Dungeon exploration is a tried and true method of adventure gaming that a lot of us have seen in different ways. Today we are going to look at a whole new way to take on this adventure and see how we fare as we drop in and fighter our way to the treasure!
Dungeon Drop is published by Phase Shift Games with design by Scott R. Smith and art by Marília Nascimento. It is for 1-4 players and plays in 15-20 mins.
Overview
In Dungeon Drop players literally drop the components of a dungeon onto the table and try to collect as much treasure as they can while avoiding the bad guys lurking around the dungeon. Plan your collections according to the shifting walls and columns so you can capture the most valuables and come out as the most victorious adventurer!
Gameplay
Players begin by taking a hero and a facedown quest card. These will help guide your treasure collection. Next it’s time to set up the dungeon. Here a player drops all the smaller cubes so that they spread out on the table or surface you are playing on. This is where the game really shines like nothing else-the bits go everywhere creating a fun 3D landscape giving you an overhead view of this dungeon! All of the largest cubes go back in the box and will be “explored” later on. Now you are ready to play!
There are only three rounds of gameplay here so you have to be ready to go in and get all the things quickly!
Players begin their turn by drawing large cubes from the box equal to the preset player count total. These are added to the dungeon by the player by dropping them in creating some fun new changes in the structure of the dungeon. Players then can activate their race or class ability which are given as asymmetrical powers for each player and finally to end their turn they will loot the dungeon.
Looting the dungeon is where this game really shines! Here players will select any three of the Grey Pillar cubes to form a “room” that will capture and surround all the cubes within it. These may be treasures which are collected or enemy characters that will damage you. You can only face enemies up to the amount of damage you can take in hearts still so be careful not to limit yourself. This is where the strategy of the game really kicks in as you try to find the best treasures for you while avoiding the bad guys through the dungeon.
Once all players have taken their turn the round ends and the next one begins. After three rounds the game is over and players determine who has scored the most points based on the or collected treasures and quest cards. The highest score is the winner!
Impressions
I really like dungeon crawls in board games of all sizes, shapes and styles. Going back to games like Munchkin and Dungeons and Dragons as early entry games for me, anything that let’s me kick in the door and collect the loot already has my attention. Dungeon Drop does some of the same things but in ways I haven’t seen done as well up to this point. The things they do well:
-It’s quick. This game does not take long to plan and it doesn’t take thst long to teach. You can get it taught, played and cleaned up within an hour at most. I love any game that has a smaller time footprint.
-It’s 3D. Most of our dungeon crawling takes place on a board on my game table. But this one doesn’t. It not only drops the cubes unto the mess but it requires you to think in these 3D setups,paving from virtual room to room to make the best turn you can. I love the drop and the collective “noooooo” that often accompanies drops that don’t go exactly how we want them!
-It’s fun. Like legit fun. This game is perfect for kids as the pieces go all over and you can lean into the chaos and craziness of the style. The characters are light and silly also giving it another fun touch. I think this is the ideal dungeon crawl to introduce your kiddos to for all the above reasons but mostly for this one. Everyone is going to have a blast doing it.
Overall Dungeon Drop is a great game that fits well into the family-friendly world of dungeon exploration board games. If you love games like The Amazing Labyrinth, Dungeon Hustle, Munchkin or Deadly Doodles this might be the next step for your family game night. It takes the best parts of some of those dungeon crawls and adds such a fun 3D design aspect to it. Make sure to look into the awesome playmats and bumper walls they have as well because when these pieces hit the board they can go everywhere and that can be a time-saver as you move around looking for off-the-table pieces. Good luck on your next exploration and may all the treasures end up in your dungeon!
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