Andrew's Personal Favorite: Talisman

I have been playing Talisman for nearly fifteen years. It was originally released in 1983, and following a few revisions, the most recent 4th Edition which is now being manufactured and produced by one of the top board game, card game, and role-playing game publishers in the industry, Fantasy Flight Games. Talisman currently has a total of 8 expansions 4 of which alter or add onto the original board.



Pulled directly from the Fantasy Flight Games description of Talisman:

"Hundreds of years have passed, and the realm, long ungoverned and unprotected, has grown ever more dangerous, becoming infested by monsters and troubled by innumerable evils. To this very day, the ancient legend draws gallant heroes to the troubled land – each seeking the Crown of Command and the kingship of the realm of Talisman. So far no one has proven worthy of the challenge. The seekers’ bones lie bleached and broken upon the Plain of Peril or else cast idly aside to be gnawed by wild beasts and monsters."

Talisman encompasses the structure and limitations of a board game, while embracing the factors of a role-playing game in which you choose a character, go on quests, fight monsters, increase in strength and craft, find weapons, treasures, and gold, as well as the possibility of death. With each expansion the possibilities of objectives, character choices, and quests increase, keeping the story alive and longer lasting. Don't get me wrong, this game is no walk in the park, it does take a bit of time to get used to, and a bit of time to play. I must say the longest game I have played lasted almost 6 hours, but it was well worth the fun. Naturally with each additional expansion the game can last longer, however, with just the base version, it could last as short as an hour or two.

The board as you can see is broken into three regions, each one becoming increasingly difficult and each region requires a certain task to be completed in order to cross over. Within the game you can work with other players or you can work against each other. The game is essentially every person for themselves, but of  course there will be moments where one would like to help one another. But in the end, there can only be one winner, and as one of my favorite quotes from Taladega Nights, "if you ain't first, you're last."

Its hard to explain why you would like this game, but I can assure you, if you are familiar with the genre of game, you will enjoy it quite a bit. Talisman definitely has a nostalgia factor for me, since the first time I played it I was very young. And I could honestly say it was probably the reason why I become a tabletop enthusiast, it was the first board game that I had ever played outside of the usual Monopoly and Risk.

If you get the chance, I recommend playing it.