DESCENT: JOURNEYS IN THE DARK

Another stellar title produced by Fantasy Flight games, this time harkening back to high fantasy’s lowest dungeons with this fast-placed miniatures combat roleplaying game, with a team of adventurers fighting against a single Overlord player.

Each game starts with the Overlord setting up modular tiles and stuffing the dungeon full of plastic miniatures. Unlike RPG systems like Dungeons & Dragons, the Overlord is not a facilitator; they’re the antagonizer, looking to thwart the heroes plans, exhausting and injuring them at every opportunity they get.

Each adventurer is capable of dealing out vicious attacks and game changing actions, if they’re prepared to spend action cards and take big risks. More powerful actions will cause fatigue, with being able to grab a single turn to catch their breath often being as crucial as landing the final blow.

The original game saw multiple expansions containing more heroes to play and monsters to slay, as well as a campaign mode that would string together all of your adventures as both sides would gain more powerful abilities or monsters to field. The most recent edition in the series, Descent: Legends of the Dark, was released just last year, with new expansions featuring more 3D terrain and fearsome beasties due to be released this year (current global shipping issues permitting.)