The game mechanics, so friendly and frictionless, combined with bland scenario design to produce a game that felt less like a thrilling adventure and more like a weird optimisation race. But, in time, Second Edition proved to be a bit of a bust. So many of the old frustrations had been smoothed into a light and delicious powder like Banana Nesquik or – if I was writing this for Vice – Cocaine. In the early going, this new edition was a delight and a revelation.
The second edition of Descent came when the fashion was for streamlining games. And yet, the game felt huge, epic and sprawling. It was deeply unfriendly, with one person playing as the evil Overlord and the others controlling a band of heroes who would grow to absolutely detest the power the Overlord wielded – the power to keep you up until three in the morning by spawning twenty kobolds in front of every exit. It took ages to play, caused arguments with your friends over rules issues, and loaded you up with enough fiddly cardboard tokens to choke that weird horse you met in Soho who likes getting choked. The first edition of Descent was a great game, and an absolute shambles. It was 2006, and I'd just played a board game called Descent: Journeys in the Dark. I’m talking back before Prince died, an event that would send the universe rattling onto the darkest timeline. First, let me take your hand – don't worry, I've recently sanitised and I'm double vaccinated – so that I can lead you back in time.
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