Set a Watch is another great game, which gives the same vibe as the rest. Although it's a step up being a small box game, rather than fits inside a deck box game. Also I enjoyed your format especially the overview, replay, and x factor. Great job!
Yes! I've covered that as well. Definitely a small box game. All part of my small game playlist! th-cam.com/play/PLKewgRd8Eir_888eCDZrnXxiFNough6Vr.html&si=XmJm23hE-FnzoOEa
Thanks for the comparison, Daniel. I love these kinds of games. There's something about their thumbnail approach to bigger adventures that is good for the theater of the mind. (and I think I like Jason Glover's games more each time I see or play them)
I've always felt that Deckbox Dungeons felt a lot more like a portable Dungeon Crawling Kit. It definitely comes with enough game in a single Box alone, but just like you said it wears itself out quick and you'd be better off playing a bigger Dungeon Crawler instead. But I think that combining Utopia Engine and Deckbox Dungeons together makes it a full blown adventure game that Plays better with Friends whenever we wanna play a Huge Adventure Game that doesn't require alot of set up or clean up. I personally Believe that adding Utopia Engine as a Overworld Mechanic smooths over what Deckbox Dungeons is lacking in Gameplay and Narrative wise.
Consider me interested in acquiring Adventure of D; i had to research how i could get it when you compared it to Talisman. Tin Helm looks amazing too. I really like your presentation in this video!
It is like Talisman in that it is an overland adventure, but it is quite a bit crunchier in terms of decision-making - have a look at the rules before paying an arm and a leg to make sure it is your cup of tea.
I loved this episode because it is a compare and contrast rather than talking about a single game in a vacuum. For those who are drawn to Adventure of D, also check out the Kilforth series. For me, overland games in general feel larger than any dungeon game, so Adventure of D might be in a category with Mint Knight, Quest for the Faysylwood, etc. Does Escape the Dark Castle feel small, like these, even though it comes in a larger box? Similarly, Spire's End might fit too.
What a great comparison video. Thank you. It's cool to see my game, The Tower of the Ice Lich, return on the channel, and even cooler to see that it (kind of) withstood the test of time (being one of the first games I ever made, I’m surprised). Thanks to you, I took a long, hard look at the grammar, made a new version, and then started thinking together with some folks who are less artistic and more mechanically minded about how the mechanics could change for the better for my future card games (like how do create more agency with a limited set of cards). BTW I would love to see how you hacked my game! For people out there who are interested in the game, go for the drivethru version. It’s cheaper, and I’m also taking it down from Gamecrafter - too much of a hassle and too expensive to print and ship for me and, thus, definitely for others.😓
I love the smaller games like this, Tin Helm is in my Forever top 5 on aesthetic alone! Kinda surprised to not see a 'Setup&Takedown Time' or 'Table Footprint' category. (another easy win for Tin Helm!)
Lice lich, you say? May have to encounter one on my next adventure 😀 nice comparison video. Thanks! Also, i love that miniature lantern on your table. Has that been there all along and im just now noticing ?
I'm interested in the Adventure D game being available in drive thru card site or the game crafter site. I prefer a well crafted card game rather than my print n play versions because they just look and feel better than paper cards and it's difficult to get 310gsm card stock and a printer that can print on it. Then all the ink cartridges I have to buy. Ugh. So big shout out to the creator of Adventure D to put the game on the printing websites mentioned above. I'll buy it. I like the art on the game. Looks fun.
Google them and check Board Game Geek. That's the best way to find things at a place that might sell them in your area / country. I'm not here to help people google or shop.
Ok....maybe that's what I should have done first, you're right.As sometimes you give links maybe I felt allowed for asking, apologize...next time will try to remember your role here and my place.Have a nice day!
You know what? You could do a playlist of videos like this and, just for fun, link them all as a championship... Take 4 small games per episode, declare a winner for each one and then compare the winners and at the end show us the dungeon dive overall winner(s). It would be greatly entertaining! And then look our wallets getting lighter and lighter 😂
@TheDungeonDive Having played Deck Box Dungeons quite a bit, I think several of the mechanisms and design choices get in the way of it being a truly great game. - Having to roll to hit and then roll again to see if the enemy takes damage is slow and doesn't feel especially fun, it could have been simplified. - There are plenty of different room layouts but few of them have particularly interesting features. Combined with the very few times tactical positioning and range do anything, it feels wasted. - Splitting up the party is basically pointless, backing up into the previous room is usually not a great idea, and exploring new rooms is how you get swarmed and die. The game probably could have been played on 1 card at a time instead of an expanding dungeon layout on your table. - The 10 enemies included aren't varied enough and are boring to fight. - The treasure is boring and uses way too much space in the box for very little returns. The cards easily could have been double-sided or even had four types of treasure to a card, just draw from the bottom of the deck. - The weapon cards could have had a combat technique at the bottom that uses Focus instead of just being a stat modifier. I'm curious if you agree with any of my thoughts on the game.
I kind of feel that deck box dungeons should have gone the whole board game route honestly. I think there is a good base but it feels too constrained in its current mini dungeon format.
Thanks for the video. Glad these exist, but don't think these are for me. Whenever I play one of these types of games, it is one and done and I never pull them back out.
Here’s a tangential question: I’ve ordered Tin Helm (& Tin Realm) but they haven’t arrived yet. Iron Helm is currently on sale… is there a compelling reason to buy Iron Helm when I already have the other two tiny games on their way to me?
I only have deck box dungeon because I don’t get immersed enough when playing card games. But I do agree that the art of deck box dungeon is not inspiring at all. And would be a major factor in pushing a regular classic dungeon crawl fan away.
Replay value #1 would be Adventure of D. You gave it #1 on luck vs skill, and then in Replay Value you say Tin Helm has the highest skill ceiling... AoD rewards more plays due to highest skill requirement, plus the lands and towers can be different game to game. Tin Helm just rewards one's memory of the cards. Not to mention, AoD has expansion content to mix up the rules, double-sided cards, lots of characters
@@TheDungeonDiveWell I was curious about your ranking Tin Helm's replayability higher on the basis of "skill ceiling" when you'd already said AoD had higher skill vs luck. I agree with the latter (your first) position, and the replayability ranking didn't seem fair in that sense.
It's not scientific, or binding, or meaningful in any way. Just for fun. All 4 game are awesome, and the real winner is us, the people who get to play all of these awesome games.
I like microgames. Those look very nice. But I am kind of tired of the fantasy theme. I would like to see more of space, modern, 1920s , WW1+2, sci-fi, themes to have to choose from.
Got Tin helm together with Tin realm in the recent crowdsale. Love Jason glovers stuff!
in less than a year i bought dustrunners, tin helm iron helm gate ....wainting for tin realm and mat (crowd) and gates lol
Set a Watch is another great game, which gives the same vibe as the rest. Although it's a step up being a small box game, rather than fits inside a deck box game. Also I enjoyed your format especially the overview, replay, and x factor. Great job!
Yes! I've covered that as well. Definitely a small box game. All part of my small game playlist!
th-cam.com/play/PLKewgRd8Eir_888eCDZrnXxiFNough6Vr.html&si=XmJm23hE-FnzoOEa
Thank u so much for this video! I had never heard of Adventure of D and now I must have it!
Aye, it looks quite good indeed 🙂
Thanks. One of my favorite videos of yours. I like the scoring and pacing - and I am leaning more and more to smaller, yet deep, games.
Glad you enjoyed it!
Yea this was cool, good times
I loved hearing your comparison of each of these games across many different aspects. Well done!
Glad you enjoyed!
Nice to see Glover's work getting the love, I have been playing Tin Helm for about a year and just got Dustrunner, his games have a cool vibe.
Thanks for the comparison, Daniel. I love these kinds of games. There's something about their thumbnail approach to bigger adventures that is good for the theater of the mind. (and I think I like Jason Glover's games more each time I see or play them)
Absolutely loved Dungeon of D way back. Glad he is still making those kind of games, the multi use cards are truly brilliant.
Couple of cool games to check out . Thx
Great comparison video, please keep 'em coming!
Great video as always!
Thanks again!
They are all winners in my heart
I've always felt that Deckbox Dungeons felt a lot more like a portable Dungeon Crawling Kit. It definitely comes with enough game in a single Box alone, but just like you said it wears itself out quick and you'd be better off playing a bigger Dungeon Crawler instead. But I think that combining Utopia Engine and Deckbox Dungeons together makes it a full blown adventure game that Plays better with Friends whenever we wanna play a Huge Adventure Game that doesn't require alot of set up or clean up. I personally Believe that adding Utopia Engine as a Overworld Mechanic smooths over what Deckbox Dungeons is lacking in Gameplay and Narrative wise.
Awesome video!! Thanks!!
You bet!
You will have to do a review of Tin Realm when it is released.
Great video!
Thanks!
Consider me interested in acquiring Adventure of D; i had to research how i could get it when you compared it to Talisman. Tin Helm looks amazing too.
I really like your presentation in this video!
It is like Talisman in that it is an overland adventure, but it is quite a bit crunchier in terms of decision-making - have a look at the rules before paying an arm and a leg to make sure it is your cup of tea.
I loved this episode because it is a compare and contrast rather than talking about a single game in a vacuum. For those who are drawn to Adventure of D, also check out the Kilforth series. For me, overland games in general feel larger than any dungeon game, so Adventure of D might be in a category with Mint Knight, Quest for the Faysylwood, etc. Does Escape the Dark Castle feel small, like these, even though it comes in a larger box? Similarly, Spire's End might fit too.
I have Deck Box Dungeons which is my style of dungeon crawl. And Tin Helm which your review/play though convinced me to buy. I like them both.
Own it. Own it. Own it. What's this last one I need?? Tower of the Lice Itch? This is why I love this channel 🙂
What a great comparison video. Thank you. It's cool to see my game, The Tower of the Ice Lich, return on the channel, and even cooler to see that it (kind of) withstood the test of time (being one of the first games I ever made, I’m surprised). Thanks to you, I took a long, hard look at the grammar, made a new version, and then started thinking together with some folks who are less artistic and more mechanically minded about how the mechanics could change for the better for my future card games (like how do create more agency with a limited set of cards). BTW I would love to see how you hacked my game! For people out there who are interested in the game, go for the drivethru version. It’s cheaper, and I’m also taking it down from Gamecrafter - too much of a hassle and too expensive to print and ship for me and, thus, definitely for others.😓
I love the smaller games like this, Tin Helm is in my Forever top 5 on aesthetic alone!
Kinda surprised to not see a 'Setup&Takedown Time' or 'Table Footprint' category. (another easy win for Tin Helm!)
Lice lich, you say? May have to encounter one on my next adventure 😀 nice comparison video. Thanks! Also, i love that miniature lantern on your table. Has that been there all along and im just now noticing ?
The lantern is a new edition donated to the channel. :)
I'm interested in the Adventure D game being available in drive thru card site or the game crafter site. I prefer a well crafted card game rather than my print n play versions because they just look and feel better than paper cards and it's difficult to get 310gsm card stock and a printer that can print on it. Then all the ink cartridges I have to buy. Ugh. So big shout out to the creator of Adventure D to put the game on the printing websites mentioned above. I'll buy it. I like the art on the game. Looks fun.
Thanks, nice overview...could you tell us where we can find these games,which platforms?
Google them and check Board Game Geek. That's the best way to find things at a place that might sell them in your area / country. I'm not here to help people google or shop.
Ok....maybe that's what I should have done first, you're right.As sometimes you give links maybe I felt allowed for asking, apologize...next time will try to remember your role here and my place.Have a nice day!
Tin Helm is coming to PNP arcade tomorrow!
Ah! Nice timing then. :)
You know what? You could do a playlist of videos like this and, just for fun, link them all as a championship... Take 4 small games per episode, declare a winner for each one and then compare the winners and at the end show us the dungeon dive overall winner(s). It would be greatly entertaining! And then look our wallets getting lighter and lighter 😂
Really interested by Tin Helm, too bad it's way too expensive when you live in Europe
@TheDungeonDive Having played Deck Box Dungeons quite a bit, I think several of the mechanisms and design choices get in the way of it being a truly great game.
- Having to roll to hit and then roll again to see if the enemy takes damage is slow and doesn't feel especially fun, it could have been simplified.
- There are plenty of different room layouts but few of them have particularly interesting features. Combined with the very few times tactical positioning and range do anything, it feels wasted.
- Splitting up the party is basically pointless, backing up into the previous room is usually not a great idea, and exploring new rooms is how you get swarmed and die. The game probably could have been played on 1 card at a time instead of an expanding dungeon layout on your table.
- The 10 enemies included aren't varied enough and are boring to fight.
- The treasure is boring and uses way too much space in the box for very little returns. The cards easily could have been double-sided or even had four types of treasure to a card, just draw from the bottom of the deck.
- The weapon cards could have had a combat technique at the bottom that uses Focus instead of just being a stat modifier.
I'm curious if you agree with any of my thoughts on the game.
I can see those points. They don’t really bother me because the game is cheap and small. I don’t expect a lot out of it.
@@TheDungeonDive That's fair.
I kind of feel that deck box dungeons should have gone the whole board game route honestly. I think there is a good base but it feels too constrained in its current mini dungeon format.
Can we please get BEYOND Thunderdome?
Thanks for the video. Glad these exist, but don't think these are for me. Whenever I play one of these types of games, it is one and done and I never pull them back out.
I can understand that.
Here’s a tangential question: I’ve ordered Tin Helm (& Tin Realm) but they haven’t arrived yet. Iron Helm is currently on sale… is there a compelling reason to buy Iron Helm when I already have the other two tiny games on their way to me?
Yes. I think Iron Helm is a better game than Tin Helm, with the expansions.
@@TheDungeonDive thank you! 🙂
I only have deck box dungeon because I don’t get immersed enough when playing card games.
But I do agree that the art of deck box dungeon is not inspiring at all. And would be a major factor in pushing a regular classic dungeon crawl fan away.
Replay value #1 would be Adventure of D. You gave it #1 on luck vs skill, and then in Replay Value you say Tin Helm has the highest skill ceiling... AoD rewards more plays due to highest skill requirement, plus the lands and towers can be different game to game. Tin Helm just rewards one's memory of the cards.
Not to mention, AoD has expansion content to mix up the rules, double-sided cards, lots of characters
I love your passion for AoD! Always nice when we find something to love so much!
@@TheDungeonDiveWell I was curious about your ranking Tin Helm's replayability higher on the basis of "skill ceiling" when you'd already said AoD had higher skill vs luck. I agree with the latter (your first) position, and the replayability ranking didn't seem fair in that sense.
It's not scientific, or binding, or meaningful in any way. Just for fun. All 4 game are awesome, and the real winner is us, the people who get to play all of these awesome games.
Four games enter. Four games leave.
How come you compare all these with adventures of D and not dungeon of D? Didn’t you say that you like dungeon of D way more?
Because that's just the game I chose to do in this video. There are about 30 games I could have compared. For this video I simply chose these 4.
I like microgames.
Those look very nice.
But I am kind of tired of the fantasy theme.
I would like to see more of space, modern, 1920s , WW1+2, sci-fi, themes to have to choose from.
I get that. Fantasy is my favorite genre / setting, so the more the better for me.
@@TheDungeonDive 😁😉👍
I highly recommend Spaceshipped with the expansions - it’s like FTL the wallet game!
@@Autotross I'll look it up.
Thank you 👍