Café de Nuit

super-sweet... on my wishlist...

ETA: Also of note 1 to 5 players. A solo version? intriguing.

Yes, it is a co-operative game with the challenges apparently changing depending on the number of players. And it doesn't require a DM, as it uses scenario cards that have to be avoided or defeated.

Some details I don't recall seeing before:

http://www.boardgamegeek.com/thread/490 ... sts/page/1

Minis are unpainted and based on D&D mini molds. (Ugh, I hope it's not Unhallowed Strahd!)

Influenced by some very good games (Pandemic, Descent..)

Based heavily on the original module, including event cards based on the traps from the module.

Future expansions/sequels based on OTHER D&D modules, not other RL stuff. (not too surprising, just sad.)

A shame that future expansions are not RL. Would have been great to see a House on Griphon Hill Expansion . However this is great news, I'm pre-ordering right away!

If this sells okay, I wouldn't be surprised if they used a haunted house that could be converted to Gryphon Hill easily enough. It just might not be until the third or fourth "wave" of these games. (And again, that's if they sell decently.)

It sounds more like they're basing them off classic dungeon adventures (Castle Ravenloft, Dragon Mountain) so if they sell well they'll probably do Temple of Elemental Evil and Tomb of Horrors boxes.
Expansions, if any, will likely be more of the same adding new rooms and monsters.

THIS IS SO FRIGGIN COOL!

Sure, it's the complete opposite of the gothic campaign setting - but it'll still have the tropes we loved from the original Ravenloft.

Plus I'll get to play it a lot.

I guess that's good news. I had been pondering for a while if I should spend my money on the Descend game by FFG, but this way, I have right the original I always wanted.

If this becomes a series of memorable modules, it will be the old Heroquest as my all-timeboard game fav.

On the one hand, it's the worst possible Ravenloft product I can imagine.
On the other hand, there's so many times I've been hanging around a bunch of other D&D players and considered board games because D&D just wasn't an option.

The question is really, what can one expect at this point, except prettty "clone games" and nostalgia editions?

I see it from a pragmatic point of view: A good fantasy board game has been needed for years, and all previous fantasy board games lacked the D&D factor.

Since I never expected anything from Ravenloft any more, except occasional mentions, and the necessary, periodic update of the core adventure whenever a new D&D edition sees the light of day, I am pretty happy with this new twist.

Jester of the FoS wrote:On the one hand, it's the worst possible Ravenloft product I can imagine.

As I mentioned last time we discussed this: Iron & Blood.

But seriously, there's no reason an RL board game can't drip with the flavor we know and love. At first glance it may look like taking the miniature/battlemat part of D&D and stripping away the roleplaying, but if done right, it could just be Ravenloft in a different medium.

I'm a HUGE board game fanatic. (Seriously, huge. I own upwards of 600 games and have played over 1000 different ones.) If you're thinking "board game=Monopoly" or somesuch, take heart. We won't know until we see the rules of course, but modern board games often have deep and interesting mechanics and rich flavor as well, especially the co-op ones. See Arkham Horror, Shadows over Camelot, and Space Alert for some good examples. Is it the best possible Ravenloft product? no, that would be a new 4e Core Rulebook with a list of upcoming Ravenloft modules and sourcebooks on the last page. But it's far from the worst.

If it's done right, it will give us a way to "Play Ravenloft" even when we're not "Playing Ravenloft".

Rafael wrote:The question is really, what can one expect at this point, except prettty "clone games" and nostalgia editions?

Sad but true. FWIW, I've added the Ravenloft setting to the "Lostalgia" page on TV Tropes, because unless WotC makes a serious about-face or sells the license to another company, we're never going to see the RL as a published world again.

Rotipher of the FoS wrote:

Rafael wrote:The question is really, what can one expect at this point, except prettty "clone games" and nostalgia editions?

Sad but true. FWIW, I've added the Ravenloft setting to the "Lostalgia" page on TV Tropes, because unless WotC makes a serious about-face or sells the license to another company, we're never going to see the RL as a published world again.

I agree completely. It is our best chance to enjoy some "21st Century Ravenloft" for a while.

Just a thought though: Wouldn't it be nice that the Frat could acquire the rights for a future 4th Ed Ravenloft?? *sigh*??

Everyone'd probably spend so much time fighting over what it should look like that it'd never get done.

Don Fernando wrote:Just a thought though: Wouldn't it be nice that the Frat could acquire the rights for a future 4th Ed Ravenloft?? *sigh*??

DocBeard is at least partially right. And besides, look what became of the Kargatane's website when they all became the 3e designers. Then we'll all have to hang out at TheEbonGargoyles.com or something instead....