Daniel (@dungeondive) reviews Paper Dungeons, a “dungeon scrawler” — a roll-and-write that, with great amusement, wraps a story and even a campaign mode around the Yahtzee-evolved genre. You lead a party of warriors, wizards, clerics and rogues, rolling shared dice and spending the symbols to level heroes, craft relics and potions, traverse the dungeon, and fight minions and three escalating bosses. Does it feel like a real dungeon crawl? No — but it cleverly simulates the things we like about one.
He highlights the variety: twelve different dungeon sheets, each with its own bosses and hand-drawn wall layouts, so navigation and routing change every game; relics that let you cross water or walls to reach sealed gem rooms; per-player power cards and secret missions; and white/black dice tied to each hero’s training. It’s fast (about 20 minutes solo), plays up to eight with simultaneous turns and little downtime. His verdict: not what he reaches for when he genuinely wants a dungeon crawl, but a light, theme-forward winner for nights with friends who prefer roll-and-writes — and, crucially for him, a roll-and-write whose theme he actually enjoys.
Paper Dungeons wins Daniel over largely because it’s a roll-and-write with a theme he actually likes. How much does theme carry a light game for you — enough to keep one you’d otherwise pass on?