{"id":81535,"date":"2024-03-02T12:00:35","date_gmt":"2024-03-02T12:00:35","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/18.134.249.59\/?p=81535"},"modified":"2025-07-15T15:41:30","modified_gmt":"2025-07-15T14:41:30","slug":"best-dungeon-crawlers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/bigbossbattle.com\/best-dungeon-crawlers\/","title":{"rendered":"The Best 16 Dungeon Crawlers for When You Don’t Have Time for Gloomhaven"},"content":{"rendered":"
We\u2019ve all been there \u2014 you\u2019ve had a hard week, Friday is here and your mates are coming over for a games night. The thing is, whilst they might be expecting to spend four hours slogging through a heavy eurogame, you\u2019re just not feeling it. Or perhaps worse still, they want you to drag that copy of Gloomhaven <\/i>that you\u2019ve never been able to find the time to punch and sort out onto the table.<\/strong><\/h5>\n

When you\u2019re having a night like this, but you still want that face to face interaction with your friends, a really good, one-shot dungeon crawler can be just the tonic. All the games in this list are fast-paced and satisfying, with varying degrees of dice rolling and card play that you should be able to get set up and played in about two hours, or at worst a little longer.<\/span><\/p>\n

There\u2019s no particular order to this list, it\u2019s just thirteen good games that are well worth checking out, and where possible I\u2019ve tried to choose games that have different gameplay styles, albeit still under the banner of dungeon crawling in general.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Marvel Zombies<\/i><\/b><\/p>\n

Based on a collaboration between the titular Marvel Zombies comic series and the CMON <\/span>Zombicide <\/span><\/i>game system, <\/span>Marvel Zombies<\/span><\/i> is a 2023 Kickstarter that comes to retail with two core boxes (one for <\/span>Marvel Zombies<\/span><\/i> itself and one for <\/span>X-Men Resistance<\/span><\/i>) plus four decent character and tile expansions.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

This is the first of several Zombicide games in this list and I\u2019ve included it for two reasons that make it unique. Firstly, the inclusion of superheroes and zombie superheroes makes it very different to other games that use the system, and secondly because the <\/span>main <\/span><\/i>game here actually has the players take on the role of the zombies \u2014 meaning that you\u2019ll be trying to devour the S.H.I.E.L.D troops and the good guys, rather than the other way around.<\/span><\/p>\n

Each of the core boxes and every expansion comes with a range of both hero and zombie hero units though, and with the <\/span>X-Men Resistance <\/span><\/i>box, you can play in hero mode (which is my preference). The sheer number of heroes available as well as the range of missions and variations make <\/span>Marvel Zombies<\/span><\/i> a versatile addition to your collection, and the perfect way to kick off this list.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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Star Wars: Imperial Assault<\/i><\/b><\/p>\n

It\u2019s an old one, but it still checks out \u2014 that\u2019s what I\u2019d tell anyone who asks me about <\/span>Star Wars: Imperial Assault<\/span><\/i>. You can read more about it in our full review here, but to give you the quick rundown, <\/span>Star Wars: Imperial Assault <\/span><\/i>is a very, very classic dungeon-crawler – the likes of which anyone who played games like <\/span>Space Crusade<\/span><\/i> or <\/span>HeroQuest <\/span><\/i>in the 1980\u2019s will recognise.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The base game contains plenty of heroes and villains from the series that you\u2019ll be familiar with, but just in case that\u2019s not enough, the list of expansions and character and ally packs available for <\/span>Star Wars: Imperial Assault <\/span><\/i>is virtually limitless. New scenario boxes add to the tiles, settings and scenery, whilst there are even app-driven and skirmish modes for players to explore.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Oathsworn<\/i><\/b><\/p>\n

In <\/span>Oathsworn<\/span><\/i>, players join a sacred brotherhood who must delve into the deep woods that surround their home \u2014 protecting the innocent and driving back the darkness. This is the largest and most expensive game here, and whilst it verges on <\/span>Gloomhaven <\/span><\/i>size, the 21 (and a half) scenarios in the core box are easier to get into and easier to box off as episodes in a campaign that you might play over several months.<\/span><\/p>\n

Each adventure takes place in two separate sections, with the first half taking the form of a choose-your-own-adventure that involves party-based decision-making and skill checks. This part isn\u2019t a dungeon crawl per se, but at the end of that section, players will have an encounter which is almost always a huge battle with a big bad and a range of minions.<\/span><\/p>\n

Oathsworn <\/span><\/i>is a more thought-provoking experience than most of the other games in this list, but the extremely strong story elements and excellent voice acting (from Game of Thrones\u2019 James Cosmo) link superbly with the card-driven combat to present a fantastic overall package. You can grab <\/span>Oathsworn <\/span><\/i>as a single-box \u201cstandee\u201d version as well as a multi-box miniatures affair that will take over your entire house. Take my advice here and just buy the standee version, it\u2019s more than adequate.<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Project Elite<\/i><\/b><\/p>\n

Another unique entry in this list and sadly quite hard to find these days is Project Elite. This is a real-time game that has players frantically throwing dice to try and hold off ever-advancing waves of vicious aliens. We <\/span>reviewed it in full back in 2021<\/span><\/a>, and I have to say that I still rather enjoy it today.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Available at retail for a while and via a CMON Kickstarter, <\/span>Project Elite<\/span><\/i> was considered quite niche by consumers because real-time games are generally quite a difficult sell. In the context of your games night experience, this is one you might want to look out for if you want to set pulses racing – because it really is relentless and if you use the timing rules as you\u2019re supposed to, it can be pretty tough as well.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Clank! Catacombs<\/i><\/b><\/p>\n

Again, in the interest of offering lots of variety in this list, let\u2019s talk about <\/span>Clank! Catacombs<\/span><\/i>. This iteration of <\/span>Clank!<\/span><\/i> follows on from both the original <\/span>Clank! <\/span><\/i>(and its many expansions) and <\/span>Clank! in! Space!<\/span><\/i> (which also has many expansions), but uses a very simple change in the core components to deliver a completely different experience.<\/span><\/p>\n

Where the other versions use a pre-printed board (or one of several if you do have those expansions) <\/span>Clank! Catacombs <\/span><\/i>introduces tiles that are randomly placed as players explore the dungeon. This isn\u2019t unique among dungeon-crawlers, but what sets <\/span>Clank! Catacombs<\/span><\/i> apart from the other games on this list is the mixture of push-your-luck and deckbuilding gameplay that make it a load of fun.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Who will explore the deepest? Who will find the dragon\u2019s most valuable treasure? Who dares to keep on pushing to grab just one more item \u2014 and risk a cube of their colour being drawn from the bag when the dragon attacks? That\u2019s what <\/span>Clank! Catacombs<\/span><\/i> is all about \u2014 and believe it or not, it\u2019s almost always over and done with in just about an hour.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Massive Darkness 2<\/i><\/b><\/p>\n

Massive Darkness 2<\/span><\/i> is another gigantic Kickstarter from CMON \u2014 and I have no shame in including yet another of their IPs in this list, since frankly, they seem to know what they are good at and who am I to disagree? Whilst there are about ten boxes of stuff to work through if you have the whole thing, I just have the retail box and I believe there\u2019s plenty in there to be getting on with \u2014 in fact if anything, I think <\/span>Massive Darkness 2 <\/span><\/i>might actually have the best CMON miniatures that I\u2019ve yet seen.<\/span><\/p>\n

Whilst many CMON games boil the dungeon crawler concept down to its most basic, <\/span>Massive Darkness 2 <\/span><\/i>is actually pretty clever. Each character has not just unique statistics and abilities, but a unique board or minigame that is used to help them deal damage to enemies, heal or buff their friends or otherwise affect the game. This is clever, unique and fun, edging <\/span>Massive Darkness 2 <\/span><\/i>towards the slightly longer and more complex end of this list.<\/span><\/p>\n

There\u2019s lots of other clever stuff as well – enemies scale in number based on player count and come at the player in mobs – groups of creatures with a leader. Each mob has one or more items and loot tokens, and much as it does in <\/span>Zombicide<\/span><\/i>, CMON gets the abundance of loot and advancement through experience just right in <\/span>Massive Darkness 2, <\/span><\/i>making it feel generous and increasing the power of both players and enemies constantly throughout.<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Betrayal at Baldur\u2019s Gate<\/i><\/b><\/p>\n

A cooperative game based on a collaboration between Dungeons & Dragons\/Wizards of the Coast and Avalon Hill (the original publisher of <\/span>Betrayal at House on the Hill<\/span><\/i>), <\/span>Betrayal at Baldur\u2019s Gate<\/span><\/i> is absolutely raucous fun. <\/span>As we described in our 2017 review<\/span><\/a>, this is a game that can simply break at times \u2014 but it never outstays its welcome.<\/span><\/p>\n

In short, <\/span>Betrayal at House on the Hill <\/span><\/i>begins as a cooperative experience, but it uses a system called \u201chaunts\u201d which typically results in at least one player (but often more) changing sides and often either changing into something else entirely. This results in very random consequences and a totally unique experience every single time.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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Zombicide: Black Plague<\/i><\/b><\/p>\n

The second (but not the last) <\/span>Zombicide <\/span><\/i>game to feature in this list is 2015\u2019s <\/span>Zombicide: Black Plague<\/span><\/i>. This is the first of three games (so far) that build around the concept of a melee focussed <\/span>Zombicide <\/span><\/i>game. The second of these is <\/span>Zombicide: Green Horde<\/span><\/i>, whilst the third is the as yet unreleased <\/span>Zombicide: White Death. <\/span><\/i>For me, <\/span>Green Horde<\/span><\/i> is way too hard, but <\/span>Zombicide: Black Plague <\/span><\/i>strikes a great balance and as a result, has become somewhat evergreen.<\/span><\/p>\n

With a huge set of Kickstarter expansions available should you have deep pockets, or a smaller number of retail expansions if you don\u2019t, there\u2019s loads of content here as well. The core game includes six hero characters and a whole ton of zombie and monster figures, although it only has one abomination. This lack of \u201cbig bad\u201d enemies is somewhat mitigated by the ever-frustrating Necromancer, who summons enemies in ever greater numbers if you let him.<\/span><\/p>\n

When I talk about the<\/span> Zombicide <\/span><\/i>melee system, the main thing that differs is that the players have armour \u2014 which helps them stay in the same zone as enemies. This is never the case in other <\/span>Zombicide <\/span><\/i>games, and so in terms of how <\/span>Zombicide: Black Plague <\/span><\/i>feels, there\u2019s much more of a sense of chopping through hordes of enemies and breaking their lines than there is in some of the other games here.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Dark Souls: The Board Game<\/i><\/b><\/p>\n

Dark Souls: The Board Game<\/span><\/i> is another game that <\/span>we reviewed a few years ago<\/span><\/a>, but we also covered <\/span>a more recent pair of core boxes that came out at the end of 2022<\/span><\/a>. Created by Steamforged Games (who do a lot of videogame-to-board game adaptations), <\/span>Dark Souls: The Board Game<\/span><\/i> is a very solid representation of the digital game \u2014 with tough, strategic combat and punishing consequences for failure.<\/span><\/p>\n

Perhaps the best thing about getting into <\/span>Dark Souls: The Board Game<\/span><\/i> now is that the new versions include a lot of improvements and minor tweaks that streamline the experience hugely. You can get into the game quickly, the new checkpoint system makes the game feel easier (but a better word might be fairer) and the enemies have been balanced a little more to enable players to actually gain some souls (and power up) before taking on the bigger baddies.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Cthulhu: Death May Die<\/i><\/b><\/p>\n

With the abundance of CMON games already here, for some reason <\/span>Cthulhu: Death May Die<\/span><\/i> is the one game that I considered cutting from this list. I don\u2019t know why that is, either, since I think this is probably my favourite game here \u2014 and it is absolutely the archetypal dungeon crawler. This time, the Kickstarter content on offer is modest and you probably don\u2019t need it, whilst at retail there\u2019s a core box, a second season box and a couple of standalone Elder One enemies.<\/span><\/p>\n

What makes <\/span>Cthulhu: Death May Die<\/span><\/i> so good is the way that players can create a modular experience by choosing a scenario, adding an Elder One (with a choice of two in the core box) and then choosing their player characters. This creates highly variable experiences that really do tell stories.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The main gameplay hooks in <\/span>Cthulhu: Death May Die<\/span><\/i> revolve around the player characters descending into madness. Each player has three ability tracks that define how they play, and each of these has four levels. As the player takes madness tokens (which is what happens when your fighting Cthulhu and pals) these skills level up, but if a player reaches \u201cfull\u201d madness, every loses\u2026 Another absolute cracker for your 90 to 120-minute game night, with loads of lovely dice rolling and all the monster madness you could wish for.<\/span><\/p>\n

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CoraQuest<\/i><\/b><\/p>\n

Here\u2019s another guest appearance really, as I am not even sure if <\/span>CoraQuest <\/span><\/i>has come to retail \u2014 but it may well be Kickstarted for a third time. <\/span>CoraQuest <\/span><\/i>is a true labour of love created by a dedicated dad called Dan Hughes, along with his daughter, Cora. With that frame, you may have guessed that <\/span>CoraQuest <\/span><\/i>is more focused on younger players \u2014 and you\u2019d be exactly right.<\/span><\/p>\n

Sometimes, my Friday game night is actually just me and my eldest children (aged seven and nine). There\u2019s nothing they want more than to crack out <\/span>CoraQuest <\/span><\/i>and see what happens in the next simple-to-setup scenario concerning a missing gnome, some stolen cheese, and an array of other serious-sounding, but not exactly apocalyptic quests.<\/span><\/p>\n

With dice to roll in combat, items to collect and equip, and an array of fun characters to both play as and fight against, <\/span>CoraQuest <\/span><\/i>is every bit a valid dungeon crawler, and it\u2019s the perfect game to use in order to get your kids into the genre. One for specific audiences only, but still perhaps one of my most played games in this list.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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Dungeons of Infinity<\/i><\/b><\/p>\n

Dungeons of Infinity<\/em>, from Sky Kingdom Games, is a sprawling, modular dungeon crawler that blends classic fantasy adventuring with a modern, scenario-driven structure. It offers a flexible system that supports solo, cooperative, and competitive play, with a wide variety of heroes, enemies, and dungeon layouts. The game\u2019s core appeal lies in its unpredictability \u2014 dungeons are procedurally generated using a deck of room and event cards, ensuring that no two runs feel quite the same. Combat is fast-paced and dice-driven, with a strong emphasis on tactical positioning and risk management, while the campaign and scenario modes add narrative depth and long-term progression.<\/p>\n

What stands out most about\u00a0Dungeons of Infinity<\/em>\u00a0is its ambition. The sheer amount of content \u2014 from unique hero abilities to varied enemy types and branching storylines \u2014 gives it a sense of scale that rivals much larger titles. The production quality is solid, with detailed miniatures, vibrant artwork, and a well-organised rulebook that makes the game surprisingly accessible despite its complexity. That said, the game can feel overwhelming at first, especially for new players, and setup time is not insignificant. But for those willing to invest,\u00a0Dungeons of Infinity<\/em>\u00a0offers a rich, replayable dungeon-crawling experience that rewards strategic thinking and group coordination.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Zombicide: 2nd Edition<\/i><\/b><\/p>\n

Well, I make no apologies for including yet another <\/span>Zombicide <\/span><\/i>game in this list, but I do promise that this is the last one. Really. We reviewed <\/span>Zombicide: 2nd Edition<\/span><\/i> in full <\/span>here<\/span><\/a> a couple of years ago, and it remains a very solid dungeon-crawling experience, especially for those who want a traditional, modern day setting rather than the fantasy or superhero setting as seen in either <\/span>Zombicide: Black Plague <\/span><\/i>or <\/span>Marvel Zombies.\u00a0<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

The gameplay in <\/span>Zombicide: 2nd Edition <\/span><\/i>is also a little easier than you\u2019ll find in the most of the spin off games – because the core experience needs to have broader appeal. This makes <\/span>Zombicide: 2nd Edition <\/span><\/i>a really nice, straightforward game to get to the table if you have less experienced gamers. The rules in this edition are fewer and simpler, and the action is fast-paced, rewarding and fairly generous.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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Borderlands: Mister Torgue\u2019s Arena of Badassery<\/i><\/b><\/p>\n

Whilst <\/span>Borderlands: Mister Torgue\u2019s Arena of Badassery<\/span><\/i> has a stupid name, it\u2019s not a stupid game. This is more an arena shooter than it is a true dungeon-crawler, but the effect is very similar. Up to four players will each control one of <\/span>Borderlands <\/span><\/i>iconic Vault Hunters as they work cooperatively to blast their way through hordes of enemies.<\/span><\/p>\n

This game is all about tough decisions in combat and then the loot that explodes liberally from every dispatched enemy. Bigger and more dangerous foes (including bosses and variants) spawn continuously until the end of each mission, and if played as intended, <\/span>Borderlands: Mister Torgue\u2019s Arena of Badassery<\/span><\/i> is a campaign game that allows players to take their characters from one mission to the next.<\/span><\/p>\n

This is another example of how a games night can be both light-hearted and yet filled with interesting decisions at the same time. The combat is tactical and clever, the loot feels satisfying and if you\u2019re a fan of the videogames, then you\u2019ll appreciate how close most of the Vault Hunters feel to their digital counterparts.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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Maladum: Dungeons of Enveron<\/i><\/b><\/p>\n

Alongside Descent: Journey’s in the Dark<\/em>, Maladum: Dungeons of Enveron<\/em> is perhaps the only present-day dungeon crawler that I can name which includes 3d scenery in the box. With walls, chests and other furniture in the box, Maladum: Dungeons of Enveron\u00a0<\/em>creates a hugely immersive experience for players that is hard to match in terms of table presence. Maladum\u00a0<\/em>also borrows a few elements from games like Zombicide<\/em>, thanks to the clever player boards that organise everything really nicely.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

For me, Maladum: Dungeons of Enveron\u00a0<\/em>is a more grown up, complex dungeon crawler that very much encroaches upon the role of an RPG within my collection. The rules are more complex than most of the other games on this list, with concepts for initiative, lots of different skills, abilities and tokens to manage and enemies that behave in more complex ways than some of the other games.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Despite this, Maladum: Dungeons of Enveron\u00a0<\/em>offers a really exciting take on the standard dungeon crawler experience. Not only does it look more exciting, it also plays in a more exciting way – with real jeopardy and excitement on every turn. The enemies here are really nasty, the loot often exciting but interesting to build around, and lots of ways to resolve challenges than simply bashing them. The thinking persons dungeon crawler!<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

DOOM (2016)<\/i><\/b><\/p>\n

I include Fantasy Flight Games 2016 edition of <\/span>DOOM <\/span><\/i>here more as an homage than anything else, since you can\u2019t buy it new now and have little chance of finding it second hand for anything less than an arm and a leg. When we <\/span>reviewed this game back in 2017<\/span><\/a>, I remember waxing lyrical about how the Glory Kill system had been translated onto a tabletop so expertly – and six years later, I stand by what I said.<\/span><\/p>\n

If you can actually find it, <\/span>DOOM <\/span><\/i>may be the best game on this list \u2014 after all, it feels so authentic to the videogame and has there ever been a better dungeon-crawling videogame than this made? I don\u2019t think so \u2014 at least not with the technology available at the time. And, the board game reflects that same level of genius – superb level design, incredible gameplay mechanics and perfect enemy placement to bring it all together.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Love board games? Check out our list of the top board games we\u2019ve reviewed<\/b><\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

We\u2019ve all been there \u2014 you\u2019ve had a hard week, Friday is here and your mates are coming over for a games night. The thing is, whilst they might be expecting to spend four hours slogging through a heavy eurogame, you\u2019re just not feeling it. Or perhaps worse still, they want you to drag that […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":32,"featured_media":81622,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2983],"tags":[4134,10375,10376,10377,3651,571,7993,10373,10374,10372,9364],"class_list":["post-81535","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-tabletop-features","tag-betrayal-at-baldurs-gate","tag-borderlands","tag-coraquest","tag-cthulhu-death-may-die","tag-dark-souls","tag-doom","tag-gloomhaven","tag-marvel-zombies","tag-oathsworn","tag-star-wars-imperial-assault","tag-zombicide"],"yoast_head":"\nThe Best 16 Dungeon Crawlers for When You Don't Have Time for Gloomhaven – Big Boss Battle (B3)<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Are you done with Gloomhaven and want another dungeon crawler to sink your teeth into? 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