Streamline
  • Home
  • Spotlight
  • Reviews
    • Action
    • Strategy
    • RPGs
  • Most Hardcore
    • Devices
    • Gifts
    • Gadgets
  • About Us
  • Android-Human Fall Flat-Candyland-001
    Human Fall Flat Mobile Launches Brand-New Level: Candyland
  • Feature image
    Dunk City Dynasty Launches Globally on May 22
  • feature image Sky
    Sky: Children of the Light Review
  • Android--Carrion--001
    Carrion Review
  • Odin: Valhalla Rising title
    Norse Mythology-Inspired MMORPG Odin: Valhalla Rising Launches This Month
  • Android-MythWalker-001
    MythWalker Expands Adventure With Over 20 New Story Quests
  • Tribe Nine feature image
    TRIBE NINE’s Chapter 3: Neo Chiyoda City Arrives
  • Android-Blade of God X: Orisols-001
    Blade of God X: Orisols Review
  • Android-Darkest Hero--001
    Darkest Hero Review
  • Bleach: Brave Souls feature image
    Bleach: Brave Souls Launches Gift Campaign With Smartphone Wallpapers
  • Collect Or Die Ultra Title Screen
    Collect Or Die Ultra Launches On Google Play And iOS
  • Duck Detective: The Secret Salami Android
    Duck Detective: The Secret Salami Review
  • Once Human Launches Cross-Platform Test
    Once Human Launches Cross-Platform Test for Mobile & PC
  • Archero 2 title
    Archero 2 Review
  • upjers feature image
    Upjers Brings ‘Love in Pixels’
Hardcore Droid
Hardcore Droid
  • Home
  • News
    • News
    • Spotlight
    • Interviews
    • Consoles
  • Reviews
    • Action
    • Adventure
    • Strategy
    • RPG
    • MMOs
    • Racing
    • Indie
    • Hardware
  • Best Of
    • Top 10 Games
    • Best RPGs
    • Best Action
    • Best Puzzlers
    • Best Strategy
    • Best Indie Strat
    • Best Indie RPGs
    • Most Hardcore
  • About Us
    • About Us
    • Game Jobs
    • Archives
    • Attributions
    • Opportunities
  • Board Game
  • RPG

Talisman Review

  • August 22, 2014
  • Matthew Byrd
Spread the love

Talisman

Like many people, I have a to do list. While it includes the usual day to day tasks there are more macro-like goals on there as well. Things I want to accomplish in the grand scheme of things. Among them has long been a reminder to play more board games. It’s a seemingly simple goal, but it has also long been the victim of some shameful delays.

Talisman is a fairly blunt reminder of just how much I’m missing as a result of my procrastination. It’s the digital conversion of a classic board game first released in 1983. In it, one to four players are tasked with acquiring the fabled crown of command located in the middle of the board. Along the way they’ll use magic, find treasure, fight creatures of evil, participate in numerous quest like events and look for the namesake talisman that allows them to traverse the deadly Valley of Fire that lies between them and the game winning prize.

From here a blow by blow breakdown of the game can get quite complicated. Talisman has been constantly updated since its original release, and this version is fairly faithful to the most recent iteration, with only a few elements missing.

That means that there are a lot of tiny gameplay aspects that will ultimately determine the fate of you and your fellow adventurers. Right from the moment you pick your character class, there are numerous considerations to make and playing the game only unravels more possibilities. This isn’t the most complicated game I’ve ever played, and from what I understand it’s far from the most complicated tabletop game, but Talisman does feature some genuine depth.

Fortunately, it also allows new players to absorb the rules at a fairly relaxed pace. Nearly every action is prefaced by some kind of explanation as to what’s about to happen (at least if you choose to use the tutorial) and is usually determined by a roll or two of the dice, or a draw of some cards. What that means is that you’ll have plenty of opportunity to proceed at your own pace, and deal with things as they come.

talisman_prologue_820x480_screenshot_03

This means that Talisman snares you in rather quickly with its easy to learn style, and then seals the deal once you began to appreciate and take advantage of the little subtleties that pile up over the course of a game. There is a strong reliance on luck present here, and the thrill of discovering what the next turn will bring to both you and your opponents makes for some really tense moments guaranteed to cause pure joy for some, and absolute rage for others.

Unfortunately that same element of luck that makes the game so very intriguing, is sure to ultimately drive some players away. Talisman features some moments of choice and strategy on the players part, but by and large your fate is the result of a series of randomly determined outcomes. This is not a game for strategic purists, nor is it a game for the easily frustrated.

It’s also not a game for single players if I’m being quite honest. The one player option for this game is little more than a token inclusion, and lacks the drama and personal intrigue of multi-player matches. Fortunately multiplayer games are easily accessible through both online and a local mode that has you pass the device between players. In the later instance it becomes immediately apparent Talisman was designed with a tablet in mind, though phone players will still get something close to the full experience.

Talisman

And ultimately Talisman is an experience. While not quite on par with a good Dungeons and Dragons session, it does offer a lot of role playing elements handled with care and creativity and bound together by the natural joy that only a party game can provide. Find a good group of RPG or tabletop fans, and you’re almost guaranteed a truly great time.

There’s always a risk in proceeding into a classic game without the healing nature of memories there to smooth over the rough edges of the experience, but Talisman for Android is such a finely crafted incarnation of a well-honed game that only those with no patience for luck or a love of game induced good times could possibly look down on it.

Hardcore?
4

Definitely.

Held back only by the potential personal preferences of its players, Talisman is classic board game, that has transitioned near flawlessly into the modern age.

Related Topics
  • Best Android RPG
Matthew Byrd

Matthew Byrd is a freelance writer living in Brooklyn, NY. In the rare moments he's not gaming, or attacking the notorious blank page, you're likely to find him enjoying a slice in the park while re-reading Kurt Vonnegut. Follow him on Twitter (@ByrdMan014), or don't. That's the beauty of choice.

Previous Article
  • Board Game

Thug-Opoly Review

  • August 19, 2014
  • Sam Riedel
View Post
Next Article
  • RPG

Dragon Quest IV Review

  • August 23, 2014
  • Tyler Burt
View Post
You May Also Like
Android-MythWalker-001
View Post
  • News
  • RPG

MythWalker Expands Adventure With Over 20 New Story Quests

  • Oula Onyango
  • April 12, 2025
Tribe Nine feature image
View Post
  • News
  • RPG

TRIBE NINE’s Chapter 3: Neo Chiyoda City Arrives

  • Tamanna Chandel
  • April 9, 2025
Android-Blade of God X: Orisols-001
View Post
  • Action
  • RPG

Blade of God X: Orisols Review

  • Oula Onyango
  • April 5, 2025
Android-Darkest Hero--001
View Post
  • Action
  • RPG

Darkest Hero Review

  • Oula Onyango
  • March 16, 2025
Duck Detective: The Secret Salami Android
View Post
  • Adventure
  • Indie
  • RPG

Duck Detective: The Secret Salami Review

  • Oula Onyango
  • March 8, 2025
Wizardry Varients Daphne title
View Post
  • RPG

Wizardry Variants Daphne Review

  • Daniel DeAngelo
  • February 11, 2025
STARSEED: Asnia Trigger001
View Post
  • Action
  • RPG

STARSEED: Asnia Trigger Review

  • Oula Onyango
  • February 7, 2025
Shadow of the Depth-001
View Post
  • Action
  • Adventure
  • Indie
  • RPG

Shadow of the Depth Review

  • Oula Onyango
  • February 7, 2025
The Latest
  • Human Fall Flat Mobile Launches Brand-New Level: Candyland
  • Dunk City Dynasty Launches Globally on May 22
  • Sky: Children of the Light Review
  • Carrion Review
  • Norse Mythology-Inspired MMORPG Odin: Valhalla Rising Launches This Month
  • MythWalker Expands Adventure With Over 20 New Story Quests
  • TRIBE NINE’s Chapter 3: Neo Chiyoda City Arrives
  • Blade of God X: Orisols Review
  • Darkest Hero Review
  • Bleach: Brave Souls Launches Gift Campaign With Smartphone Wallpapers
Meta
  • Register
  • Log in
  • Entries feed
  • Comments feed
  • WordPress.org
Hardcore Droid
  • Reviews
  • Spotlight
  • Hardcore
Core Gaming on the Android OS

Input your search keywords and press Enter.