Talisman has the POTENTIAL to drag on awhile as folks resist heading into the Middle Region and further. Players often want to become uber-powerful before making that move.

I think the Reaper expansion might help move things along a bit in this regard!

Personally, I'm more a fan Talisman than Runebound, but I like them both and there's PLENTY of room for both to co-exist. Other than both being "fantasy boardgames", they don't have a ton of things in common. I look forward to playing lots of BOTH in the future! So many Runebound expansions owned, but so few played so far...

I havent ever played Talisman, but I have checked out the rules for it. And I suppose your fav one of the two depends on which one you played first. But I do think Runebound looks more fun for those who wants just a bit more "advance" gameplay and more options

Now that I've compared the game experiences of both Talisman and Runebound, I would say that these two games are completely different products. I don't see anything similar between the two, except the Stats increase rule and the strong luck component (dice); it seems to me that many rules of Runebound have been conceived as clear alternatives to Talisman rules. Just compare:

1) movement on three concentric rings based on dice / movement on hex board, based on dice but with respect to terrain type

2) challenges have random difficulty / challenges are chosen as per difficulty grade

3) many spells to cast / no spells to cast

4) magic objects & followers are randomly found / magic objects & followers are bought in the cities

5) gold is randomly found / gold is gained as a result of quests

6) interaction with players is high and vital for game winning / interaction with player is minimal and not essential for the game

Talisman is an excellent evolution of some game of old (the Game of the Goose?). It requires minimum practice to be played and won, because everything depends on what players do and what do they score on dice. It has a generic fantasy setting with a simple background. It's a game with a 80s feel.

Runebound is more "immersive" and suited for fantasy initiates; it requires practice and only an experienced player can win it, because the gold must be carefully gained and spent in useful objects (which are the best objects to buy? you must have experience to know). It presents a whole world with a story and fixed Characters and Foes (Vorakesh, Margath and the other Dragon lords). It's a game with a late 90s/XXI century feel.