It was designed by David Megarry in Oct 1972 based on Dave Arneson's Blackmoor games. Arneson went on to design D&D with Gary Gygax. TSR then published Dungeon! in 1975. Dungeon came before D&D but was published after.
I have the late 80's version which came with a Paladin , Warrior, Wizard, Thief, Dwarf, and Elf. There was a extension pack for it with new characters. We could attack another player an take some of their treasure too. We also had the option of playing a short game just collecting the amount of treasure you needed to win or a long game by clearing all the treasure from the board with winner being the one with the most treasure.
i have loved this game since i was a kid. i play with my kids and we have a blast; when we don’t have time for a proper dnd session. we have added treasures and monsters as well as house rules which make it a little juicier. btw, i’ve glued my hero pieces and they stand up just fine, but you could also use a different miniature as my son does. this is a truly great game when you don’t have time for a serious dungeon crawler.
This game was originally released by TSR in the late 70's. As far as I can remember it is exactly as it was back then. I believe it might have been an alternative for people who coulden't get into D and D. It would be ice to see an update that included miniatures instead of the card board standees. It's easy enough to use your own, though.
I found that playing with the Character Variant rules posted by DMPastor and the alternative rules posted on D&D website by Chris Tulach a couple of years ago, really improves this game a lot.
@ Unbridled Flame. You stand outside a room with your character & roll the TWO dice. At the start of the game, when determining how many spells you begin with, you roll ONE die & add SIX to establish the grand total. Choose between FIREBALLS, LIGHTNING BOLTS, & TELEPORTATION.
I remember how frustrating it was in the higher dungeon levels. I think you needed an ESP medallion and a crystal ball to see what's coming. Also the rooms had treasure but the chambers didn't unless someone dropped some and you had to go through a chamber to get to a hall of rooms. Then I think the wizard had to cast a spell BEFORE drawing the monster card, unless it had been revealed previously. It looks like they added character classes, but the board seems the same, so the play is probably the same too. Losing half your treasure was a drag.
I picked one up via a game auction a couple years ago. Great to have in my collection... The rather plain purple box, the paper fold-out map... The simple (and very tiny) cards... Fun collectible!
I just turned 17 and I love this game, don't know how long it'll last but I really think it'll last a while. I mostly love it because of the fantasy like you said and how its d&d-like, but my main reason is that its short and simple and my friends(my age) completely cant play a game more than once that continues. Plus this is very versatile, i want to work on my own game modes. I just want to say that its the perfect kid game but also one for teens that don't have time for a huge game of d&d.
I also had this when I was young. I remember taking it over to friend's houses or when babysat. Might have to get for one of my kids for nostalgia's sake. I'm sure we could use a miniature for the cardboard figures if it was that much of a hassle.
I have very fond memories of Dungeon... it was a lot of fun when I was a kid. However, Castle Panic (we bought it last year) is a great game too. It's a cooperative game play style which is great when playing with your kids. You'll enjoy it a lot.
Id'e love to see a series where he compares editions of this...particularly the artwork on the monster cards. His version seems more realistic which I like more.
this is definitely a kids game. i remember playing the TSR version when i was about 9 years old. yeah it's simple and basic but this was the game that got me into fantasy gaming like talisman and d&d. i agree with tom. i probably won't play this in my game group but i'll definitely play this with my kids.
I think I'm getting this one as an introduction to fantasy board games for my little sister. hope that it will spark interest in playing Descent and then getting into Pathfinder!
I never played this game as a kid, but now that I own it it's great fun if you add these rules: use a dragon as a "hunter" that chases players around the board; all level 1-3 creatures +3 AC; player maxes out +2 attack bonus (and loses the power if treasures are lost); player has 3 lives / lose a life when creature rolls 12; discard monsters face up under pile / level closed when all monsters are dead (no recycling); all doors are secret; no monsters in chambers; mix "fireball", "lightning" and "teleport" into treasure piles; roll 20 die for fireball; use lightning for one lesser "consequence" from attack from monster...
I am a big fan of DnD, and this looks like a lot of fun. Very nicely done, this would be a great way to introduce people to advanced roleplaying games.
i've had a copy of this for around a month now. As Tom did a number of years ago, i too teach ESL in Korea. As young as 6-7 year olds: my kids absolutely love it !!! He's bang on about the player tokens, too. WTF ??? Gonna try "jimmying" a few little pieces of paper into the slots next time we try it. If not, everytime you lift your 2 piece character, it falls apart !! Other than this, for the price you can't go wrong. Highly entertaining kids game, well worth the value. 8.5 / 10
I loved this game when I was 12! The sense of adventure and discovery when you're kicking down doors... should I go up a level now? ... (playing the wizard) am I going to make my target before my spells run out? Good to see it's popular with 12 yr olds still
Nice stuff, I'm adding this game to my collection soon..Adding some round bases for miniatures, to the cardboard standups, could work to make the "pieces" better without actually using minis, I would likely paint up a few minis though, if I didn't already have some that were suitable, which I might already. I've never been into rpg type games, but this looks like a good intro to dungeon and rpg type games. Also going to look into the D&D Board games, as well as the Pathfinder starter set. Other games that I plan to add to our "family" collection, aimed toward getting people into gaming beyond what are more common games, but still being mostly fun for all type games, include: Zombie Dice, Star Trek Catan, Puppet Wars, Grind, Space Hulk, Attack Wing(Star Trek) and X-Wing , as well as adding Malifaux to out minis collection. Can you give me any others I should look into, aside from what was in your recent Xmas videos and top 10 trio? From that I have decided to look into over/under, pandemic, Jamaica, and ticket to ride. Thanks for the videos, keep shining, and game on....
heres a little poem about my life: A mother of 2 1 good and 1 not so 1 of positivity the other more hostile 1 who stayed true to bringing brightness to his soul and the others wrong doing leading him to his new home
Has anyone modified the rules for two teams? I wanted to play this with 4-5 people. The two are kids so the rest would be adults. I was thinking something like + total treasure for team. Also let them trade equipment when not in combat, find doors together and pickup gold. The game needs leveling, items to get them a little more involved. Problem I have is monsters encounters how to make a strong enough for team but not to strong.
So what would be a similar game geared more for older kids say, 10+? I spotted StormVault.. it looked slightly more interesting. I've heard the "hook" or thrill in this game is collecting the treasure. Thrilling for younger kids I suppose but that's what I've heard.
Looks like a cool game. Can anyone recommend how to make it a "solo adventure", (one player only). Also, can anyone recommend any solo games?. I play the Fighting Fantasy books which are fun....(I did an unboxing of the FF books on my channel)
First off thank you for the recomendation of Cat & Mouse Games in chicago here I never knew it exsisted and now don't have to buy board games online! 2nd I like your reviews but think you where too hard on a $20 game This game can double as a starter to customize and enance a simple based dungeon game! Personaly this game out of the 300+ games i own is one of my favorites! Listen to your daughter "it is FUN!!!" Anyway please give us then your best "TOP TEN" Dungeon games of all time video!?!
The early-90s reprint of Dungeon is one of my favorite board games. As soon as I looked at the rules for this reprint, I knew I would not be buying it; they made it too easy. Dungeon is a very good game, but IMHO the early-90s reprint is better than this one.
Game characters are unbalanced..the wizard is way more powerful than the others. That's normal in dnd when it comes to damage dealing but monsters deal damage the same to all characters..very un-dnd. Plus the teleport spell speeds up the wizards ability to get to the finish line.
It was designed by David Megarry in Oct 1972 based on Dave Arneson's Blackmoor games. Arneson went on to design D&D with Gary Gygax. TSR then published Dungeon! in 1975. Dungeon came before D&D but was published after.
I have the late 80's version which came with a Paladin , Warrior, Wizard, Thief, Dwarf, and Elf. There was a extension pack for it with new characters. We could attack another player an take some of their treasure too. We also had the option of playing a short game just collecting the amount of treasure you needed to win or a long game by clearing all the treasure from the board with winner being the one with the most treasure.
That's the version I have too. I like that version better than the original or the new version!
i have loved this game since i was a kid. i play with my kids and we have a blast; when we don’t have time for a proper dnd session. we have added treasures and monsters as well as house rules which make it a little juicier. btw, i’ve glued my hero pieces and they stand up just fine, but you could also use a different miniature as my son does. this is a truly great game when you don’t have time for a serious dungeon crawler.
This game was originally released by TSR in the late 70's. As far as I can remember it is exactly as it was back then. I believe it might have been an alternative for people who coulden't get into D and D.
It would be ice to see an update that included miniatures instead of the card board standees. It's easy enough to use your own, though.
Or it was, as it was to us, a game you did play when you had to leave the RPG room because your characters were not present at the moment.
I found that playing with the Character Variant rules posted by DMPastor and the alternative rules posted on D&D website by Chris Tulach a couple of years ago, really improves this game a lot.
@ Unbridled Flame. You stand outside a room with your character & roll the TWO dice. At the start of the game, when determining how many spells you begin with, you roll ONE die & add SIX to establish the grand total. Choose between FIREBALLS, LIGHTNING BOLTS, & TELEPORTATION.
I remember how frustrating it was in the higher dungeon levels. I think you needed an ESP medallion and a crystal ball to see what's coming. Also the rooms had treasure but the chambers didn't unless someone dropped some and you had to go through a chamber to get to a hall of rooms. Then I think the wizard had to cast a spell BEFORE drawing the monster card, unless it had been revealed previously.
It looks like they added character classes, but the board seems the same, so the play is probably the same too. Losing half your treasure was a drag.
I'm looking for other options for similar Dungeon Crawler board games like this one (Simple and fun). Any other recommendations?
Bought this today. Haven't seen it in 25 years. Thanks for the video! Way more enjoyable than reading the instructions.
I picked one up via a game auction a couple years ago. Great to have in my collection... The rather plain purple box, the paper fold-out map... The simple (and very tiny) cards... Fun collectible!
I just turned 17 and I love this game, don't know how long it'll last but I really think it'll last a while. I mostly love it because of the fantasy like you said and how its d&d-like, but my main reason is that its short and simple and my friends(my age) completely cant play a game more than once that continues. Plus this is very versatile, i want to work on my own game modes. I just want to say that its the perfect kid game but also one for teens that don't have time for a huge game of d&d.
I also had this when I was young. I remember taking it over to friend's houses or when babysat. Might have to get for one of my kids for nostalgia's sake. I'm sure we could use a miniature for the cardboard figures if it was that much of a hassle.
I made some homebrew rules so u can play as a team
I have the 1980 version of the game. I love the artwork on the box.
I have very fond memories of Dungeon... it was a lot of fun when I was a kid. However, Castle Panic (we bought it last year) is a great game too. It's a cooperative game play style which is great when playing with your kids. You'll enjoy it a lot.
Great review! Getting ready to play Dungeon with the boys this evening, and the quick rundown of how the game works was helpful.
Id'e love to see a series where he compares editions of this...particularly the artwork on the monster cards. His version seems more realistic which I like more.
this is definitely a kids game. i remember playing the TSR version when i was about 9 years old. yeah it's simple and basic but this was the game that got me into fantasy gaming like talisman and d&d. i agree with tom. i probably won't play this in my game group but i'll definitely play this with my kids.
I think I'm getting this one as an introduction to fantasy board games for my little sister. hope that it will spark interest in playing Descent and then getting into Pathfinder!
I never played this game as a kid, but now that I own it it's great fun if you add these rules: use a dragon as a "hunter" that chases players around the board; all level 1-3 creatures +3 AC; player maxes out +2 attack bonus (and loses the power if treasures are lost); player has 3 lives / lose a life when creature rolls 12; discard monsters face up under pile / level closed when all monsters are dead (no recycling); all doors are secret; no monsters in chambers; mix "fireball", "lightning" and "teleport" into treasure piles; roll 20 die for fireball; use lightning for one lesser "consequence" from attack from monster...
I am a big fan of DnD, and this looks like a lot of fun. Very nicely done, this would be a great way to introduce people to advanced roleplaying games.
i've had a copy of this for around a month now. As Tom did a number of years ago, i too teach ESL in Korea. As young as 6-7 year olds: my kids absolutely love it !!! He's bang on about the player tokens, too. WTF ??? Gonna try "jimmying" a few little pieces of paper into the slots next time we try it. If not, everytime you lift your 2 piece character, it falls apart !! Other than this, for the price you can't go wrong. Highly entertaining kids game, well worth the value. 8.5 / 10
Thanks Tom...this actually make me get the game to play with my 7 yeard old !!
Great! Thanks. I bought it yesterday, but haven't played it yet. I may get metal figures to replace the cardboard ones....
I loved this game when I was 12! The sense of adventure and discovery when you're kicking down doors... should I go up a level now? ... (playing the wizard) am I going to make my target before my spells run out?
Good to see it's popular with 12 yr olds still
Which is the card sleeve size for this game?
How do spells work? Does the wizard have unlimited spells?
Nice stuff, I'm adding this game to my collection soon..Adding some round bases for miniatures, to the cardboard standups, could work to make the "pieces" better without actually using minis, I would likely paint up a few minis though, if I didn't already have some that were suitable, which I might already. I've never been into rpg type games, but this looks like a good intro to dungeon and rpg type games. Also going to look into the D&D Board games, as well as the Pathfinder starter set. Other games that I plan to add to our "family" collection, aimed toward getting people into gaming beyond what are more common games, but still being mostly fun for all type games, include: Zombie Dice, Star Trek Catan, Puppet Wars, Grind, Space Hulk, Attack Wing(Star Trek) and X-Wing , as well as adding Malifaux to out minis collection. Can you give me any others I should look into, aside from what was in your recent Xmas videos and top 10 trio? From that I have decided to look into over/under, pandemic, Jamaica, and ticket to ride. Thanks for the videos, keep shining, and game on....
Tom, you said Hasbro instead of WotC when describing the component quality. I agree with the review though. Thanks for another great video.
Hasbro owns WotC.
I love this game. I usually play as a cleric.
Thanks for posting this .
I remember that you did Munchkin card game and didn't like it, but have you looked at Munchkin Quest? Similar theme, but more modern.
heres a little poem about my life: A mother of 2 1 good and 1 not so
1 of positivity the other more hostile
1 who stayed true to bringing brightness to his soul
and the others wrong doing leading him to his new home
Has anyone modified the rules for two teams? I wanted to play this with 4-5 people. The two are kids so the rest would be adults. I was thinking something like + total treasure for team. Also let them trade equipment when not in combat, find doors together and pickup gold. The game needs leveling, items to get them a little more involved. Problem I have is monsters encounters how to make a strong enough for team but not to strong.
I think if people try these rules they may find more risk verses reward, more strategy, and more fun...what do you think??
this game would be a great starter for my 6 year old
So what would be a similar game geared more for older kids say, 10+? I spotted StormVault.. it looked slightly more interesting. I've heard the "hook" or thrill in this game is collecting the treasure. Thrilling for younger kids I suppose but that's what I've heard.
Bought this today for my little brother (he's 8) that im gonna give him for xmas hope he enjoys it:0
My kingdom for a pack mule! How the hell are you supposed to carry all this treasure out of the dungeon? :D
I am probably a bit dumb....but I don't understand how the wizard uses spells. So he can only roll one die?...
Roll two dice for combat like everyone else, spells just make it easier (but are limited)... usually.
Simple, but looks really fun.
Reminds me of DungeonQuest
Diet. That is the game where you battle chocolate puddings rather that black pudding.
Looks like a cool game. Can anyone recommend how to make it a "solo adventure", (one player only). Also, can anyone recommend any solo games?. I play the Fighting Fantasy books which are fun....(I did an unboxing of the FF books on my channel)
+2112dorf Try: Mage Knight, Pathfinder Adventure Card Game. Legend of Drizzt (D&D), Mice & Mystics.
+2112dorf It comes with solo player rules in the book.
1975 actually, but close enough.
First off thank you for the recomendation of Cat & Mouse Games in chicago here I never knew it exsisted and now don't have to buy board games online! 2nd I like your reviews but think you where too hard on a $20 game This game can double as a starter to customize and enance a simple based dungeon game! Personaly this game out of the 300+ games i own is one of my favorites! Listen to your daughter "it is FUN!!!" Anyway please give us then your best "TOP TEN" Dungeon games of all time video!?!
The early-90s reprint of Dungeon is one of my favorite board games. As soon as I looked at the rules for this reprint, I knew I would not be buying it; they made it too easy. Dungeon is a very good game, but IMHO the early-90s reprint is better than this one.
Great help👍🏼👍🏼
I have the original game in my game room
Game ends when all 3 hunter dragons are killed, or the player loses 3 lives...
Original was 1975.
fear green slime
Game characters are unbalanced..the wizard is way more powerful than the others. That's normal in dnd when it comes to damage dealing but monsters deal damage the same to all characters..very un-dnd.
Plus the teleport spell speeds up the wizards ability to get to the finish line.
Dang. I like my 1992 version better. New version looks crappy and the board looks like a mess. Versions before 1992 probably even better too.