Dungeonquest: Catacombs (1988) Board Game

Dungeonquest: Catacombs is an expansion for the base game Dungeonquest, released in 1988 by Games Workshop Ltd. It is a fantasy board game that focuses on exploration and fighting through a maze-like dungeon to find treasures and escape alive.

Game Components of Dungeonquest: Catacombs

Base Game: Includes 115 room tiles, 68 counters, and 174 cards.

Catacombs Expansion: Adds new rules, components, traps, monsters, treasures, and room tiles.

Heroes Expansion: Introduces additional characters and components, though it was often bundled with Catacombs.

How To Setup Dungeonquest: Catacombs

To set up Dungeonquest: Catacombs, start by preparing the board with the central treasure chamber. Players select their characters (Adventurer, Barbarian, Knight, Ranger, or additional characters from the Heroes expansion) and place their tokens at the starting positions. Shuffle the room tiles and place them face down around the board. Each player receives a character sheet and any starting equipment. The room cards, monster cards, and other components are prepared according to the rules provided in the expansion set.

Gameplay Mechanics and Game Objective

Tile Placement: Players draw random tiles to create the dungeon, moving into new chambers each turn.

Room Cards: Draw cards to determine special events such as monster attacks, traps, or treasures.

Combat: Uses a card-based system similar to scissors-paper-rock, with options to escape or monsters fleeing.

Character Stats: Characters have Strength, Agility, Armour, and Luck stats, which are used to overcome obstacles.

Objective: Reach the treasure chamber, collect treasure, and escape without waking the dragon or falling victim to traps and monsters.

Player Experience

Dungeonquest: Catacombs offers a highly variable and challenging experience. Each game is unique due to the random tile placement and room events. Players must navigate through rotating rooms, avoid deadly traps, and combat monsters to reach the treasure. The game is designed for 1-4 players, but can accommodate up to 8 with shared starting positions. A typical game lasts about an hour.

Pros

High Replayability: Random tile placement and room events ensure no two games are the same.

Challenging: Provides a tough but rewarding experience with a low survival rate of around 15%.

Customizable: Allows for house rules to make the game easier or more challenging.

Cons

Randomness: The game’s heavy reliance on randomness can be frustrating at times.

Small Card Size: The original room cards are quite small and vary in size, which can be annoying.

Personal Thoughts on Dungeonquest: Catacombs

Dungeonquest: Catacombs is ideal for fans of dungeon crawlers and those who enjoy high levels of randomness and challenge in their games. It’s a great option for players who appreciate the thrill of exploration and the satisfaction of overcoming formidable obstacles. However, it may not be the best fit for those who prefer more structured or predictable gameplay experiences. The game’s complexity and randomness make it more suited for experienced gamers or those willing to invest time in learning and adapting to its mechanics.

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