From Nomad Games, Talisman: Origins is a board game adaptation on mobiles with a great amount of in-depth lore involved. This is an intriguing attempt to enhance the solo experience of Talisman, a challenging take that unfortunately falls short in terms of execution.
Playable characters
As we have mentioned, this mobile title is specifically designed for single-player, ripping out every multiplayer element from the popular original board game. To begin with, the game lets you choose from 12 different characters to embark on your journey. Among these Talisman characters, there’s the Great Wizard that appears exclusively in Talisman: Origins. On the other hand, you can totally play as a villain if you want without any restrictions.
Quest and challenge system
In general, there are 7 books with approximately 5 quests each to complete. Each quest has around 6 challenges to take on once you finish the original quest. These are basically mini campaigns that recall specific pieces of narrative within the Talisman history. This is a great way to learn about the lore after powering through the campaign books.
Controls and gameplay
On your play screen, take a look at your left for helpful character information. This includes Life, Strength, Fate, Craft and Gold alongside Followers, Objects, Trophies and Cards. In addition, you can see the alignment of your character here. It could be Neutral, Good or Evil depending on your commitment to specific acts.
Regarding the play board, players might find it hard to differentiate between the three regions. At first, you’ll start somewhere in “Outer Region”, which allows you to move in any direction across the board. From then, you’ll enter “Middle Region” and “Inner Region” as you progress further.
To move around, simply roll the dice by quickly tap on the right screen. After that, the game will highlight available spaces for you to move to. Although this way is more convenient, player don’t get to tap around and have fun exploring other spaces. In case you’re unsure about where to move, Talisman: Origins helps you with a brief explanation of what will happen afterwards. If you mess up your move, Fate Point is there to give you another try. Fortunately, Fate Points are obtainable throughout the game.
Combats
Regarding combats, the mechanics are interesting enough but still involve the luck factor. Random dice rolls are there to either help you or simply ruin your plan. At the end of the day, though, you don’t feel the dire need to strategize the game, even when you’ve been working on cards to improve your hand all the time. That's because you are not playing against another player, just the AI, basically all you do is hope that RNG will keep staying on your side and that’s that!
Talisman: Origins gameplay
The downsides of Talisman: Origins
Although there are helpful tutorials and help windows, some of the rules still feel confusing and somewhat bland. It’s true that you can learn a lot more about Talisman along the way but to be honest, Talisman: Origins feel pretty boring without other players. Of course the lore is great, but it’s probably better to enjoy them with others. The stakes are low and you aren’t feeling that competitive or that eager to win.
With that being said, it’s probably the main issues for Talisman: Origins. Mechanically, it’s a great game with over 40 hours of story to walk through and about 100 challenges to complete. However, the game is just boring without opponents or at least a decent AI.
All in all, if you’re into the Talisman universe and single-player games, Talisman: Origins is for you. However, if you’re that kind of person who likes more engaging gameplay, maybe you’ll want to try another one with actual people participating first.
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