Doodle Dungeon (2020) Board Game

Doodle Dungeon is a board game released in 2020 by Pegasus Spiele. It is designed by Ulrich Blum and features artwork by John Kovalic. The game falls into the fantasy and humor categories, giving players a lighthearted and creative gaming experience.

Game Components of Doodle Dungeon

Oversized deck of cards featuring dungeon features like walls, traps, goblins, orcs, dragons, and treasures.

Player sheets with a large grid for drawing dungeon layouts and tracking upgrades.

Dice (two ten-sided) for combat resolution.

Cards for monster improvements and additional effects.

Hero meeples for navigating the dungeons.

Score sheets for tracking treasures and monster strengths.

How To Setup Doodle Dungeon

To set up *Doodle Dungeon*, players start by drafting cards from a central pool. Each player receives a set of cards and adds features to their dungeon grid, ensuring there is a clear path from the entrance to the exit. Walls cannot block off any area, and monsters and traps cannot be orthogonally adjacent. Players also note the locations of hidden treasures on their score sheets, which must be guarded by monsters. Upgrades for monsters, traps, and treasures are tracked on the player sheets.

Gameplay Mechanics and Game Objective

Drafting Phase: Players draft cards to build their dungeons, adding features like walls, monsters, traps, and treasures.

Path Determination: Players pass their dungeon sheets to the left, and each player draws a path for the hero to follow through the received dungeon.

Combat and Navigation: Heroes navigate the dungeon along the drawn path, encountering features and engaging in combat. Combat is resolved using dice rolls, with monster improvements and cards affecting the outcomes.

Card Play: Players can use cards to buff their monsters or hinder the heroes in other players’ dungeons.

Objective: The goal is to create a dungeon perilous enough to kill the hero or protect your treasures. Points are awarded for surviving monsters and treasures, with bonus points for killing the hero and penalties for surviving heroes.

Player Experience

Playing *Doodle Dungeon* is a delightfully chaotic experience. Players must balance the need to create a formidable dungeon with the unpredictability of the card draft and the paths drawn by their opponents. The game requires strategic thinking and a bit of luck, as the placement of features and the hero’s path can significantly impact the outcome. The interactive element of playing cards to affect other players’ dungeons adds a social and competitive layer to the game.

Pros

Creative Freedom: Players have ample freedom to design their dungeons creatively.

Interactive Elements: The ability to influence other players’ dungeons with cards adds a fun social aspect.

Strategic Depth: Balancing monster strength, trap placement, and treasure protection offers a challenging and engaging experience.

Replayability: The randomized card draft ensures each game is unique.

Cons

Complexity: The game has several rules and phases, which can be overwhelming for new players.

dependencies on Opponents: The path drawn by opponents can significantly affect the game’s outcome, which might be frustrating for some players.

Luck Factor: The card draft introduces a significant element of luck, which can influence the game’s outcome.

Personal Thoughts on Doodle Dungeon

*Doodle Dungeon* is ideal for players who enjoy creative building, strategic planning, and a bit of luck. It’s perfect for those who love the idea of being the Dungeon Master in a traditional RPG but in a more casual, board game setting. The game caters well to fans of puzzle-solving and competitive board games, offering a unique blend of creativity and strategic challenge. However, it may not be the best fit for players who prefer straightforward rules or those who are easily frustrated by elements of luck in gameplay.

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