Review

Talisman, a game meant for two to six players, 12 years and up, has been released in three previous editions over the years, along with a number of supplements. This latest edition has gotten a facelift with a newly designed board and artwork.

Also included in the weighty box are 14 character cards and playing pieces; over 100 adventure, purchase, alignment change and talisman cards; plastic life, strength and craft counters; six-sided dice; and antique-looking gold coins.

In the game, players quest to become king over the realm of Talisman. The game board is divided into an outer, middle and inner track, each with obstacles of increasing difficulty. The first player to move into and overcome the innermost track, claiming the Crown of Command, wins the game.

Fourteen characters - including the likes of an elf, dwarf, wizard, warrior and thief, among others - are provided, each with its own strengths and weaknesses. These differences and the fact that characters are handed out randomly keeps players on their toes and makes for interesting variations in play game after game.

Game play is simple and straightforward. Each player, on his turn, rolls a die and moves the number of spaces indicated. The space a player lands on determines what sort of action he is expected to take. Usually, an adventure card is drawn, and the player can try to defeat or evade a foe, pick up some loot or gain a follower who can help him in his quest.

Other areas, like the tavern and graveyard, require the player to take his chances with a roll of the die, with effects ranging from healing to losing gold.

As players defeat foes and overcome obstacles, they are able to make their characters stronger, buy better equipment and acquire magical items. However, players have to watch each other too. Someone might want what you have and just might decide to take it by stealth or even brute force!

If there is one drawback to Talisman, it's the 20-page rulebook. While a hefty read, the rules are presented clearly and are easily referenced. After a few turns, players should have most of the rules down. I played Talisman with my wife and kids on a Sunday afternoon, and by the third turn, my 10-year-old knew the majority of the rules. Well before the end of the game, my eight-year-old did too. They're looking forward to the next time we play.

Talisman is simply the best board game I have ever played, and I play a lot of board games. It's fun and combines elements of classic board games, like Monopoly and Sorry!, but also incorporates some basic role-playing principles too: pick a character and improve its abilities, which is a game mechanic that makes video games popular.