Daniel (@dungeondive) begins a dedicated series on Warhammer Quest: Silver Tower, calling it one of the best modern dungeon crawls and an absolute masterclass in onboarding. The game was designed by James M. Hewitt (Hellboy, Gore Chosen) as a tightly focused narrative experience set entirely within one ever-shifting location—the Silver Tower of the Gaunt Summoner.
Daniel walks through how the game teaches itself: the “Read This First” guidebook interweaves rules learning with atmospheric narrative passages and evocative diorama art, getting players into their first trial before they’ve read the full rulebook. The adventure book uses a D66 passage system for randomised encounters, including charades, dice-stacking challenges, riddles, and fourth-wall-breaking moments. Combat uses an action-selection dice system where each hero rolls four dice and spends them on abilities keyed to specific values. A campaign spans 8-10 sessions hunting amulet fragments before a final confrontation. Daniel notes the game’s psychedelic tile art, its compatibility with the Shadows Over Hammerhal expansion, and a relative lack of skill and treasure variety as its main weakness—though the companion app adds digital card packs to help.
Does a game that teaches itself through play appeal to you more than reading a rulebook first?