Dungeon crawling has been a staple of tabletop games for decades now, popularized by Dungeons & Dragons and other games that built on its structure to create more accessible games. As a result of their nature, dungeon crawlers are often combat-heavy, though some games - such as Gloomhaven - attempt to incorporate narrative elements.
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Dungeon-crawlers are often fully or semi-cooperative games in which players take control of various characters battling a variety of enemies on a board using a combat system often involving dice, though sometimes this combat system varies. Sometimes these games require a player to control the enemies, while others don’t, and they often feature miniatures to represent the various characters.
Updated on January 15, 2024, by Harry Ted Sprinks: While many tabletop games feature complex rules and arduous gameplay structures that are as hard to teach as they are to learn, dungeon crawlers are often an exception. The action-packed, often fast-paced gameplay of dungeon crawlers tends to involve a lot of dice-rolling, with players moving miniatures around a board and battling enemies. This gameplay is reminiscent of many modern video games, and for those looking to dip their toe in the world of tabletop games, dungeon-crawlers such as Dungeons & Dragons: Ravenloft, or the more recent Gloomhaven, are a great place to start.
12 Mansions Of Madness - A Lovecraftian, Survival Horror "Dungeon" Crawl
Board Game Geek Rating: 8.0
- Player Count: 1-5
- Play Time: 120-180 Minutes
- Complexity Rating: 2.68/5
- Release Date: 2016
This cooperative board game puts players in the shoes of investigators, battling against Lovecraftian horrors as they crawl through various haunted mansions. Mansions Of Madness may not be a dungeon crawler in the literal sense, but its gameplay is very much in keeping with the genre.
In Mansions Of Madness, players will fight to stay alive across a campaign of four distinct scenarios, collecting a variety of weapons and tools along the way. Although Mansions Of Madness can take a while to play, and can often provide a challenge, its well-crafted design makes it worth the time investment. However, Mansions Of Madness is driven by an app, so it's not a game for those who dislike mixing technology with their tabletop experience.
11 Dungeons & Dragons: Castle Ravenloft - A Classic And Accessible Dungeon Crawler
Board Game Geek Rating: 7.0
- Player Count: 1-5
- Play Time: 60 Minutes
- Complexity Rating: 2.50/5
- Release Date: 2010
This cooperative dungeon crawler has players taking on the role of one of several unique heroes, collecting treasures by battling enemies and completing various tasks. Throughout the game, players explore the dungeon via a broad variety of tiles.
Dungeons & Dragons: Castle Ravenloft is a fairly standard dungeon-crawling experience that does little to innovate on the genre, but its easy-to-learn, action-packed gameplay still provides a good time, especially when played with larger groups. Furthermore, despite its age, the game is still fairly accessible and easy to find.
10 Clank! - A Competitive Deck-Building Dungeon Crawl
Board Game Geek Rating: 7.8
- Player Count: 2-4
- Play Time: 30-60 Minutes
- Complexity Rating: 2.22/5
- Release Date: 2016
This deck-building game has 2-4 players racing into a dungeon to grab as much treasure as they can and return to the surface before they’re inevitably killed by a dragon. Clank! Is tense and strategic, often encouraging moments of risk and competition.
While Clank! Does have rules for defeating enemies, they are there to enhance the strategy and deck-building of the game, rather than to be part of the core loop. The game isn’t cooperative, so for players looking for an exclusively cooperative hack-and-slash experience, Clank! Might not be for them. However, if players are looking for a unique take on the dungeon-crawler genre, this game is worth a shot.
9 Escape The Dark Castle - An Affordable Dungeon-Crawling Experience
Board Game Geek Rating: 7.4
- Player Count: 1-4
- Play Time: 20-45 Minutes
- Complexity Rating: 1.21/5
- Release Date: 2017
For more casual players, Escape The Dark Castle is a small and affordable dungeon-crawling experience in the style of choose-your-own-adventure games. Players take control of a unique character with their own statistics and take turns drawing “Chapter Cards.” Although there is no turn order, players decide who turns the card each time.
Each Chapter Card represents a room or passage and contains a unique challenge for the players in the form of mini-games built from the game’s various mechanics, usually involving the playing of cards and/or the rolling of dice. Players will continue drawing Chapter Cards until they reach the final boss, at which point they must defeat it. If, at any point, a character dies, it's game over.
8 Warhammer Quest: Cursed City - A Dungeon-Crawling Miniatures Game
Board Game Geek Rating: 7.3
- Player Count: 1-4
- Play Time: 120-180 Minutes
- Complexity Rating: 2.41/5
- Release Date: 2021
One of the pricier games, Warhammer Quest: Cursed City is a recent installment in the revered Warhammer Quest series, though many of the other installments are out of print. For those who can afford it, though, Warhammer Quest: Cursed City is not only a great dungeon-crawling adventure, it's a great entry into the Warhammer hobby.
This miniatures game is packed with everything players need, including 8 hero models and 42 enemy models. Unlike most other Games Workshop products, this game's miniatures are push-to-fit, making assembly much easier for beginners. However, the availability of Warhammer Quest: Cursed City isn’t great. For players who don’t mind a little sci-fi in their dungeon-crawling, Warhammer Quest: Blackstone Fortress is easier to come by.
7 Mice And Mystics - A Family-Friendly Adventure
Board Game Geek Rating: 7.2
- Player Count: 1-4
- Play Time: 60-90 Minutes
- Complexity Rating: 2.72/5
- Release Date: 2012
For fans of Redwall, or The Wind In The Willows, this family-friendly dungeon-crawling adventure takes a more story-based approach, with a narrative that runs between missions. In the game, 1-4 players take control of various adventuring mice, taking on a variety of enemies across a campaign.
The game features a “Cheese System” that allows players to collect cheese and use it to further their characters in true RPG fashion. Although Mice And Mystics can be a little simplistic, it’s a great lightweight dungeon-crawler for beginners, or for those looking for a game to play with their family.
6 One Deck Dungeon - A Tabletop Roguelike
Board Game Geek Rating: 7.0
- Player Count: 1-2
- Play Time: 30 Minutes
- Complexity Rating: 2.07/5
- Release Date: 2016
This game takes the rogue-like format often used in video games and applies it to the tabletop with randomized dungeons packed with various enemies that players battle through, building up their characters as they go.
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One Deck Dungeon is a game for 1-2 players, though it’s arguably more fun with a friend. For players wanting to play in a bigger group, another game set is required. The game is played with cards and dice, with every obstacle in the game represented by a card that gives unique rewards for overcoming it. One Deck Dungeon is a great dungeon-crawler for those looking for a game that can be played alone or with a friend, is relatively small and affordable, and has video game elements. For those who want to experience it digitally, the game also has a Steam version.
5 Arcadia Quest - A Semi-Cooperative Game That Combines PvE With PvP
Board Game Geek Rating: 7.6
- Player Count: 2-4
- Play Time: 60 Minutes
- Complexity Rating: 2.53/5
- Release Date: 2014
This game from CoolMiniOrNot and Spaghetti Western Games is a 2-4 player semi-cooperative game in which players adventure through a campaign of scenarios, battling a variety of enemies and each other at the same time.
Each player has control of three unique characters which can be upgraded with better weapons and abilities as players progress through the campaign. The game also features a branching path, allowing players to play through the campaign multiple times with different configurations of scenarios. Each scenario features two quest types: PvE quests and PvP quests. Overall, Arcadia Quest provides a unique take on the dungeon-crawl genre with its semi-competitive nature.
4 Dungeons & Dragons - A Tabletop RPG Built For Dungeon Crawling
Board Game Geek Rating: N/A
- Player Count: 3+
- Play Time: N/A
- Complexity Rating: N/A
- Release Date: 2014
Arguably the most famous tabletop RPG, and perhaps one of the most famous tabletop games in general, Dungeons & Dragons is the origin of dungeon crawling, especially in its classic form. While tabletop role-playing games have steered further away from the core loop of dungeon-crawling and more towards overarching narrative gameplay, Dungeons & Dragons remains a great system for tasking players with clearing out dungeons full of baddies.
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Dungeons & Dragons does need a Dungeon Master and at least two other players for the game to work, though it’s recommended to play with at least three player characters, and the more, the merrier. For players who are willing to use their imaginations, and don’t mind putting a little effort into creating their own experience, Dungeons & Dragons is a great facilitator for hack-and-slash dungeon-crawling.
3 HeroQuest - An Old-School Classic
Board Game Geek Rating: 7.2
- Player Count: 2-5
- Play Time: 90 Minutes
- Complexity Rating: 2.14/5
- Release Date: 1989
Inspired by the hit tabletop role-playing game, Dungeons & Dragons, HeroQuest capitalized on the popularity of D&D by creating a more accessible, family-friendly dungeon-crawler that allowed a Dungeon Master to use the included board and cardboard tiles to create their own dungeons.
The game was published by Milton Bradley and Games Workshop and featured several plastic miniatures. Four heroes of the classic classes/races of Dungeons & Dragons (a wizard, elf, dwarf, and barbarian), as well as several enemy and furniture models. HeroQuest also had several expansions released in the years that followed its launch, and a revised version of the game was printed in 2021 following a crowdfunding campaign. At the time of writing, new prints of HeroQuest are readily available, though the game might be too easy and/or simple for dungeon-crawling veterans.