opened game puts out some serious fumes (I guess all those new plastic minis). After all that time punching the tiles, checking the extensive list of components, reading the rules, and playing the game, I need some fresh air, too. So I've put the game in another room to air out.

So if you are interested in a fast, fun, light but not completely mindless dungeon crawl experience, with 1 to 5 players (no DM required) this is definitely worth the price of admission. Although I'd recommend letting the game air out overnight before playing.

What did you think of the recommended age 12 & up?

(My little ones are 8-ish)

Sounds like fun, just wondering how long to wait to play with the family

No, that's kind of "normal" for large games, like Descent.

nyjastul69 wrote:
It's better when they're pre-painted.

Doesn't that make them less edible though..?  

We picked up a copy from Noble Knight.  I actually like it much better than Descent.  Just be sure to hold your breath when you open the box or you will inhale a poison vapor of death     I about gagged from the overpowering chemical smell    Wonder how many years of my life I lost?

davidc wrote:What did you think of the recommended age 12 & up?

(My little ones are 8-ish)

My older brother and his friends recruited me for their Basic D&D game when I was 7. So if I could play D&D at 7 (with a lot of help), then an 8 year-old can definitely play this board game with help.

The game is pretty simple. Only one person really needs to know how to play. That person can teach the rest of the group as they play.

If you were going to play this with your kids, I would first play that particular mission by yourself. Become familiar with the heroes and the powers they'll play. Then it should be easy to show them as y'all play.

misterspock wrote:Is it just me, or is that kind of a high price for a board game? It's in the $60 range on Amazon.

Actually I see now it's $45 on buy.com

I bought mine from coolstuffinc.com for $55 (included S&H). I think that was a good price for what I got. I'll definitely buying the expansions as they come out.

IMO, this game is the next dungeon crawl board game classic. Like HeroQuest and WarhammerQuest, I think this game will have a following years after it goes OOP.