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Dungeons, Dice and Danger is a one to four player, roll and write game from designer Richard Garfiled and published by Alea. The game comes with four different dungeon maps for players to explore, search for treasure, defeat monsters and generally try to survive.
The game is played over a number of rounds in which a player rolls four white dice and one black dice. All players make two pairs of dice from the four rolled white dice. The active player can use the black dice to make their two pairs of dice. The non active player has the option to use the black dice as well if they use one of their limited special abilities. The total value of each pair is used to cross out a space in the dungeon. Spaces that are either the starting space or adjacent to a previously crossed out space are available for selection.
Certain spaces contain monsters and these can be crossed out if the value of the pair of dice equals the number displayed in the monster box. Crossing out certain spaces next to a monster space provides an additional numerical value that can be used to defeat a monster. Once all the health boxes of the monster have been crossed out it is defeated and the player receives a reward.
If a player is not able to cross out two boxes (combination of dungeon spaces and dealing damage to a monster) then they lose a life point.
There is also treasure in the dungeon (gold and gems) and players gain these rewards once they cross off the corresponding space. Gold is worth two VP and gems three VP at the end of the game. In addition to treasure, there are treasure chests which when unlocked grant the player special abilities, such as extra life or the ability to use the black dice an additional three times.
Play will continue this way with the active player rolling the dice and all players making their numbered pairs until every monster has been defeated by at least one player. Points are added up from a players collected gold and gems and subtracting points based on your position on the life point track. The player with the most points is the winner.
Final Thoughts
Dungeons, Dice and Danger does what it says on the box. You have dungeons, you have dice and you have, of course, danger. From the prestigious designer of Magic The Gathering, Richard Garfield, Dungeons, Dice and Danger has design pedigree behind it. But how does it play and what do I think? Lets find out
First off I want to say that I enjoy roll and write games a fair bit. I have plenty of them in my collection and think they are great for quick hit gaming fixes. They are great for solo play as well as multiplayer and cater to a range of gamer’s experience. I think that Dungeons, Dice and Danger is a great addition to this category.
I like the variability in the maps. There are four different maps to choose from each with different obstacles/monsters/layouts to overcome which is always greatly appreciated. As with a lot of roll and writes, there is randomness in the dice rolling. However, this randomness is spread across all players as everyone has to deal with the same dice roll. There is no real mitigation as such but there is flexibility in making your two pairs from four dice (or five if you are the active player or use a special ability). The randomness doesn’t feel punishing for the most part and for the quickness of the game does not bother me at all.
I enjoy the exploration and the moving through the map with only having access to spaces adjacent to previously visited spaces. You can see your progression across the dungeon as you progress through the game. I also find it interesting how each player’s map will look different and have taken very different paths despite using the same dice.
The collection of treasures and treasure chests to grant points and special abilities is a nice addition. It adds some decision making into your pairing and there is a nice race element to defeating the monsters. The first player to defeat them gains a better reward. There are also some interesting choices to be made with the fighting of monsters as you can try and “unlock” additional numbers that will damage them but this does take time, so there is a balance here.
The solo mode plays similar to the multiplayer game but you are always the passive player and hence have less access to the black dice. Each round you must deal one damage to a monster. If you don’t you will lose a life point. The solo mode is a challenge and, for me, a great quick solo roll and write experience.
Overall, I think Dungeons, Dice & Danger is a great roll and write game. It is accessible, offers decent choices and replayability and is quick to play. If you are not a fan of roll and writes I don’t think this will change your mind, however, if like me you do enjoy them then this is a great addition to your collection
