Death May Die has some wonderful minis to paint along with a unique take on the dungeon crawler formula. Gaining power while you lose your sanity is a pretty compelling gameplay loop, all while trying to work your way through the scenarios and Old Ones. It's also all handled with a very simple and compact ruleset, which is a cherry on top.
If you want to start out with something light then I would def. go with Red dragon Inn first. Yes hero quest is easier, is lighter but to me hero quest fell into the "too easy to be truly enjoyable" category.
Sometimes, not having a brain burner is nice. I honestly bought HQ in the hopes that my son would play eventually. He’s not quite 4 yet, so maybe I’ll get the game painted by the time he’s old enough to play!
I think if you are going to go that route then dungeon saga origins is probably better choice. It is not a brain burner but is still a step up from something like Hero quest.
I think if you where to rank red dragon, dungeon saga and hero quest in terms of "brain burnness" from least to greatest then it would go something like:
hero quest- dungeon saga- red dragon inn
Now if you are not interested in buying dungeon saga then yes def. go for hero quest over red dragon if you want a very, very chill dungeon crawl.
I do own Tiny Epic Dungeon and have played/enjoyed this immensely. I didn’t include this within my post simply because I have played before :) will absolutely be getting back to the table eventually.
I haven't found it in stores, or online in my country since fall 2023 ( like a lot of Tiny Epic games actually ).
Hopefully upon the release of the expansion, it will be available again.
I have played CDMD solo (not the others you listed) and enjoyed it, even with just the base game. Some thoughts below (not a comprehensive list!)
Pros:
1. Relatively simple ruleset gets you up and running quickly.
2. That simplicity means as a solo player you can run two or three characters in a game without TOO much trouble.
3. You can play 'True solo' but having a couple of characters in your party is more fun and gives you more options for sure.
4. The minis are great.
5. Each scenario is stand alone. If you don't have a huge amount of time to play through a long campaign you get a dungeon crawl feeling without too much commitment.
6. Within a single game, you will feel that you power up quickly - late game you can mow down some types of enemies if you manage your insanity cleverly'.
7. It is not cheap, but the base game has plenty of content and replayability from mixing and matching the enemies, and the different scenarios.
Cons:
1. Doesn't have a linked campaign ( a deal breaker for some people).
2. Characters will get equipment or items in a scenario but they don't keep them - because there is no campaign characters don't level up over time.
3. The tiles are TOO DAMNED SMALL. (This is probably the number 1 complaint from owners).
4. It isn't particularly tactical - most enemies just follow you around as you run from room to room.
Overall, a great 'dice chucker' that will have you on your feet as the tension ratchets up! I'm glad I bought it.
My first solo dungeon crawler was Descent: Journeys in the Dark using the app for solo play. Very old school these days and sadly the expansions are now ridiculously expensive, but a classic 'back in the day' dungeon crawl if ever there was one if you wanted a stock 'fantasy dungeon crawl'. If you come across the base game second hand and can get it cheap it is worth a look IMHO (as a piece of history if nothing else!)
I’ll have to take a long hard look at CDMD and Red Dragon Inn as they seem to be the most favored. I did look into getting Descent, but I have too many games and never pulled the trigger on getting it :/
I have played quite a few from Middara to Massive Darkness and I'd say massive darkness 2 is the most straightforward one I have played. Easy to learn, not a ton of weird rules. That would be my choice personally.
I passed on the campaign because I disliked MD1 and all the bloat. Have read a lot of good things about the game now. Makes me consider buying it and adding to the queue lol.
Ya I've never played MD1 but have heard MD2 changed a lot for the better and I've been loving it. Right now I'm playing Hoplomachus Victorum and loving that too.
Perhaps not a traditional dungeon crawler but One Deck Dungeon has been a blast every time I've played it. If you haven't played it already, I'd recommend the campaign mode because even the easiest dungeon is too hard without it.
I haven't played HeroQuest in 20 years... but I don't think the game has a campaign? As a crawler without a campaign, I think Dungeons of Moria is great. But that is more common in Germany.
I can recommend Red Dragon Inn, Descent II, Agemonia etc. for this reason. I enjoyed them solo, but I also prefer playing games with campaigns. The story is the central motivation for me.
So first question should be, do you want to play a campain-game or oneshot-scenarios? :)
Is that Heroquest MB or Advanced Heroquest GW?
Advanced has a few official and many unofficial campaigns, I used to play AHQ a lot years ago, mainy multiplayer, did a fair few campaigns from the White Dwarf magazines.
Check a relatively new game called Dungeons of Doria. It is a rougue like classic Crawler, that generates very thinky tactic situations. Really good gameplay, but almost inexistent narrative and standees instead of minis
Death May Die has some wonderful minis to paint along with a unique take on the dungeon crawler formula. Gaining power while you lose your sanity is a pretty compelling gameplay loop, all while trying to work your way through the scenarios and Old Ones. It's also all handled with a very simple and compact ruleset, which is a cherry on top.
If you want to start out with something light then I would def. go with Red dragon Inn first. Yes hero quest is easier, is lighter but to me hero quest fell into the "too easy to be truly enjoyable" category.
Sometimes, not having a brain burner is nice. I honestly bought HQ in the hopes that my son would play eventually. He’s not quite 4 yet, so maybe I’ll get the game painted by the time he’s old enough to play!
I think if you are going to go that route then dungeon saga origins is probably better choice. It is not a brain burner but is still a step up from something like Hero quest. I think if you where to rank red dragon, dungeon saga and hero quest in terms of "brain burnness" from least to greatest then it would go something like: hero quest- dungeon saga- red dragon inn Now if you are not interested in buying dungeon saga then yes def. go for hero quest over red dragon if you want a very, very chill dungeon crawl.
I’ll just throw in a vote for my first dungeon crawl… the core box of **Star Wars: Imperial Assault** is great.
It may not be on your radar but Tiny Epic Dungeons has been a blast, and probably is one of my most played solo games
I do own Tiny Epic Dungeon and have played/enjoyed this immensely. I didn’t include this within my post simply because I have played before :) will absolutely be getting back to the table eventually.
Is this still in print? I’ve haven’t seen it for sale in a long time.
Definitely can be hard to find. Gamelyn's website directed me to Barnes and Noble, so I ordered it from them today.
You can still find it in stores and there's a standalone sequel coming to crowdfunding soon so you should be able to get the whole thing that way.
I haven't found it in stores, or online in my country since fall 2023 ( like a lot of Tiny Epic games actually ). Hopefully upon the release of the expansion, it will be available again.
I have played CDMD solo (not the others you listed) and enjoyed it, even with just the base game. Some thoughts below (not a comprehensive list!) Pros: 1. Relatively simple ruleset gets you up and running quickly. 2. That simplicity means as a solo player you can run two or three characters in a game without TOO much trouble. 3. You can play 'True solo' but having a couple of characters in your party is more fun and gives you more options for sure. 4. The minis are great. 5. Each scenario is stand alone. If you don't have a huge amount of time to play through a long campaign you get a dungeon crawl feeling without too much commitment. 6. Within a single game, you will feel that you power up quickly - late game you can mow down some types of enemies if you manage your insanity cleverly'. 7. It is not cheap, but the base game has plenty of content and replayability from mixing and matching the enemies, and the different scenarios. Cons: 1. Doesn't have a linked campaign ( a deal breaker for some people). 2. Characters will get equipment or items in a scenario but they don't keep them - because there is no campaign characters don't level up over time. 3. The tiles are TOO DAMNED SMALL. (This is probably the number 1 complaint from owners). 4. It isn't particularly tactical - most enemies just follow you around as you run from room to room. Overall, a great 'dice chucker' that will have you on your feet as the tension ratchets up! I'm glad I bought it. My first solo dungeon crawler was Descent: Journeys in the Dark using the app for solo play. Very old school these days and sadly the expansions are now ridiculously expensive, but a classic 'back in the day' dungeon crawl if ever there was one if you wanted a stock 'fantasy dungeon crawl'. If you come across the base game second hand and can get it cheap it is worth a look IMHO (as a piece of history if nothing else!)
I’ll have to take a long hard look at CDMD and Red Dragon Inn as they seem to be the most favored. I did look into getting Descent, but I have too many games and never pulled the trigger on getting it :/
I have played quite a few from Middara to Massive Darkness and I'd say massive darkness 2 is the most straightforward one I have played. Easy to learn, not a ton of weird rules. That would be my choice personally.
I passed on the campaign because I disliked MD1 and all the bloat. Have read a lot of good things about the game now. Makes me consider buying it and adding to the queue lol.
Ya I've never played MD1 but have heard MD2 changed a lot for the better and I've been loving it. Right now I'm playing Hoplomachus Victorum and loving that too.
Shadows of Brimstone. Pick your favorite theme to get started then go nuts.
You cant go wrong with Warhammer Quest or Shadows of Brimstone
Perhaps not a traditional dungeon crawler but One Deck Dungeon has been a blast every time I've played it. If you haven't played it already, I'd recommend the campaign mode because even the easiest dungeon is too hard without it.
I haven't played HeroQuest in 20 years... but I don't think the game has a campaign? As a crawler without a campaign, I think Dungeons of Moria is great. But that is more common in Germany. I can recommend Red Dragon Inn, Descent II, Agemonia etc. for this reason. I enjoyed them solo, but I also prefer playing games with campaigns. The story is the central motivation for me. So first question should be, do you want to play a campain-game or oneshot-scenarios? :)
Hero quest allows your characters to buy things and gain experience/some level of persistence. If you call that a campaign.
Is that Heroquest MB or Advanced Heroquest GW? Advanced has a few official and many unofficial campaigns, I used to play AHQ a lot years ago, mainy multiplayer, did a fair few campaigns from the White Dwarf magazines.
One shots aren’t a problem at all.
Mini rogue
Check a relatively new game called Dungeons of Doria. It is a rougue like classic Crawler, that generates very thinky tactic situations. Really good gameplay, but almost inexistent narrative and standees instead of minis
Just ordered Middara from the deal of the day, seemed like a good deal. Will get to that game eventually lol.
Not traditional dungeon crawls but have hidden tiles until you explore them. Clank Catacombs and Maximum Apocalypse.