Talisman Prologue by Nomad Games is the first in a series of strategy role playing games based off the Talisman boardgame by Games Workshop.

Talisman Prologue is a single player version of the game which focuses on taking the many characters available and completing a series of quests tailored to the special ability each possess. Starting with the noble warrior, and his ability to wield two weapons, you roll dice to move around the digital rendered board and fight a variety of monsters. To aid you in your quests you will find gold, weapons, spells and travelling companions in order to give you an edge. As you land on each area of the board you must do as it says, often a matter of drawing cards you can also find yourself punished in graveyards or turned into a toad by an enchantress. The cards you draw can be a boon or a punishment as you gain gold and items, get visited by merchants or find mystical locations or find yourself facing down a variety of creatures from the mundane goblin to the viscous dragon.

At first glance you may question a single player version of a game that is in essence a multiplayer race to victory and as I did the same I wouldn’t hold it against you. However Talisman Prologue has proven its worth and provides a chance for new and experienced players both to explore the world and learn how to maximize the special abilities of the many different characters at your disposal. I found the quests provided a variety of challenges that were beaten in a reasonable amount of time which gives the player the option to play for a short period of time or many hours. Veterans of the boardgame will know that a full game can readily eat up an afternoon and so having the ability to enjoy a condensed experience widens the play-ability of the game. When you complete the quests your are rated on how well you did including the number of turns it took and so some replay value is added in challenging yourself to best your own records. Finally the game is wrapped in a very fluid and well designed user interface that makes playing through your turns a simple and fun experience. Once I got settled in and past the helpful tutorial pop-ups I was able to readily lose myself into the challenges and not once did I feel pulled out of the fun because i was stumbling on the controls.

Talisman Prologue shows great promise as a stand alone addition to any strategists entourage of games and also serves as a trainer too and a demonstration of the potential of Nomad Games second release which will feature the multiplayer action you crave. Whether to support an excellently crafted single player experience being brought to your stable of steam games or to ensure Nomad Games gets the support they need to complete their next project head on over to Steams Greenlight and vote for Talisman Prologue now!