Mega Review: Tiny Epic Dungeons

People say the journey is more important than the destination. That definitely applies to board games. I've played many games and lost more times than I've won, yet the experience was almost always enjoyable. It's important to remember this when playing Tiny Epic Dungeons, because this game is damn hard. I lost again, yet I enjoyed every single minute of it!

Tiny Epic Dungeons is a compact cooperative dungeon crawler. It's the latest localized game from the Tiny Epic small-box series by Gamelyn Games, published in our country by REXhry under the Malá Velká (Tiny Epic) brand. It has long been true that games from this series promise easy learning, deep strategy, and high replayability. Tiny Epic Dungeons is all of these things and more! While it's a bit more complex than its predecessors, it gets under your skin quite quickly. Once again, it's remarkable how they managed to pack such a big game into such a small box.

Tiny Epic Dungeons is the fifth Czech addition to the Malá Velká series, even though the original Tiny Epic series already boasts over 15 titles, many with several expansions. It's clear that REXhry picks the truly most interesting pieces. For a long time, the most popular title here was Tiny Epic Galaxies, which is definitely the most played yet quite simple game. Tiny Epic Quest is also great. Tiny Epic Kingdoms or Tiny Epic Zombies are average, but I can still rate them as excellent games. At the same time, every game in the series is completely different and offers the experience of a big board game in a small package you can take anywhere. So, how did Tiny Epic Dungeons hold up against its older Czech siblings?

How do you play?

Each player starts by choosing their character. There is a wide range of heroes to choose from. Each character has different attributes and special abilities. Each player takes a health and stamina token. These are placed at the beginning of the respective slots on the character panels. Then, you place your miniature on the starting tile in the middle of the table.

Decks of dungeon tiles, spells, loot, minions, and goblins are placed on the side of the play area. A dungeon boss card is randomly selected and placed face down next to the play area, ready for the second part of the game. The torch token is placed at the beginning of the track on the torch mat and serves as the game timer. Then, you're ready to play.

Players take turns moving, performing one hero action, and any number of free actions they wish. Players move and reveal new dungeon tiles, uncovering goblins, traps, skill tests, or minions. To defeat an enemy or perform an action, players roll dice and perform skill tests. Successes can generate loot or spells, while failure often leads to loss of health.

After each player's turn, the torch moves down the track. This generates goblins or activates enemies. If the torch reaches the bottom, darkness consumes you and the game ends. It's a race against time to explore the dungeon, defeat enough minions, and find the boss's lair. If you are successful, the second part of the game begins.

In that part, the boss card is revealed along with their lair. The torch card is also flipped to restart the timer. Bosses are tough, and defeating them will require you to deal a lot of damage. Not only that, you will also need to lure the boss onto altar tiles to even be able to kill them. Even during this epic battle, the torch moves down the track after each player's turn. This generates more goblins or activates all enemies. The boss isn't the only thing you need to watch out for in the second part of the game.

If you manage to defeat the boss, you win. However, it's not as easy as it sounds. This game is hard due to the many different ways to lose. If five goblins are generated – you lose; if the dungeon can no longer be explored before revealing minions and the boss's lair – you lose; and if the torch reaches the bottom of the tracker – you lose. I've never enjoyed losing as much as I do here. And one day, that victory will come, and it will be the sweet cherry on top!

Gameplay Impressions

What's interesting about Tiny Epic Dungeons is that the experience is like a rollercoaster ride. One moment you seem to be on the path to victory, and the next you're overwhelmed by goblins. It may seem like all is lost until you cast a spell that destroys minions in one blow. You might be at your last health point, but if your companion can get close enough, they can heal you with a spell. It's these exceptional moments that make the game exciting and memorable. At the end of the game, whether you win or lose, you'll feel like you've been on an adventure and that the last 90 minutes were well spent. Tiny Epic Dungeons is a pure-blooded adventure brawl!

This game also forces you to think. It creates puzzles you must solve and forces you to develop strategies. You must cooperate to increase your chance of success. For example, you'll soon learn that you shouldn't stray too far from each other, and that it's more advantageous to at least split into groups. Which was our mistake in the first third of our first game. It's easy for one player to end up isolated and then be overwhelmed by goblins or sliced up by some trap. By staying just a few tiles apart, you can share damage and support each other while defeating monsters. You also have to keep the goblins in check. They will appear in the dungeon often. Before you know it, you might have four goblins on the board and be one goblin away from defeat. You must ensure you are in a position that allows you to keep their numbers to a minimum.

There are several ways to strengthen your character. Every time you successfully complete a skill test, you can gain loot or spells. You can only carry a limited number of items, so you must carefully consider what you keep and what you discard. By collecting weapons, armor, and trinkets from the same set, you gain additional bonuses. However, I recommend playing to your character's strengths. For example, if a character is more effective in melee combat, they should have the best melee weapon possible. If you cooperate with other players and carefully consider what items you carry, you have the potential to deal a lot of damage. That then gives you the best chance to defeat the boss. You also have to watch the torch track. Because it moves down after each player's turn, you can lose precious time very quickly. This means you should all make the most of your turn. If you lose all your health, you are stunned, and the only thing you can do on your next turn is rest to recover health and stamina.

Verdict

Tiny Epic Dungeons perfectly combines strategy, excitement, action, and tension. It's amazing that it all comes from such a small box. Don't get me wrong, it's obviously not Gloomhaven, but for a game in this price category, it has a lot to offer.

The components feel like they come from a more expensive game. Each playable character has their own miniature, which, although small, surprises with its detailed craftsmanship. The printed meeples for goblins and minions are also well done. They make the blue-grey miniatures look a bit dull. Still, nothing a quick paint job couldn't fix. The artwork on all the cards is truly impressive. Overall, this game looks great on the table.

There are a few downsides to consider before buying this game. First, it's difficult. You have to prepare for frequent losses. Second, there is a lot of iconography. At first, the amount of symbols might be overwhelming, so you'll often be looking at the reference card. Third, it takes up a lot of space. This game takes up a lot of table space, especially considering the size of the box. You'll need space for a 7x7 grid plus room for hero panels, the torch card, the boss card, goblin cards, and five decks of cards.

Additionally, you can immediately buy the Stories expansion, which adds more cards, enemies, and bosses to the game, plus two more modes. Stories adds special quests to complete, and Intricate Dungeons adds multiple dungeon floors and battles with several bosses, resulting in a truly long epic quest that will likely stretch for hours. You can also get playmats for the game, both for the dungeon and the hero panels. While they might organize the game on the table even better, you won't be able to just shove it into your pocket anymore, and thus the word "tiny" somehow loses its meaning.

I like the Tiny Epic series because it always brings a unique experience, all the Czech versions of the games fit into a backpack including expansions, and they entertain the whole weekend board game cabin. The latest addition, Tiny Epic Dungeons, is one of the best price-to-performance games I've seen lately. And out of the entire Tiny Epic series, it might be the very best one, and it has now replaced Tiny Epic Galaxies in my imaginary first place. It might not be the deepest game or the most sophisticated dungeon crawler, but it is immensely fun. Whether you and your teammates win or lose, this game is exciting, fun, small, and big.

author Honza Kohoutek