Hi there,

I was just wondering where the differences between DungeonQuest and Descent may lie ?

Jochen

It doesn't look like they've posted a lot of details regarding the gameplay, but I imagine it's different enough from Descent to warrant it's own game. Although I love Descent it is usually a LONG game. A faster moving dungeon delve seems to be the way the market is going (Space Hulk, Claustrophobia, the new D&D Ravenloft game).

I'm pretty interested in this game, considering it's price, it's in Terrinoth, and FFG is redoing it. Their past remakes have been great. I would not expect anything different.

Bolluxx said:

A quick comparison (based, of course, on the original Games Workshop game)...

DESCENT: 4+ hours / DUNGEONQUEST: 1 hour

DESCENT: 1 player vs the other players / DUNGEONQUEST: players vs the game system while racing each other

DESCENT: feels like the combat part of D&D /DUNGEONQUEST: feels like the "my DM hates me & wants to kill my character" part of D&D

I have the original english version published by GW way back when the earth was still cooling.

Assuming not much has changed.

DQ can be played solitaire. NO DM REQUIRED.

The dungeon is randomly generated.

The rules are short and few, you will be playing within ten minutes.

I've never played Descent, but in DQ when you get to the treasure chamber, there is a REAL temptation not to search for treasure.

I have concerns about buying Dungeonquest after playing AND LOVING Descent also. For the moment I see only two pluses in Dungeonquest:

1) You can play it solo

2) It is set in Terrinoth world.

I will need more advantages than just those two to eventually buy the game.

I've played both, and I love both games In the opposite situation from most people, I recently bought Descent and DungeonTwister because they looked similar to DungeonQuest.

I love DungeonQuest's gameplay slightly more, but you can't beat Descent's campaigns. DungeonTwister's deterministic gameplay couldn't be further from the hilarious randomity of DungeonQuest (or Descent), so I'm leaving that out from comparison.

Both games have HP, MP, potions, monsters, traps, tiles, etc., DQ has ammo for arrows, which I think is a nice touch. Both games also have lots of arbitrary objects that have value or can be carried.

Descent, your motivation is to keep moving because the Overlord only grows stronger. DungeonQuest, your motivation is to keep moving because daylight is ticking, and the doors close on you when the sun goes down.

Descent, death is fake and meaningless. DungeonQuest, death is game over.

Descent, everyone's angry at the Overlord. DungeonQuest, nobody is angry because everyone's suffering together.

Descent, you kill 5 monsters in one turn. DungeonQuest, you die to a goblin in your first turn.

Descent, you're on a high pressure, on-the-clock, "fetch me a toothpick" quest. DungeonQuest, you're in a low-pressure, free-form, sandbox style game, and a valid move is to simply leave the dungeon immediately.

Descent, for the most part, you're stuck with the static, pre-made dungeon. DungeonQuest, everything is dynamic, and you can modify the dungeon by searching for trapdoors, etc.

Thanks for the detailed comparison post Gamelore!

I would definitely buy DungeonQuest it seems more casual friendly (can play with non-gamers since it doesn't last long) and maybe it would lure some to Descent *wink*.

I love playing Descent, but the long game play makes it less likely to get played on a weekday evening. DQ looks to fill that evening niche, and I've heard so many good things about the original that I can't imagine not giving this game a try.

well if its got minis from descent then all mine are plainted, with extra painted ones from runebound, runewars haha i have plenty of extra characters to put on the game board, plus if you got too BOARDGAMEGEEK you can see the old game, it looks like munchkin quest, lay pre made tiles of rooms halls etc, on board sheet, then run dungeon with dice ... looks cool an cant wait to buy it

JerusalemJones said:

I agree! Actually I haven't played Descent but I love Runebound. The 10 minute set up and the at least 2 hours game play kind of prohibit weeknight gaming. I have kids and work etc... so taking that much time for myself on a weeknight is hard.

If this can be played in one hour...AWESOME!!!

Dungeonquest has no real comparison to decent except its a game set in a dungeon. The game play of both have very little in common, I would compare decent to a advanced heroquest game or a board game based on early d&d and dungeonquest a game in its own right. Dungeonquest is played as a race game. you race to the center of the board laying square dungeon tiles that can be any number of entities from rotating rooms, to corridors to trap room. At the center if you make it, you spend a turn trying to loot treasure from a sleeping dragon, if you wake the dragon your done for, and then when you decide you start making your way out of the dungeon, either the way you came or a new route. Each turn a marker is moved along a time track and you have to exits the dungeon before nightfall or daybreak (not sure which). Who ever has more treasure wins. The rules are very simply and you will be playing in no time. A real classic in my opinion and although I own the original I will also be buying this for a look.

In Descent, the heros' objective usually runs along the lines of "reach and defeat the big villain without dying too much". Treasure is just a means to an end, get better weapons / armour / items, pay for training, healing, etc.

In Dungeonquest, the heros' objective becomes "grab as much loot as you can without dying at all". Treasure is an end in itself.

Oh, and forget about any climactic battle with the big villain, trying to fight the dragon will just get you fried.

[...] " trying to fight the dragon will just get you fried".

As it should.

I have owned the original Dungeonquest (1987; Games Workshop of the UK), which is the English version of "Drakborgen" (Dragon's Castle) from Sweden (1985).

The goals and mechanics are completely different from Descent, which derives from D&D and Heroquest. The fantasy and dungeon elements are the only thing in common. Players choose to be a certain character, then lay down tiles in an attempt to progress into the dungeon, experiencing several things from good to bad along the way. You may encounter monsters, enemies, deadly room conditions, gold, etc. If you're lucky to have time to get to the middle of the board to steal treasure from the Dragon's lair (if he's asleep when you get there) and then have time to escape the dungeon, you may win unless someone else escapes with even more loot. Of course, everyone is more than likely to die. The rules (page 3) state that there is about a 15% chance of survival.

You have opportunities to battle monsters in this game, but there is no battle between players. Why bother? You're lucky to survive the game, let alone waste time to fight another player. It takes no less than laying down 10 tiles (10 turns to to that) to reach the Dragon's lair, so that's 20 turns total to reach the exit to survive. That only leaves you 6 turns at most to fight monsters, escape from behind a portcullis, search a room on your next turn without laying down a new tile, waste time when you are forced to go a direction you didn't want to go because of the tile you just drew, or face other bad tiles and cards, etc. You really have to manage your time well or you may be dead.

So Dungeonquest is a race against time to get rich quick and get out of the dungeon alive. There is a lot of luck, but you still have to think about what to do when luck is bad to you. Oh, I forgot to mention that you aren't required to go to the middle of the board to visit the Dragon's lair. If you pick up loot along the way via cards you encounter, then you may forego the Dragon's gold in order to leave the dungeon, and assume the other players will die. A calculated risk, but you may just win that way. However, greed usually gets us in the end.

I, too, would like to buy the new version of Dungeonqust when it comes out, if for no other reason than to compare it to the original game. Actually, the new version will combine the best of the original base game plus the two original expansions, Catacombs and Heroes For Dungeonquest. That in itself would be good for me, since I never have owned the expansions, and they are pricey on eBay.

A final thought for me is the fact that FFG is setting the new Dungeonquest in their world of Terrinoth, the same world as Descent and Runebound. This is really no big deal, since the original game had a very skimpy storyline to begin with. It doesn't matter which world the game is set in. The same horrible fate awaits us all in both the original game and the new version.

Hmm... I've got Descent and the only thing my play group wishes was that it would just play a little faster. I'd really appreciate a game that's fun and at the same time plays fast - so DungeonQuest seems to fit the bill right!

Now, if only the make an RPG set in Terrinoth...

I've read that FFb will combine original game plus the old expansions in the first box...I don't know if it's a good choice. sincerely, the 80's original game works well, and expansions (more players with different powers, and the funny Catacombs) are great addicion in gameplay (I like very much Catacombs). I'm afraid they will combine the expansions losing some pieces on the way ( less catacomb cards, or one or 2 character missing)...I'd prefer FFG release the new base game, and maybe only one complete expansion with al least ALL things you could do in the older version exp. then they can make all the changes they want.

I love Descent. But its length of game play and my current game group results in a game I get to rarely play any more! I am to afraid to look closely at this Dungeonquest game. I may have to get it.

simpatikool said:

DQ is definitely shorter on game play. It's hard to image FFG adding anything that would greatly increase play time, at least not if it's still supposed to be the same game (and it seems like it is.)

Gamelore said:

Ah yes... there's nothing quite like pulling a revolving room tile and getting yourself trapped against the dungeon wall only to futilely search for a secret door every turn for the rest of the game.......

Descent and Dungeon Quest are two completely different games in a "Dungeon" setting. IIRC, DQ doesn't require a whole lot of thought to play but is quite fun!