Talisman: Digital Edition 4+

This is wonderful to play. It really is so much easier than getting the board out and all the small pieces, so in that regard it’s wonderful. Also I can play on my own instead of needing other players. And this is the full experience, not some mobile version. It’s the whole board game you remember and love. Great that they’ve taken the time to transfer it so faithfully.

However, it’s really quite glitchy. Your magic and strength levels seem to dip now and then. Also, if I hop out of the online multiplayer, the AI takes over for me with no option to turn this off. The only way to “pause” the game is if everyone drops out. Lobbies are hit and miss, and we’ve never been able to set up an account as it keeps telling us our passwords aren’t complicated enough, even though they are.

The problem is that if I lose connection for some reason, the AI just goes ahead and takes over, meaning that my strategies and objects are just used up as they see fit. By the time I reconnected, it had engaged in three battles, lost most of my gold, and inexplicably come back down from the inner region to the outer one. Why not give the remaining players some kind of option to hold on till I get back??

Anyway, it needs work. Until then, this is a great game, but with definite drawbacks

I used to play Talisman a lot as a kid and this is just like I remember; the brilliant characters, the beautiful art work and the simplest of instructions. Fantastic. However, the problem with this is that the dice roles are clearly not random chance. The amount of times that I fight an enemy - be it with strength or craft - and I get a one, and my AI opponent a six. Then I use a fate, only to re-roll a one again. Now, I’m not at all a sore loser. The fun thing about Talisman was always just taking your chances in a fight, but the dice roles are just too predictable that it does take the fun away and makes it more frustrating. It’s a simple thing to sort, I would imagine. It’s just a shame, otherwise I’d have given 5/5. Edit: Since writing this review I have played quite a bit more of Talisman to give it a chance. But ‘chance’ is what this game isn’t! It’s definitely fixed rolls. You lose all your objects - perhaps by being turned into a toad - and you can guarantee that before you get to your spot (in fact, very often the very next AI roll) another character rolls onto your spot and takes everything. If you try it yourself, the die just doesn’t give you your number. I played and experienced this many, many times. It’s easy to call what number will come up, both for your own and for the AI rolls. I have now dropped my initial score of 3/5 to just one star, because the game should be about ‘luck of the dice’, not ‘predictable dice’. Such a shame.

I’ve never played the original printed board game version of Talisman but this app has captured the feel of that type of game really well with all the obvious advantages of a digital version.
The tutorial sees you nicely on your way and the basic gameplay is easy to pick up. But if you get as hooked as I am you’ll want to explore combing the various expansion sets too. Each one changes the basic game in often quite significant ways. Each one adds another layer to the experience. You’ll find yourself thinking “Just one more go. Wonder what’ll happen if I use Woodlands with The Reaper!”
Rather than needing skills that lie in nerve shredding, intense concentration they lie in tactical thinking and negating the randomness of dice throws that can devastate your character. That may sound a bit "dry" but it delivers plenty of tension/excitement when you’re adventuring your way through the beautifully designed game boards, characters, cards etc.
There’s a HUGE amount of quality gameplay to explore here.