Developing fantastical and imaginative characters, adventuring and exploring in a fantasy world, creating maps, rolling polyhedral dice in suspense, fighting enemies, discovering hidden treasures, and becoming engrossed in an evolving story with your friends in a shared experience around a table……………….
All this, and so much more, is what has attracted so many people to Dungeons & Dragons (D&D), the classic fantasy role-playing game (RPG), since it was originally created in 1974 by Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson.
Board games and RPGs like D&D share a common DNA; they bring people together to share an experience and to escape reality for a brief period of time. And with the rise in popularity of board gaming in recent years, there’s no surprise that the boundaries between RPGs and board games that may have once existed have now become increasingly blurred.
These days, many board games released borrow thematic and gameplay elements that D&D fans will find both familiar and innovative. With the incredibly diverse range of board games currently available, it can certainly be said that there is a board game out there for everyone.
For D&D adventurers who are looking for a board game that will evoke a similar feel or bring them to the familiar D&D world in a new way, or for someone who is trying to introduce a D&D fan into the board gaming hobby, let’s take a look at ten board games like Dungeons & Dragons that are likely to be a good fit depending on your personal preferences and current gaming group.
1. Lords of Waterdeep – A Classic Worker Placement Game Set in the D&D Universe
Welcome to Waterdeep, the City of Splendors. As a secret ruler of the city, you are looking to exert your influence, recruit adventurers to complete quests to advance your status, build city buildings, conspire against your adversaries, and ultimately become the most prosperous leader of this legendary city in the Forgotten Realms.
This is Lords of Waterdeep, a popular classic 2-5 player worker placement game designed by Peter Lee and Rodney Thompson.
| Game Type Fantasy, City Building, Card Drafting, Hidden Roles, Worker Placement | Play Time 60 - 120 mins | Skill/Complexity (2.5 - 5) Medium |
| Age 12+ | Publisher(s) Wizards of the Coast | Published 2012 |
| Categories Strategy | Players 2 - 5 (3 - 4 is perfect) | Cost $49.99 approx |
| Our Rating 8.4/10 |
In Lords of Waterdeep, players take turns placing agents on the board to perform various actions, and complete quests, on their behalf – all in attempt to gain the most victory points (VPs) by the end of eight rounds. At the beginning of the game, players receive hidden objectives which can gain them points at the end of the game, as well as intrigue cards that can provide certain benefits when played.
One unique aspect of Lords of Waterdeep is that when players purchase a building, they open up a new public action spot for all players to send their agent on future turns; however, when this happens, the building owner also receives a benefit listed on the building.
With relatively simple-to-grasp rules, and a good blend of luck and strategy, Lords of Waterdeep has become a staple in many hobby board gamers’ collections as an excellent middle-weight strategy game (with a weight rating of 2.46 on BoardGameGeek), and it’s perfectly suitable for both casual gamers and hobby gamers alike. Given its familiar thematic elements, Lords of Waterdeep could be a solid entry point for D&D players into the world of tabletop board games.
2. Tyrants of the Underdark – Leaders of Drow Houses Vie for Control
Tyrants of the Underdark is another game that features mechanisms that will be familiar to fans of euro-style games – including area control and deck building – but with a theme that fans of D&D will certainly appreciate as they take on the role of drow (dark elf) leaders as they fight for control of the Underdark.
| Game Type Fantasy, Area Majority, Deck Building | Play Time 60 Mins | Skill/Complexity (2.8 - 5) Medium |
| Age 14+ | Publisher(s) Gale Force Nine | Published 2016 |
| Categories Strategy | Players 2 - 4 (4 is perfect) | Cost $44.99 approx |
| Our Rating 8.8/10 |
In this game from the same designers of Lords of Waterdeep (Peter Lee and Rodney Thompson, plus Andrew Veen), 2-4 players attempt to earn the most victory points (VPs) by controlling important sites of the Underdark (like Menzoberranzan and Eryndlyn), killing enemy troops, acquiring cards (minions) to add to their deck which also provide ongoing abilities, and removing cards from their deck (promoting to their inner circle).
Tyrants of the Underdark is on the medium spectrum of complexity (with a weight rating of 2.59 on BoardGameGeek) and takes only about an hour to play, making it a potential good fit for a wide range of players.
Although the theme is tied to the D&D universe, people who have never played D&D before will likely still be able to enjoy and appreciate the game.
3. Dungeon Mayhem – A Quick 10-Minute Brawl
Sometimes it’s just plain fun to have a cutthroat brawl with your friends, dealing each other damage and trying to be the last hero standing – and Dungeon Mayhem is all about doing just that in a rapid-fire 10-minute card game.
| Game Type Card Game, Fantasy, Fighting , Player Elimination, Variable Player Powers | Play Time 10 Mins | Skill/Complexity (1 - 5) Light |
| Age 8+ | Publisher(s) Wizards of the Coast | Published 2018 |
| Categories Strategy / Family | Players 2 - 4 (4 is perfect) | Cost $10.99 approx |
| Our Rating 8.7/10 |
In Dungeon Mayhem, designed by Jordan Comar and Roscoe Wetlaufer, 2-4 adventurers take on the role of a barbarian, wizard, paladin, or rogue, and start the game with a unique character deck, a hit point tracker, and a starting hand of three cards. Then, on their turn, each player draws one card, plays cards from their hand (allowing them to do actions like attack another player, heal, defend, and draw additional cards), and then discards cards played. If a player’s hit point tracker ever reaches zero, then they have suffered a devastating defeat at the hands of their opponents, and are thus eliminated from the game. Play continues until just one hero remains.
With its ultra-short game length, simple rules, and light-hearted gameplay, Dungeon Mayhem could easily be taught to just about anyone. It could serve as a good quick game to start or end a game night, to play in between games, or even to play with friends over lunch at work.
4. Dragonfire – A Deep Cooperative Adventure
Adventuring, leveling-up characters, and overcoming enemies – in a familiar D&D setting, but in a cooperative card-driven board game with multiple adventures and expansions to create endless possibilities. If this sounds like your idea of a good time, then Dragonfire is definitely a game to put on your radar.
| Game Type Fantasy, Thematic, Card Drafting, Cooperative, Deck, Bag, and Pool Building, Legacy Game | Play Time 60 - 90 Mins | Skill/Complexity (3.7 - 5) Medium - Heavy |
| Age 13+ | Publisher(s) Catalyst Game Labs | Published 2017 |
| Categories Strategy | Players 2 - 6 (4 is perfect) | Cost $44.99 approx |
| Our Rating 8.7/10 |
In Dragonfire, 2-5 heroes take on the role of D&D classes and races, and begin the game with a certain level of Experience Points (XP) and a starting deck of cards.
Dragonfire is a fully cooperative game, meaning that players work together to defeat enemies on an adventure, and succeed or lose as a group. Each adventure is made up of several scenes, and each scene is full of encounters to overcome.
On a player’s turn, they can move locations, play cards from their hand in order to attack enemies, and then take damage from enemies facing them. Then, they draw two new cards, and can purchase cards from the market, provided they have the gold to do so. Players complete a scene, and move onto the next, once all encounters in the current scene been defeated. After struggling together to overcome everything thrown at them throughout the adventure, the group wins the game once they have completed the final scene.
Due to its strongly integrated theme, D&D fans who are willing to invest in learning the rules of this decently complex game, and commit to repeated plays, are likely to enjoy the experience that Dragonfire offers. For board gamers who have never played D&D, this could serve as an introduction to that world. However, this game would likely not be a good fit for a casual game night or a one-time play.
5. Assault of the Giants – Secure Your Place at the Top of Giantkind
After a breakdown of the ordning, the ancient caste system of giants, anything is possible for giantkind. No longer does the old hierarchy apply, and now of giants of all races fight to secure their place at the top – and each attempting to do so in a unique way because of differing belief systems of how giants achieve greatness.
| Game Type Fantasy, Miniatures, Action Retrieval, Dice Rolling, Card Drafting, Variable Player Powers | Play Time 60 - 150 Mins | Skill/Complexity (3.8 - 5) Medium - Heavy |
| Age 14+ | Publisher(s) WizKids | Published 2017 |
| Categories Strategy | Players 3 - 6 | Cost $69.99 approx |
| Our Rating 7.3/10 |
So grab a seat at the table, and prepare to lead your giant race to victory by waging war and pillaging villages in in Assault of the Giants, a conflict-driven game featuring both massive (60-90mm) and tiny (20mm) miniatures on a map.
In Assault of the Giants, designed by Andrew Parks, 3-6 giant leaders spend 60-150 minutes commanding armies of giants and wreaking havoc in northwest Faerûn.
At the start of the game, each player obtains a unique giant race, such as Storm Giants, Cloud Giants, Fire Giants, and Stone Giants, to name a few, each with asymmetric abilities and objectives. Players attempt to gain the most Ordning Points (OPs) by the end of the game by defeating enemies and completing event cards.
What makes Assault of the Giants unique is its clever use of actions and bonuses through card play; each of the eight command cards in a player’s hand provide both an action and a special cumulative bonus, depending on the number of cards they already have in play from previous turns. A player can only get their cards back into their hand by playing the Rest card, so timing and planning are key to efficiency.
Assault of the Giants has potential to be a hit with D&D fans due to the strong theme which is brought to life with enormous, high-quality miniatures and familiar locations from the Forgotten Realms.
Non-D&D gamers who enjoy highly thematic fantasy games could also enjoy the game, especially given its unique card play mechanism and asymmetric player abilities. Because the game is on the heavier side of medium, and also conflict intensive, it may not be a good fit for a gamers who are looking for something easy to learn, or who don’t enjoy large amounts of player interaction.
6. Betrayal at Baldur’s Gate – Who Will Be the Traitor?
Betrayal at Baldur’s Gate brings 3-5 adventurers together to attempt to save Baldur’s Gate from Bhaal, the god of murder, who has cast an evil shadow over the city.
But not all adventurers are capable of resisting Bhaal’s power and influence; in fact, at a point about halfway through the game, someone at the table becomes revealed as the evil traitor, whose drive to defeat the heroes cannot be stopped – or can it? Needless to say, Betrayal at Baldur’s Gate is a roller-coaster of suspense, containing laughter, anger, and possibly tears, all within the span of 60-90 minutes.
| Game Type Adventure, Exploration, Fantasy, Miniatures, Cooperative, Dice Rolling, Modular Board, Role Playing, Storytelling | Play Time 60 Mins | Skill/Complexity (2.4 - 5) Light - Medium |
| Age 12+ | Publisher(s) Avalon Hill Games and Others | Published 2017 |
| Categories Strategy | Players 3 - 6 | Cost $47.99 approx |
| Our Rating 8.2/10 |
Based heavily on the gameplay mechanisms found in Betrayal at House on the Hill, Betrayal at Baldur’s gate allows players to take on the role of unique characters, each with unique skills, and take turns exploring the streets, buildings, and catacombs of the city.
Upon discovering new areas of the board, players reveal new tiles to discover new items, as well as deal with horrific events and omens. An event in the game, called the Haunt, is triggered once certain game conditions have been met. At this point, the traitor and haunt scenario are determined by the location and omen card which triggered the haunt. With the traitor being equipped with the Traitor’s Tome guidebook, and the heroes being equipped with the Secrets of Survival, each side must work to complete their objective for the scenario. With fifty possible scenarios, the second half of the game is almost guaranteed to play out differently every time.
Because Betrayal at Baldur’s Gate is a game that lends itself well to easily “explaining the rules as you go along” as to avoid overwhelming new players, it’s a relatively easy game to get other players into and excited about. D&D fans will likely appreciate the references in this game, but any fan of horror movies or books will likely find fun in the game theme as well.
7. Rock Paper Wizard – Cast Spells with Hand Gestures
Everyone has played Rock Paper Scissors countless times, whether out of sheer boredom or to determine the winner (or loser) of something mundane, like household chores. But forget about that for a second, because Rock Paper Wizard manages to take the idea of this classic activity and dial it up to eleven by giving 3-6 wizards the chance cast D&D spells at one another in rage, fury, and passion as they fight to take home the biggest stake of cave treasure after defeating a dragon.
| Game Type Simultaneous Action Selection, Take That | Play Time 30 Mins | Skill/Complexity (1.4 - 5) Light |
| Age 14+ | Publisher(s) WizKids | Published 2016 |
| Categories Party | Players 3 - 6 | Cost $19.99 approx |
| Our Rating 7.4/10 |
In Rock Paper Wizard, players try to move their wizard marker closer to the treasure in the dragon cave, while trying to move opponents’ markers further away. At the end of the round, whoever is closest to the treasure gets five gold pieces (gp), and the second closest gets three. At the beginning of the round, players secretly pick one of four available spells they wish to cast, and one opponent to receive their spell of revenge. Each spell has a designated hand gesture, which players reveal and aim at an opponent after chanting in unison, “Rock Paper Wizard.” Then, in clockwise order, and beginning with the starting player, players resolve their spell effects. Once a player reaches 25gp, the game ends, and whoever has the most gold is the winner of the game.
With a playtime of only 30 minutes, easy rules, and the fun, light take-that feel to the game, Rock Paper Wizard could be a good game to play with just about anybody – as a party game or a light filler game for a regular game night.
8. Castle Ravenloft – Captures the Feel of D&D with Fairly Easy Rules
Surrounded by dark forests and a misty village in Barovia, adventure in the looming Castle Ravenloft awaits you and up to four other adventurers as you work together to uncover the secrets and defeat evil within and the dark depths of Count Strahd.
| Game Type Adventure, Exploration, Fantasy, Fighting, Horror Miniatures, Cooperative, Dice Rolling, Grid Movement, Modular Board, Role Playing | Play Time 60 Mins | Skill/Complexity (2.7 - 5) Light - Medium |
| Age 12+ | Publisher(s) Wizards of the Coast | Published 2010 |
| Categories Strategy, Thematic | Players 1 - 5 | Cost $44.99 approx |
| Our Rating 8/10 |
Castle Ravenloft, an award-winning cooperative dungeon crawl designed by Rob Heinsoo, Peter Lee, Mike Mearls, and Bill Slavecsek, includes thirteen scenarios to choose from in the box, each with a different win condition. Players take on the role of a hero – a ranger, wizard, rogue, cleric, or warrior – each with unique abilities and stats. Throughout the course of a game, players take turns exploring the castle, fighting monsters, gaining experience points, and levelling up abilities. Because the game is cooperative, players will all work together to succeed at the mission, or succumb to defeat at the hands of the horrors within the castle.
There are many dungeon crawl board games out there, but Castle Ravenloft is known for being one that captures the feel of D&D with fairly easy-to-learn rules. Additionally, since there are thirteen included scenarios – and the ability to mix the game with other D&D Adventure System board games – the replayability with Castle Ravenloft is quite high.
9. Three Dragon Ante: Legendary Edition – Straight from the Taverns of Faerûn
Ante up and outsmart your opponents with clever card play, and you might just bring home the most gold. From the taverns and game tables of Faerûn comes Three-Dragon Ante: Legendary Edition, designed by Rob Heinsoo. This is an updated version to the original Three-Dragon Ante, and adds 30 new cards, including New Mortals and Legendary Dragons.
| Game Type Card Game, Animals, Fantasy, Betting and Bluffing, Hand Management, Set Collection, Take That | Play Time 30 Mins | Skill/Complexity (1.8 - 5) Light |
| Age 14+ | Publisher(s) WizKids and Others | Published 2019 |
| Categories Family | Players 2 - 6 | Cost $24.99 approx |
| Our Rating 8.2/10 |
The goal of Three-Dragon Ante: Legendary Edition is to have the most gold at the end of the game, which occurs once a player at the table has run out of gold. Each player begins the game with a certain amount of gold depending on the number of players (2-6), and a starting hand of six cards. Each round begins with players setting the stakes, and then each player paying gold into the middle of the table. Players take turns playing a single card from their hand. If the printed value of the card is equal to or lower than the previous player’s card, then they trigger the special ability indicated on the card. Once each player has played three cards in from of them, then whichever player has the strongest flight (i.e., collective value of their cards) wins the gold from the stakes. If the game has not ended, then players proceed to draw two new cards and begin a new round.
The dragon artwork mixed with a classic card game feel makes Three-Dragon Ante: Legendary Edition a good fit for D&D players and card game fans alike. Being a relatively quick game with enough depth for crafty card play, this game could work well in a large range of settings.
10. Dungeons & Dragons: Adventure Begins – A Family-Friendly D&D Adventure
Grab your friends and family and bring them on a journey to the lands of Neverwinter for an easy, quick introduction into the D&D world with Dungeons & Dragons: Adventure Begins, a cooperative game for 2-4 adventurers designed by Henning Ludvigsen.
| Game Type Card Game, Animals, Fantasy, Betting and Bluffing, Hand Management, Set Collection, Take That | Play Time 30 Mins | Skill/Complexity (1.8 - 5) Light |
| Age 14+ | Publisher(s) WizKids and Others | Published 2019 |
| Categories Family | Players 2 - 6 | Cost $24.99 approx |
| Our Rating 8.2/10 |
In Adventure Begins, players have a chance to choose a hero (Dragonborn Rogue, Human Sorcerer, Elven Bard, or Dwarf Fighter), a personality/special ability for their hero, a backpack with special items, and a boss monsters to defeat in the scenario (The Kraken; Felbris, the Beholder; Orn, the Fire Giant; or Deathsleep, the Green Dragon). Players then work together to travel through four lands, defeating enemies and levelling up their characters, until ultimately facing the boss monster in the final stage of the game. Unlike regular D&D, each player in Adventure Begins takes turns being the Dungeon Master (DM), reading adventure cards to the group to bring the theme and story to life, and and rolling the DM die when needed.
Because Dungeons & Dragons: Adventure Begins is intended to be a light-weight D&D experience, this game would likely work best with older children or adults who have never played D&D and are open to a very simple or casual feel for the world. If you have children, family, and/or friends with whom you’ve been looking to share the D&D world, Adventure Begins could be a good opportunity to do so.
That’s about if for the Dungeons and Dragons board game category, for now!
