From designers Nate Chatellier and Manny Trembley, Dice Throne: Season One will pit players against each other in a board game where heroes and their abilities are dependent upon the luck of the roll and the tactics of their card deck. Dice Throne is fast-paced, with fights lasting between 20 and 40 minutes. Two to six players will engage in brutal combat to the death, and the dueling game can be played 1v1, 2v2, 3v3, 2v2v2, or free-for-all. With that much variety, Dice Throne can be one of the staples of your tabletop library.

Six heroes are available in Season One, and eight more are on the way with Dice Throne: Season 2, which successfully funded on Kickstarter with almost $1 million pledged toward the new heroes. 

All of the heroes possess distinct offensive and defensive abilities, as well as a unique card deck that will require strategic implementation following tactical die rolls. And the exciting gameplay dynamics in Dice Throne: Season One guarantee that players will want to challenge their family and friends over and over.

STORY

For a thousand years, the Mad King has sat atop his high throne seeking a worthy challenger. Each year he hosts a tournament of champions with the greatest prize a hero could ever want: the throne.

But over a thousand tournaments the Mad King has never lost. Heroes come from all corners of the globe, each with their own reasons for seeking supreme power. 

Will you be the one bold enough to take the throne?

The story sets up the strategic dice dueling game, but the truth is: the tournament never ends. And we’re happy about that. 

GAMEPLAY 

First, players will need to decide what mode to play. Then each combatant will need to select a hero from the six available. Each hero will have a custom set of five dice that will correspond to their abilities. Activating a hero’s abilities requires dice combinations, and these attacks can be upgraded as the game progresses. In addition to ability upgrades, the hero’s deck will also include cards to manipulate dice and to interfere with your opponent(s). Winning is dependent on reducing the enemy’s health to zero.

So, let’s talk about the heroes. All six of them are well-balanced, and the asymmetry of their individual strategies elevates Dice Throne above other board games in the genre.

First up is the Barbarian. He’s the hack and slash kind of brutish warrior who focuses on hitting hard and recovering health. His punches pack a wallop; beware of his heavy hits because they can ravage your health if you’re not careful.

The Moon Elf is one of the lower difficulty heroes in the game but plays nothing like the Barbarian. Her techniques involved evading attacks while disabling the attacks and strategies of her opponents. Whittle them down.

The Monk also works to negate damage by evading attacks and harnessing Chi. More than blunt incoming damage, Chi can also bolster attacks to deal more damage to the opponent. The Monk flows between defense and offense to seek balance. Yin and yang. 

Lingering attacks and deception are key to winning for the Shadow Thief. Poison will debilitate the opponent over time and staying in the dark will prevent damage and enhance the attacks of the Shadow Thief. Strike when they least expect it.

Hit hard and hit early with the Pyromancer because defense is not her strong suit. She is a master of fire, and players will need to take advantage of her early advantage as she deals strong damage from the beginning. If you don’t defeat your opponent quickly, though, the tide may turn against the Pyromancer.

And that leaves the Paladin. Filled with holy fervor, the righteous knight can summon a celestial defense or a holy power that will vanquish his enemies. Like the Monk, the Paladin is balanced between defense and offense, but he relies upon the strength of his conviction to earn the victory.

Turns are divided into different phases: the upkeep phase, the income phase, the main phase (1), the offensive roll phase, the targeting roll phase (if there are more than two players), the defensive roll phase, the main phase (2), and the discard phase. That may sound like a lot, but the rules are very simple to learn and the turns proceed smoothly.

One game will be enough to grasp the mechanics, which means that casual gamers and hardcore gamers alike will appreciate Dice Throne.

For a game with six asymmetric heroes and a lot of chaos, Dice Throne feels remarkably balanced. One hero does not always win against another. Every hero has a chance and using their abilities and card deck wisely will be important.

VISUALS

The distinctive heroes and the art style of the game are appealing; everything looks like it could be in an exciting animated fantasy or adventure comic with lively characters.

But that’s not the real beauty of Dice Throne. The components and box design will make you drool. So many games neglect any organization and quality to the design of the board game’s innards, but Dice Throne offers an elegant solution to your organizational woes. Each hero has their own plastic tray that houses the effect tokens beneath the individual hero deck. On top of the cards rest the health dial and combat point dial. To the side of that main compartment is an inset trough that holds the five hero dice. Each plastic tray is removable and the thick, sturdy hero boards, character reference cards, and rulebook all lay on top. It’s neat. It’s perfect. And it makes setting up a game so easy.

Boardgame designers should look to games like Dice Throne when considering their boxes. 

REPLAYABILITY

Dice Throne: Season One is a simple game that can be endlessly explored. It’s hard to overstate how many hours you can spend playing. Whether it’s a casual or competitive environment, players will be able to derive so much joy from this thrilling combat experience.

WHAT IT COULD HAVE DONE BETTER

The mechanics of Dice Throne are engaging and addictive. So much so that I would want there to be a mode for solo play. Enough games have developed AI mechanics that can allow players to start a campaign without any other companions. I would have liked to see something like that in Dice Throne. It’s a small complaint and one that is largely overshadowed by the excellent gameplay.

VERDICT

Dice Throne excels in creating a fun experience that family and friends can enjoy together. Whether it’s a head-to-head battle or a team-based brawl, Dice Throne: Season One obliterates the competition and introduces enduring mechanics for both casual and hardcore gamers.