Dungeons & Dragons is the oldest table top role playing game out there, with dozens of expansion books released over the decades since it came out. But how many people nowadays have the time to devote several hours once or twice a week to meet with friends and play a game? Luckily, there are other options for those who wish to indulge in a little dungeon crawling with their friends, without as much commitment.

Players are drawn to Dungeons & Dragons, and other TTRPGs, for the escapism - the ability to get lost in another world, if only for a few hours. The fun of pretending to be someone else is heightened by the thrill of adventure and battle. It's a social game, allowing for a large group of people to sit around a table and engage with one another. Often, the only downfall to these epic nights is the time it takes create a character, and invest in dice, D&D books, and other accessories needed for a Dungeons & Dragons campaign.

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Over the years Wizards of the Coast has released over a dozen different board games and card games that live in the Dungeons & Dragons universe. These games range from creepy tile games like Betrayal at Baldur's Gate, to light-hearted card games like The Great Dalmuti: Dungeons & Dragons. The most fun ones, however, are the ones that get players immersed in the world of Dungeons & Dragons, while also giving the players an opportunity to experience other gaming styles.

D&D Adventure Begins

Dungeons and Dragons Adventure Begins

This game is the closest that a player can get to playing Dungeons & Dragons, without actually playing Dungeons & Dragons. Designed for 2-4 players, D&D Adventure Begins is a great board game to get new players into Dungeons & Dragons. It has many different options for gameplay, without too much setup. Each different option means that there are endless ways to play the game, and each play through will be different than the last. The rules are simple enough to pick up quickly, but versatile enough to keep players interested.

Waterdeep - Dungeon of the Mad Mage

Waterdeep Dungeon Of The Mad Mage

A slightly more involved game, Waterdeep - Dungeon of the Mad Mage is the most recent installment in the Dungeons & Dragons Adventure Board Game System. Players needn't have experience with the other Adventure System games to pick this one up - in fact, the system has been revised over the years, which has resulted in making the newer versions of these D&D games even more accessible. Made for 1-5 players, those who love puzzles and working as a team will find Waterdeep - Dungeon of the Mad Mage fun, challenging, and rewarding as they explore Undermountain in search for treasure.

Assault of the Giants

Assault of the Giants

For players that love in-depth strategy games, Assault of the Giants blends resource management, land capture, and skirmishes to be a play-for-a-couple-hours-kind of game. Players must choose one of six giant Dungeons & Dragons races to represent and carry out their agenda, and wage war against the other giants. Each race has their own unique agenda that lends itself to clever card play, rather than brute force.

Dungeon Mayhem

Dungeon Mayhem

Though not technically a board game, it is the most fun D&D game that is not D&DDungeon Mayhem is composed of 4 pre-made decks which players use to battle each other by playing spells, weapons, and items. This fast-paced card game even has a couple expansion packs out now that allow extra players to join the fight for an even more heated battle. Choose either a Paladin, Rogue, Barbarian, or Wizard and battle it out in a dungeon full of treasure!

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