Epic Dungeon Crawls: Top Board Games

Dungeon crawler board games offer a rich and diverse gaming experience, encompassing a wide range of themes and gameplay styles. From fantasy epics to horror adventures, and even incorporating popular franchises like Marvel and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, the sheer number of options can be overwhelming. This guide highlights some of the best dungeon crawler board games available, catering to various preferences and experience levels.

TL;DR: The Best Dungeon Crawler Board Games

Frosthaven
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Descent: Legends of the Dark
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Star Wars: Imperial Assault
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Slay the Spire: The Board Game
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Mansions of Madness
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Massive Darkness 2: Hellscape
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Nemesis
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Cthulhu: Death May Die
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Clank! Catacombs
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Marvel Zombies - A Zombicide Game
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Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Change is Constant
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Resident Evil: The Board Game
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Arcadia Quest
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While definitions can vary, common elements of dungeon crawler board games include tactical combat, character progression, loot acquisition, and exploration of dungeons (though not always literal ones). Many also feature rich lore and complex mechanics, often supporting lengthy cooperative campaigns.

Frosthaven / Gloomhaven: Jaws of the Lion

Frosthaven
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Gloomhaven: Jaws of the Lion
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Age: 14+
Players: 1-4
Play Time: 60-120 mins

Gloomhaven, while currently out of print, set a high bar for dungeon crawlers. Frosthaven, its successor, offers a similarly immersive campaign within the same universe. Gloomhaven: Jaws of the Lion provides a streamlined experience, reducing setup time. Both games are interconnected, allowing character transfers. Jaws of the Lion is a great entry point for newcomers, while Frosthaven offers a deeper dive for seasoned players. Both offer extensive campaigns with rich lore and character development, making them excellent choices for cooperative gameplay, especially for 2-4 players. For more details, see our Gloomhaven review and Frosthaven impressions.

Descent: Legends of the Dark

Descent: Legends of the Dark
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Age: 14+
Players: 1-4
Play Time: 120-180 mins

This fully cooperative Descent iteration boasts impressive 3D cardboard scenery and a clever blend of tactical combat, dice rolling, and app-based resource management, facilitating crafting and character leveling within a compelling narrative campaign. Read our in-depth review for more information.

Star Wars: Imperial Assault

Star Wars: Imperial Assault
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Age: 14+
Players: 2-5
Play Time: 60-120 mins

This Star Wars-themed dungeon crawler features rebel operatives battling the Empire across scenario-based campaigns. While replacing swords with blasters, the core gameplay remains true to the genre, offering loot, exploration, and character progression within the familiar Star Wars universe.

Slay the Spire: The Board Game

Slay the Spire: The Board Game
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Age: 12+
Players: 1-4
Play Time: 30-150 mins

This adaptation of the popular video game retains the deck-building mechanics, allowing players to collaboratively ascend the spire, battling monsters and bosses in strategic card combat. See our review for our thoughts.

Mansions of Madness: Second Edition

Mansions of Madness
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Age: 14+
Players: 1-5
Play Time: 60-360 mins

This cooperative mystery horror game features investigators solving puzzles and battling monsters while battling insanity. The app enhances the immersive storytelling with narration, music, and streamlined gameplay.

Massive Darkness 2: Hellscape

Massive Darkness 2: Hellscape
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Age: 14+
Players: 1-6
Play Time: 60 mins

This sequel offers a unique experience with six distinct character classes, providing varied gameplay within a satisfying loop of monster slaying, looting, and character progression.

Nemesis

Nemesis
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Age: 14+
Players: 1-5
Play Time: 60-180 mins

Nemesis captures the suspense of sneaking through corridors while avoiding dangerous aliens. Hidden objective cards introduce potential betrayal among players, adding a layer of social deduction to the survival gameplay.

Cthulhu: Death May Die

Cthulhu: Death May Die
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Age: 14+
Players: 1-5
Play Time: 90-120 mins

This cooperative horror game features scenarios focused on stopping dangerous rituals. The unique mechanic of gaining strength as sanity diminishes adds a risk/reward element to the gameplay.

Clank! Catacombs

Clank! Catacombs
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Age: 13+
Players: 1-4
Play Time: 45-90 mins

Clank! Catacombs features monster fighting, prisoner freeing, gold collection, and dragon avoidance. The tile-based map expands during gameplay, creating a roguelike experience with high replayability.

Marvel Zombies – A Zombicide Game

Marvel Zombies - A Zombicide Game
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Age: 14+
Players: 1-6
Play Time: 60 mins

This Zombicide entry features Marvel characters battling a zombie outbreak. The unique gameplay and high-quality miniatures make it a standout title in the series.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Change is Constant

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Change is Constant
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Age: 14+
Players: 1-5
Play Time: 45-150 mins

This game features a unique mechanic where dice rolls affect adjacent teammates, emphasizing cooperative gameplay. It can be played cooperatively or with one player as the villain.

Resident Evil: The Board Game

Resident Evil: The Board Game
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Age: 14+
Players: 1-4
Play Time: 60-90 mins

Set in the Spencer Mansion, this cooperative survival horror game features puzzles, limited resources, and plenty of zombies.

Arcadia Quest

Arcadia Quest
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Age: 13+
Players: 2-4
Play Time: 60 mins

This game features a chibi art style and easy-to-learn gameplay, with a unique competitive twist through player-versus-player quests within the campaign.