Summary
After nearly two decades of silence, Avalon Hill announced earlier this year that the classic board gameTalismanwould be getting a 5th edition release. This, along with the release ofLife in Reterraand the announcement ofa newHeroQueststarter pack, highlights parent company Hasbro’s attempts to introduce new players to the world of strategic board games.
DuringAvalon Hill’s recent press conference, theTalismanteam emphasized a simplification of the rules aimed at shortening the playtime and making the game more forgiving. Although the original rules have also been adapted for players who prefer the previous, more challenging version, it’s clear thatTalisman5th Edition is a game built for modern board game enthusiasts.
Box Contents & Packaging
There are a lot of components to this game, though most are cards and tokens, making it easier to manage than a first glance may suggest.
Despite the plethora of pieces, Talisman manages to fit within an incredibly compact box. To accomplish this, the board gets folded into a very thick chunk of cardboard that unfolds flatly without problems, even on the first try, unlike some boards that need a paperweight along the cuts. Similarly, all of the tokens are made of thick cardboard and can be satisfyingly popped out with ease.
Once all of the pieces are freed from their frames and plastic bags, you can store them in small, plastic-molded basins. While this is fine enough for storage, it’s far from the best solution. However, with Talisman being so affordable, it’s easy to overlook this minor inconvenience.
The most important pieces, the character figures and tokens, are of the highest quality. The gold is made of plastic and has finely detailed emblems on both sides. Meanwhile, every character is made with the signature finesse that Games Workshop, Avalon Hill’s partner, is known for. However, other parts, particularly the cards and the cones, aren’t as great. The cones are basically impossible to pick up without tipping them slightly; they would be much better off with some texture on the finish. The cards are just standard cards, and they feel as though they are on the verge of splitting after just a few games.
All of that being said, these are basically the only caveats to the game’s low price. Overall, the quality of the materials and molded storage box offer a feast for the eyes.
Setup & Characters
As with any TTRPG, the first time you set up the game can take a bit longer than usual as you complete final checks and whatnot.The game’s manualis unfortunately poorly done, though it gets the necessary information out by the end. The added story beats in the manual are likewise not very engaging and could use some workshopping. After you follow along with the instructions and play a first match, though, it’s almost like a plug-and-play game, where the cards and tokens get doled out mechanically, per the obvious numbers on each character card.
There are 12 characters in total, with Avalon Hill hinting at a strong possibility of more to come in press conferences. The diversity of the characters is okay, but the game is still set in a European fantasy world. The alignments can be pretty odd at first glance too, with the only non-evil magic users being religious figures (the Prophetess arguably so), but inTalisman5th Edition, players can actually choose their alignment before the start of the game. It may still change later due to events or card draws, but players can start with whichever alignment they want.
Despite Avalon Hill’s best efforts to keep the game’s size down, it would be pretty difficult for more than two players to play this game at a standard kitchen table. Once you account for things like drinks,wireless speakers, or personal effects, even two players at a six-foot banquet table may start to feel a bit cramped. The cleverly stacked cone tokens certainly help condense things, but not enough to make up for the array of item, companion, and spell cards you’ll likely end up with.
Gameplay
While it is becoming more popular for game designers to make their adventures suitable for just two players, it’d be wrong to say it’s easy to find a fun, challenging, in-depth board game for couples.Talisman5th Edition is an excellent choice for two players and can handle up to six. For this review, a six-player game was not tested, but even with five players, there are enough pathways and methods of attack that the game can get excitingly chaotic, though it definitely takes much longer to finish the game. During testing, two players were able to finish the game in under two hours. Five players would need at least two hours, though a full party of experienced players would probably finish a game in under three hours.
The game plays much the same as it did years ago, with a few exceptions, such as running much faster and allowing players to use Fate to re-roll any roll or move to any space (within reach of one die roll). It’s an extremely easy game to learn, and perfect for beginners. The goal is to grab a talisman and take it to defeat the dragon at the center of the board. This does take some strategizing, but given that each turn consists of rolling a die to move, followed by interacting with the space, it’s tough to plan too far ahead.
This makes it easy for new players to simply roll and read on their turn. At the same time, more experienced players will likely be tempted by the many opportunities to press their luck to gain more power or move to a more advantageous space. The dice give the game a bit of randomness that does a lot of the heavy lifting when it comes to balancing the game. Many times, players in the central region were overtaken by other players who were far behind. Bad rolls can extend the game’s playtime by quite a bit, but ultimately, they give other players a last chance to catch up and perhaps win the game themselves.
Although the game is mostly very simple, there are times when card combinations or character abilities throw players for a loop. This is where the rulebook comes back into play, and it’s not ideal. The rulebook is not very well organized, starting with the bare-bones table of contents. No doubt this is meant to avoid intimidating new players, but it’s impossible to navigate.
Information is scattered throughout the rulebook, most often not corresponding with related information or a related topic that seems like the correct section. Every single time a rule needed to be looked up, it took a few minutes, even though the entire set of instructions was only a few pages long. This issue is made worse by the muted color scheme used throughout the game’s art, which can be difficult to parse, especially if you’re visually impaired or suffer from dyslexia.
The color scheme does manage to clearly define each region on the board. However, within those regions, the colors tend to be too similar, making it difficult to tell where some spots end and where the next one begins, an issue compounded by the fact that not all of the spaces are the same size. It makes the board more cohesive but at the cost of distinctive borders and labels, which are arguably more important to the gameplay.
The color scheme complements the three provided dice, much to players’ dismay. The dice completely disappear from the board, and it’s best if you may use other dice instead. On almost every roll, players had to search for the dice on the board like it was anI Spybook. While that was fun for a moment, it got old fast.
Regardless, progress across the board starts out very fast-paced and slows as you reach the central region. The variety of character abilities, items, and followers is fairly vast and allows players to choose how to reach the center, though most of these methods boil down to teleportation, paying gold, or winning in battle. Being aggressive against other players can be very helpful, very hurtful, or not have much of an effect at all, depending on which items and abilities you have.
Additionally, other cards change the board’s landscape as you move along. Shops and merchants can offer upgrades, any items you can’t carry get dropped and can be picked up by (essentially) anyone, and any enemies you don’t defeat stick around to challenge the next player. This also means that every game has a slightly unique setting. Here again, the luck of the draw decides whether your board is easy-going and offers lots of upgrades or whether every other spot has a dragon on it.
By the time a player reaches the end, it’s clear that victory is far from guaranteed. The 5th edition death rules make it so that if you die, you are simply returned to town with your things and can slowly make your way back to the final fight. However, during that fight, players around the table will be hoping for both victory and failure, waiting to release a spell or plotting their possible next moves.
Even if you’re far from the center, it’s easy to feel like you have a chance to win it all when your friend is about to roll against the big bad guy. The last few minutes of the game can be exhilarating when there are four players desperately thwarting each other in pursuit of the Crown of Command.
Overall Impression
Talismanhas always been a fun introduction to tabletop RPGs, but the 5th Edition has evolved the classic into an even more modern and approachable game. The furious excitement felt towards the end of the game isn’t by accident.Talisman5th Edition has been carefully balanced to give everyone a shot at victory.
The fantasy elements give flavor to the world, but the players breathe life into it simply by rolling the dice. The versatility of each character’s abilities, paired with the world-changing cards that get scattered across the board, make each adventure a unique endeavor. Plus, the balanced gameplay makesTalismanperfect for date night or game night, expanding its value well beyond its modest price tag.
The price is much lower than what you might expect, at a measly $60, despite the high-quality construction. The premium figures are exactly what you’d expect of Games Workshop and may alone make the game worth picking up. The compact size of the game itself makes it easy to add to game libraries and bring it along to board game events, plus the easy rules allow for new players to join the fun without getting a rules lecture first.
Ultimately, Talisman 5th Edition is incredibly well-designed and fun, and it should be on every board gamer’s shelf by Christmas.
Talisman: The Magical Quest Board Game, 5th Edition
Compete for the coveted Crown of Command in a magical realm with the new and improved Talisman: The Magical Quest Game, 5th Edition. Offering a thrilling experience, this game combines strategy and luck to create an epic adventure game suitable for any player 12 and up.Featuring stunning artwork, redesigned figures, and more streamlined and accessible gameplay, Talisman 5th edition lets both newcomers and experienced fans jump right into the game. Race to be the first to acquire a Talisman, reach the Crown of Command, and vanquish its guardian dragon to win.
Similar Games
If you remain unconvinced or just want to get some more great board game suggestions, here are a few other games that fans ofTalismanmay enjoy just as much:
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Betrayal at House on the Hill: 3rd Edition
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FAQ
Q: How long does a Talisman game last?
Talisman 5th edition typically takes 2-4 hours to complete, depending on the number of players. Shorter and longer games are common, especially when most of the players are either very experienced or very new to tabletop gaming.
Q: Is Talisman 4th edition discontinued?
Yes, Talisman 4th edition was discontinued. However, Talisman 5th edition includes the classic, more difficult ruleset for those who wish to play the original version of the game.
