Explain Talisman to me

I'm clearly in the extreme minority (perhaps a minority of one), but Talisman is 1-2 hours too long for me. It could just be that I'm getting severely wrinkled (yes) and counting down the hours until my death (also yes), but something as random and goofy as Talisman shouldn't last longer than 75 minutes.

But don't get me wrong. I love random and goofy, as long as it's in small- to medium-length doses. We Didn't Playtest This At All is perfectly random and perfectly short, and it lasts 2-3 minutes at most. (Was this the original microgame?) I also like much, much longer games (4-6 hours), as long as the gameplay supports the length.

In the fantasy category, I strongly prefer two games over Talisman: Dungeonquest and Legend of the Moonsword. Dungeonquest falls into the 60-90 minute range, which is perfect. Legend can go short or long, and is more of a "special occasion" game, since you'll run through the entire events deck in a single session. But it's a blast to play twice a year, since I personally find it funnier and more player-abusive than Talisman.

One of the reasons why I don't mind the card combat in 3rd edition Dungeonquest is that the player who gets eliminated on turn 1 (me, usually) has something to do for the rest of the game: play cards for the monsters.

I did play Relic recently, and I remember liking it more than Talisman.

The greatest blasphemy is that I like the World of Warcraft Adventure game better than Talisman, but that's not a short game either. Ravenloft is a much shorter alternative (shortest of the three D&D games).

Anyway, to the OP, I suggest trying before buying. Or, instead, heed the mass wisdom of F:AT, ignore everything I've said above, and enjoy the game.

Mr. White, I absolutely agree that 2nd edition is the best. So it's not just nostalgia. Back then in 2008-ish or so, I encountered Talisman in Vassal. I downloaded the complete 2nd edition module and the four of us played for the first time. The board art is definitely better in 2nd. I mean, technically, yes, it's ancient. But the rolling fields and hills and trees are way muuuch better than 4th edition top down view approach.

Said game lasted 7 hours over 3 sessions, with 2 people died twice and another died once. One guy was whirlwind-ed twice. These days we never play more than 2 hours of Talisman.

I can completely see how some people come to hate Talisman, so, yeah, try before you buy.

I am not the biggest talisman fan around. I play it probably about once every couple of months but appreciate it for what it is.

The appeal is not really that different to Tales of Arabian Nights or Arkham Horror perhaps. Arkham is more effort and arguably is a coop puzzle, but in reality is so random it ends up being similar to Talisman. Tales probably has even less strategy than Talisman but is often lauded as being a great narrative game (and rightly so). All three are essentially games of move to a space, flip a card, make some simple decision possibly spending some resources, roll a die, see what happens. There are decision on what space to move too and when to switch from just trucking around to running for the win but the real charm of these games is in the random encounters. Talisman is the lowest effort and that is a huge bonus. It can drag a little but this is partly a consequence of inexperienced play. You often want to run on the middle of the board to win a bit earlier than you think you do. Also you want to take smart risks. Talisman goes long when players keep dying due to taking stupid risks and when they won't go for the win until they have maxed their characters stats to a silly level.

Thanks for the comments, everyone. Greatly appreciated. It sounds like something I'll have to find a way to try, unless FFG puts up some copies on the winter sale for cheap.

I sold mine for $15 to a guy who wanted the revised box. I may get some raised eyebrows on this, but for me, Firefly replaced this game as that fairly relaxed, pass-time kind of game that you can get through in a couple of hours (usually less with that one, but there are longer stories to play.)

I had bought it in the US in a fit of nostalgia, because I'd scored the 3rd ed I think (cones!) for a steal at The Works in Middlesbrough when I lived in England. Anyone from the UK might know the deals you could get in that store from time to time. I got the base game, every corner expansion and the dragon tower for I think 25 quid the lot.

I keep holding off on the new edition of Dungeonquest now, because I have a hunch that this, too, won't be as awesome as my old GW copy with Heroes of Dungeonquest, which may only be awesome to me, because of the rose-tinted glasses.

I played my first Talisman as a kid and remember having my mind blown that there was a boardgame that captured so much of what I liked about D&D. I played it again ten years ago and was pretty bored. That might have been since there were only two of us though. I'd like to give it another play and see.

JEM wrote: I sold mine for $15 to a guy who wanted the revised box. I may get some raised eyebrows on this, but for me, Firefly replaced this game as that fairly relaxed, pass-time kind of game that you can get through in a couple of hours (usually less with that one, but there are longer stories to play.)

Your comparison makes sense to me, and I too would rather play Firefly than Talisman as a way to pleasantly pass a few hours. I played Talisman once back in the late '90s, and only vaguely remember it as random and slightly fun. Firefly offers a similar low level of player interaction, but offers more freedom and a better setting.

This is a brief synopsis:

Run in circles, changing dice every 6 minutes because you can never roll what you need when you need it. Beat shit to death all along the way, gain followers, gain magical goodies. Work your way into the center of the board, fight an almost impossible battle, then spend the rest of the game killing your opponents.

What I'm not mentioning above is the only reason to play: It's incredibly fun, sometimes frustrating (but in a funny way), and very simple to learn.

Here's my BGG comment on the game:

If you want something light on rules but which has an epic feel, this is it. The "roll and move" is an ingenious mechanic to simulate an adventure. In an adventure, the journey between two points is never in a straight line. No destination can be reached without unexpected encounters along the way. The obstacles on your path can be brutal. But this game is also a race, so you need to raise your chin, push your luck, and deal with what happens.

Talisman is an excellent antidote to that disease of mind in which people become overly fixated on control in games. Like any adventurer, you need strength of will and hope more than you need certitude of calculation and planning. There are choices to be made in the game to be sure, but they are like choice you face at a crossroads. Which path will you take? Will you play it safe or take a risk?

Talisman games are fast paced and simple, but they feel epic. They are unpredictable, colourful, and they tell stories that are often filled with dramatic reversals (and reversals of reversals).

Magic Realm is the anti-Talisman, in terms of control.