Dead of Winter Crossroads vs Descent: Journeys in the Dark

Sometimes performing an action can be risky. Typically, when moving or attacking you need to roll the 'exposure die' (you could get frostbite, receive a zombie bite, or have nothing happen). This means that it can be risky moving around to different locations. Each location has its own strengths and weaknesses, with some being very rewarding. Deciding whether or not the move is worth the risk makes it a very exciting system where you'll always be weighing the benefits and drawbacks of every single movement.

All players attempt to survive together, fending off zombies, gathering supplies, and working towards a common goal. However, each player also has their own secret side-objective ranging from saving the most survivors to hoarding certain items and even betraying the group. Playing for the survival of the group while also juggling your own secret goals can result in many tough personal choices. Do you share resources with the group or keep them for yourself? Do you go off and scavenge supplies for personal gains even it means leaving the group weakened? Do you save that survivor or just let them die because it's one more mouth to feed?

The survivalist theme shines through in each and every tough decision, gameplay system, and objective the game throws at you. Most of the world is dead, the environment is extremely hostile, there are zombies everywhere, and one wrong move can be the difference between survival and death for you and/or your group. Do you work towards the goal of the group, or do you sabotage them for personal gains? Do you hoard resources or share? There is an endless list of choices that have to be made. Overall, it really feels like a true survival situation that sucks you in.

There are a couple of gameplay mechanics that add a very random and deadly element to the game that really affect how the game plays out. Since they are completely random card draws, each game session will be unique its own way.

At the start of each player's turn, another player draws a 'crossroads' card for that player. Each crossroads card has a trigger - sometimes it is triggered by an action that they player could take, where they are located, or which players are in the game. These cards typically offer a choice between two options, and can drastically sway the game for better or worse.

Also, each turn a 'crisis card' is flipped, showing the current crisis for that turn. If the players can't work together to overcome the crisis (or the betrayer sabotages it) really bad things happen which put the whole group in immediate danger.

Most actions (searching, moving, etc) are based on a random dice roll, making it very difficult to plan ahead. Instead of a set number of actions per turn, you get one dice plus one additional dice for each character you control. Based on what you roll on the dice, you will be able to perform various actions. Since you're working within the constraints of each roll, each turn will present new opportunities or setbacks. This helps things stay exciting throughout.

Each game lasts about one to two hours, making it a great game for when you want to get involved in deep game that doesn't overstay its welcome.

While the actual rule book may not be the most organized manual in the world, the gameplay systems themselves are very simple to grasp, even for new players. Thanks to being both intuitive and easy to follow, anyone can join in on the fun.

Descent uses basic dice rolls for most actions, and how many actions you can take per turn are clearly defined based on your hero class. Movement along the board is handled in a grid like fashion with each tile denoting a certain distance. There is never any second guessing of whether or not you're in range to help a friend or attack an enemy. If you can roll dice, follow a tile based board, and understand a few simple rules, you can easily play this game.

The premise is pretty unique in that one player takes on the role of an overlord while all other players act as the heroes who attempt to clear the dungeon. The overlord and the heroes play against each other in a turn-based setup.

The overlord is the one responsible for controlling the monsters and other pitfalls that the heroes will face. The overlord also has access to many powerful spell cards which can be played during their turn. The heroes work together to clear the dungeon of monsters and work towards the victory condition for their quest.

Since the main evil force is player controlled, it creates some really interesting situations not often seen in other boardgames such as monsters being able to play strategically and dealing with spell effects that aren't random.

Each 60 to 90 minute game consists of a single quest, however there is a campaign mode where heroes can take on a series of story quests while also learning new skills along the way. This is a great mode for that true epic adventure feeling. If you find a hero you enjoy, you can grow and develop this character over time similar to a standard RPG game. Additionally, no two campaigns will ever be the same. There are 8 different classes to select from, and you can pick and choose the quests you do, which adds a lot of replayability.

Everything is laid out cleanly on the board so it's easy to keep track of the action. Each player has their own cards with all usable actions and skills neatly presented. All heroes and monsters have game pieces that can be moved around the board, so it's easy to be aware of your surroundings and plan your next attack. The health system uses special token pieces that are used to keep track of your health. Being able to see your health physically raise and lower to keep track of your damage taken is a nice touch.

There's a mobile app called "Road to Legend" that lets you play this game solo. The app works by taking over the overlord role. It even has multiple difficulty settings so you can get as much of a challenge as you crave. It's a great way to play when you have no friends available for a gaming session.

Each short gaming session consists of one quest with its own victory condition and two encounters. They are quick to play when you're looking for something fun to do for an hour or so.

The makers of this board game have added over ten expansion packs which feature new monsters, quests, campaigns, heroes, and re-balanced mechanics. Even after you've extensively played the vanilla game, there's plenty of ways to extend the fun and keep playing a game you enjoy.