The world of gaming knows no leaps and bounds. While some people love playing technological games, many are diehard fans of the beauty of board games.
Playing board games is a great way to foster deeper friendships, develop your social skills, and learn something new in a fun way. This world of board games is vast and diverse, with different genres and titles to explore.
In this post, we’ll explore some of the best Dungeon Crawler board games you can play with friends from the comfort of your home.
What are Dungeon Crawler Games❓
Dungeon Crawler is a multiplayer board game where players have to involve themselves in enclosed environments, labyrinths, and other deep environments. You must do it while battling enemies, setting out on quests, solving challenges, and unlocking mysteries.
In short, you get to immerse yourself in a fantasy setting with a compelling storyline and navigate around a combat system with the support of character-driven gameplay. Just like any other game, they, too, have sub-genres where you can experience the thrill of tabletop gaming. Here are some of its popular genres:
- Sci-fi
- Adventure
- Historical
- Survival
- Horror
- Classic Fantasy
Each sub-genre presents you with a different challenge to solve: a rich tapestry of narratives where your choices drive the story’s ending. And you get to experience all of this within a short span of 90 mins to 2 hours. As your choices affect the outcomes, you can revisit the game to change the climax.
What Makes Dungeon Crawler Board Games Unique❓
People love dungeon crawler games, all thanks to their cooperative yet competitive nature. It strikes a balance between players who unite their strengths and work as a cohesive team to overcome various hurdles and defeat the mega boss. So, this makes them ideal as two-player board games.
In this distinct setup, as a team, you get to forge new alliances with new players, share a bond, and learn strategy, agility, resource management, and teamwork to overcome the difficulties laid in your path.
This also gives players a sense of collective accomplishment as they claim victory over the powerful enemies of the game. During the course of the game, you also experience a deep sense of exploration toward fulfilling the objectives while overcoming the thrilling twists laid out for you.
From horror and sci-fi to zombies, each game offers you a different take on the nature of these games that you can enjoy with your friends and family.
If all of this sounds exciting, you must lay your hands on a dungeon crawler game right now. I know it’s tough to choose from many options available, so I have compiled a list of only the best Dungeon Crawler games. Let’s dive into it.
Arcadia Quest Board Game
Welcome to the 1000-year-old land of Arcadia, where peace and prosperity rule. Life here is flourishing, and people are happy until the evil Lord Fang decides to take over the Temple of Dawning Twilight one day. And that’s not it; he’s even formed allies with orcs, goblins, and trolls to ensure the city’s downfall.
As a hero of your guild, how far will you go to save the land and become its ruler? This adventure-strategy board game is an absolute delight and can be played with up to 4 players in 60 minutes.
The best part about Arcadia Quest Board Game is it beautifully combines PvE and PvP gameplay, making the adventure an absolute roller coaster with unexpected twists and turns. You will ward off the monsters and fight battles with the Heroes of the other Guild to prevent them from destroying your own.
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Arcadia Quest Board Game (Core Game) | Campaign-Based Strategy Game | Fantasy Adventure Game with... | 411 Reviews |
$84.38 |
Buy on Amazon |
Beware, for your scenarios can make or break your campaign. The game equips you with 12 highly detailed figures, items, and upgrades that will make your experience larger than life. So, brace yourself as you complete each quest and reach the climax to fight Lord Fang in style. This is a fantasy board game you don’t want to miss!
Descent: Journeys in the Dark 2nd Edition
Descent: Journeys in the Dark 2nd Edition is set in the fantasy world of Terrinorth. It features a one vs. many gameplay style in which one player assumes the role of the evil Overload while the others control the heroic adventurers.
During the course of the game, you will embark on various quests and venture into ancient ruins, dangerous caves, dark dungeons, and cursed forests to battle monsters, earn riches, and stop the Overload in his evil plan. The unique feature of this game is its modular map tiles, allowing players to create diverse dungeon layouts for each adventure.
The Overload employs a deck of cards to unleash the traps and monsters against the heroes. There are countless hero and skill combinations to choose from, each bringing its skillsets to the table in this immersive story-driven campaign.
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Descent: Journeys in the Dark 2nd Edition | 868 Reviews |
$175.00 |
Buy on Amazon |
The box has nearly 50 detailed plastic figures, 9 custom dice, 40 double-sided map tiles, more than 150 tokens, and 250 cards. Its scenario-specific objective challenges you to use your tactical and strategy skills to move on to the next level. You can team up with up to 5 players for 2 hours in this maddening mayhem.
Doom: The Board Game
As the name suggests, Doom: The Board Game is inspired by the famous video game Doom, where players engage in an epic battle between the elite marines and Hell’s most threatening monsters.
As marine commandos, you’ll get your hands dirty and bloody in asymmetric battles across modular map tiles. The game’s storyline is a replica of the iconic first-person shooter game, with the Marines attempting to complete their missions while the demons aim to stop them.
The combat system progresses through dice rolling and card-based abilities. There are 4 elite marines in the game, each with a customizable deck and an arsenal of weapons, armor, and lives that hold the power to kill the enemies within range.
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Doom The Board Game (2nd Edition) - Sci-Fi Combat Strategy Game Based on the Video Game for Kids &... |
$79.99 |
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It will surprise you in each mission with a unique map, specific rules, and items to be taken care of for successful retrieval and completion of objectives. The game is fast-paced with changing battle conditions, so you can expect to put your agility to the test. However, with up to 5 friends by your side, I am sure you’ll save the world from Doom.
Themeborne Escape The Dark Castle
An expansion of the game, Escape the Dark Castle, you’ll need to gather your wits for this one. As interesting as the name sounds, it is a cooperative adventure board game set in a dark and foreboding medieval castle.
This fantasy adventure will sometimes leave you exhausted as you step into the shoes of the prisoners who have been captured by the evil Undead Queen and must find a way to escape. You do this by teaming up and using custom dice and item cards to muster the courage to overcome the castle’s challenges, traps, and undead horrors.
Keep your senses active, as you can land up in an untimely confrontation with the Undead Queen herself.
Themeborne Escape The Dark Castle’s unique feature is its minimal yet immersive presentation. It uses black and white artwork and simple but evocative descriptions to set a dark and mysterious atmosphere.
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Themeborne Escape The Dark Castle Board Game Scourge of The Undead Queen Adventure Pack 2 |... |
$19.99 |
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In order to win this game, you’ll have to exercise teamwork, decision-making under pressure, and resource management at your optimum. It also requires strong communication and collaboration skills to escape the tortured souls, spirits, skeletons, and corpses.
This edition comes with 15 new castle locations and a companion feature that allows you to join hands with other players to escape.
Gloomhaven
This highly acclaimed masterpiece has found its place on the list for various reasons. In this Euro-inspired tactical combat, you’ll be set for a deep and immersive experience that you must’ve not seen before in any board game.
Set in a dark and mysterious world, you and your friends take on the roles of mercenaries seeking to uncover the secrets of the city of Gloomhaven. The gameplay combines tactical combat with character progression.
You can choose from diverse character classes, each with its abilities and playstyle. You embark on branching storylines, making choices that impact the narrative and outcomes.
This game’s most talked about feature is its innovative card-driven combat system. You can use decks of cards to determine your actions, adding an element of strategy and unpredictability to battles.
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Cephalofair Games: Gloomhaven, Award-Winning Strategy Board Game, For 1 to 4 Players, 60 to 120... |
$269.99 |
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The game teaches strategic thinking, resource management, and teamwork. It encourages players to adapt to changing scenarios and make tough decisions, which can also have lasting effects on the real world.
Massive Darkness
Massive Darkness has spread across the tunnels beneath the earth’s surface. However, it’s time to shine some light on the evil forces of Darkness.
Centuries ago, when the darkness was spread across the land, some courageous people drove it off using magical weapons and artifacts. But now, it’s back even more powerful than ever for the ultimate showdown. You and your fellow Lightbringers must enter the labyrinthine tunnels for a face-off with the dark power.
With an enticing storyline, the gameplay features a modular board with customizable characters. As players, you can collect loot, level up your heroes, and eventually engage in tactical combat.
Set out to different quests using the light shadow system, where you can manipulate light sources to gain advantages and defeat your enemies. It comes with 75 detailed figures that bring the game to life and keep you on your toes for 90 minutes.
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CMON Massive Darkness Board Game | Strategy Game | Adventure Game | Miniatures Battle Game for... | 270 Reviews | Buy on Amazon |
Players aged 14 and up can enjoy this game with up to 6 friends.
Mice and Mystics
Mice and Mystics is a family board game with a charming and heartfelt narrative. As a team, you advance through the chapters of a storybook while assuming the role of heroes who were turned into mice by an evil queen.
But the king is not aware of this monstrous plot, and hence, you must run through the castle, which is 20 times larger than your size, to warn him of the situation. On your journey, you uncover various secrets and the story as you find the solution to transform back into the human race.
It features cooperative gameplay, with players working together to complete story-driven missions. You’ll enjoy the character progression, item acquisitions, and combat elements of the game during various quests you’ll undertake.
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Mice & Mystics Board Game | Cooperative Adventure | Strategy | Fun Family Game for Adults and Kids |... | 1,246 Reviews |
$63.99 |
Buy on Amazon |
The storybook is beautiful, with intricate detailing that immerses you in a captivating tale never explored. This is an excellent choice for young players who have just started exploring board games with their friends and want to develop their problem-solving and teamwork skills.
Shadows of Brimstone: City of the Ancients
Set in a weird old West universe, you get to take on one of the roles of various characters, such as outlaws, gunslingers, lawmen, or the saloon girl. They’re all classic Western Hero Archetypes with their strengths and weaknesses.
In Shadows of Brimstone: City of the Ancients, you will explore mines and otherworldly realms, facing off against terrifying monsters of the shadows of Brimstone. Moreover, you’ll uncover mysterious artifacts, enjoy character progression, secure your loot, and customize your abilities to advance in the game.
One of the game’s unique features is its “adventure book” system, which guides players through the story, offering branching paths and consequences for their choices.
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Shadows of Brimstone: City of the Ancients |
$99.99 |
Buy on Amazon |
Shadows of Brimstone encourages teamwork, strategic planning, and resource management as you venture into the unknown and confront intense horrors. It emphasizes the unpredictability of the Weird West and the importance of adapting to unexpected challenges.
Zombicide: 2nd Edition
Are you a fan of anything Zombies? If you said yes to that, you’d love playing Zombicide: 2nd Edition. It’s the perfect mix of strategy, thrill, and survival you can enjoy on gaming nights.
This game is known for it’s intense cooperative gameplay against hordes of zombies. You will join hands with other players as survivors to complete missions and objectives while saving yourself from the undead. But this game is not just about hiding; it’s about participating in the “Zombicide” to stay alive and save the world.
Choose up to 12 players to make your A-team and work together to complete objectives in each mission. You can make the game a fun ground by selecting and customizing your character and selecting the perfect weapon as per your skillset to help you gain adrenaline points.
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Zombicide 2nd Edition Strategy Board Game | Cooperative Game for Teens and Adults | Zombie Board... |
$87.99 |
Buy on Amazon |
The game features a range of scenarios with varying difficulty levels. A unique feature of Zombicide is its scalable AI system for controlling the zombie horde, ensuring a challenging experience for players of all skill levels.
Closing Thoughts
Talking about the tabletop gaming experience, Dungeon Crawler games offer a captivating fusion of strategy, storytelling, and camaraderie that can be enjoyed with friends from the comfort of your home.
It also helps you develop your social skills, including teamwork, communication, strategy, and tactical thinking. So, don’t think twice and get one of the games listed in this post to engage yourself in a unique experience full of adventures.
Next, you’d love to check out these Dungeons and Dragons board games to dive into epic fantasy worlds.
