But having attended Gen Con 2024 earlier this month and having seen and played a whole bevy of different games, now I have the honor and privilege of being the one to shake you down and yell in your face. Proverbially speaking, of course. Not everything I tried during the event is worthy of a place amongst the best board games, but a handful might be. Here are 5 tabletop games, ranging from card to board to role-playing, that I haven't stopped thinking about since the convention.

Rebel Princess Deluxe Edition from publisher Bezier Games is one of the few games I knew going into Gen Con 2024 that I wanted to track down and play. As it turns out, it's also one of the few games that I spent my own money on at the convention, and I'd do it again in a heartbeat. 

While the original Rebel Princess included all of the same trick-taking mechanics (you're looking to avoid marriage proposals from princes as, you guessed it, rebel princesses) the Deluxe Edition really ups the quality of every other aspect of the game while also providing a few choice tweaks and expansions to the preexisting rules. Individual princess tokens are now chunkier and have some heft to them while rules are actually written out instead of requiring reference material. It's the best version of Rebel Princess yet, and it's hard to imagine a better possible version. 

If you're reading this, I likely don't have to tell you that it's the 50th anniversary of Dungeons & Dragons this year and Wizards of the Coast is going all out with a new updated version of the D&D Fifth Edition core rulebooks – starting with the Player's Handbook, which also happened to go on limited sale at Gen Con 2024 with a lucky few being able to purchase it ahead of its September street date. 

While not officially an entirely new edition of the popular tabletop role-playing game, it effectively functions as one and is sure to shake the scene up in a big way. Even if I weren't personally interested (and I very much am) it would be hard to deny that D&D was the talk of the town in Indianapolis.

I would be lying to you if I said that I thought Oh My Pigeons, a card game with some light rules about trying to gather enough pigeons before other players, was on my radar before Gen Con. I would also be lying to you if I said it didn't immediately shoot to the top of my wishlist the moment I played it. Because I did, and it did. 

While turns generally revolve around trying to play cards to get enough pigeons to win by grabbing from the public flock or others, the real fun comes when you roll a specific die result and try to flick said die – as an abstraction of pigeon poop – at your opponents in order to knock their own pigeons off their board. From my experience, Oh My Pigeons makes for a rowdy, but straightforward good time.

Last year at Gen Con, Freelancers from Plaid Hat Games was easily my personal game of the show. The wild rulebook system with accompanying voiced narrative and wide variety of possible scenarios and outcomes straight out of a Choose Your Own Adventure book with a wicked sense of humor really spoke to me then, and the spacefaring followup in the same vein called Wandering Galaxy really speaks to me now. It has the same vibe as Freelancers but leans on sources like franchises with "star" in the name and Firefly, to name a few. 

Out of all the possible games, my group of friends heading to Gen Con would absolutely not shut up about Altered, a trading card game looking to solve a number of classic TCG conundrums. And now that I've played it, well, I can see why. Not only is it a nonviolent game (the goal is to win a race) but the rarity system allows for genuinely unique cards as well as digital ownership thanks to assigning each individual card its own QR code. And if you own it digitally, you can order more prints, but you can only play competitively with cards you digitally own. This divorces the ownership of the card from the play of the card, meaning you can easily and happily play with as many paper cards as you want, meaning there's nothing stopping you from making decks to play for fun with as many people as you want. 

While it remains to be seen if this will truly work as advertised, I'm excited for Altered to fully launch in September as I've never seen anything quite like it. And this is how effusive I am after one of the designers absolutely trounced me at the convention. 

Want other recommendations? Don't miss the best card games, or the best tabletop RPGs according to our experts.

If you’re hoping to amass an impressive collection of these stunning cards (and you also happen to adore the thrill of cracking open packs), the MTG Duskmourn Collector Booster Box is exactly what you need in your basket. However, you might be a little reluctant to splash the cash given that Collector Booster Boxes are consistently one of the most premium products in any Magic set.

Thankfully – somewhat taking the sting out of indulging in this little box of TCG luxury – you can pre-order the MTG Duskmourn Collector Booster Box for $229.97 on Amazon, down from $324. This $94 discount makes the box an especially tempting find, particularly if you're a lover of horror and retro aesthetics.

Should you buy the MTG Duskmourn Collector Booster Box? 

All in all, you get 12 15-card Boosters in this box, making for a total of 180 cards. To break it down, that's around $19 per Booster. Compare that to the current $27 asking price for a single Duskmourn Collector Booster and the value is obvious. 

Quantity isn't supposed to be the main event of a Collector Booster Box, though. The primary appeal of this product is meant to be its quality. As always, many of the cards that’ll emerge as real ‘white whales’ for this set can be found in a Collector Boosters thanks to the greater ratio of Rares and Mythics. There's also a much higher chance of landing your favorite fancy Booster Fun cards like foils, alternate arts, full arts, and more. 

What's more, there are a number of treatments that are entirely exclusive to Collector Boosters like the Japan Showcase and the Textured Foil Double Exposure. Rather than the sweet, anime-inspired art treatments we saw in Bloomburrow, the Japan Showcase in Duskmourn draws from the artistic legacy of legendary horror manga artists. That said, some ridiculously adorable ghost animals make an appearance too (seriously, they have no right being that cute).

Meanwhile, the Textured Foil Double Exposure is a Collector Booster-exclusive variant of the Double Exposure treatment. We’ve already gotten a glimpse of The Wandering Rescuer in its Textured Foil Double Exposure form, and it’s really something special. Like a pull from Innistrad: Double Trouble, the art is in a moody black and white monochrome but it also features in bold shocks of red imposed across the Wanderer. Of course, the digital render never does justice to these more three-dimensional elements of Textured Foils but I can already tell that this is a card I’d be keen to add to my collection.

Need inspiration on what to play next? Try out one of the best card games! Alternatively, if you're on the hunt for more great savings, give our board games deals a look.

These days, we know this to be nonsense, sparked by tenuous conjecture from those who'd never played the best tabletop RPGs and overblown by sensationalized storytelling by the media – and we have plenty of evidence as to how therapeutic the act of playing TTRPGs can be. But this country-wide panic had a formative influence on the direction of the next D&D edition.

In 1989, TSR Inc released Advanced Dungeons & Dragons: Second Edition. It came six years after the launch of Advanced D&D, and after D&D creator Gary Gygax had left the company, thanks to disagreements over company governance that saw him ousted in a Succession-esque coup. 

This new edition, known as '2E,' loosely marks the moment that gamers lost control of the brand to more stereotypical business people and it shows in the resulting game, which traded some of the flavor and chaos of D&D's earliest editions for a more standardized and inoffensive system.

Devil in the detail

To start, 2E was intended to sidestep negative publicity around the game’s links to satanic practices. Ostensibly 'evil' playable character options like the assassin, or half-orc, were removed from the core rules, while monsters based on devils and demons were quietly dropped in favor of a larger emphasis on dragons and giants as challenging opponents – 2E monsters generally became stronger, too. The devils and demons came back in a 1991 supplement, anyhow, just rebranded as Baatezu and Tanar’ri instead.

But this non-Gygax edition also did much to improve balancing across the game's many complex systems, reorganizing the core rules with a host of new mechanical quirks.

For one, 2E marked the appearance of critical hits – the ability to double your damage output on an attack if you roll a 20 on the die. The last edition's Basic Rules considered a 'natural 20' to be an automatic hit, but this was the first time it changed how much damage you could actually do – something you still see in the current edition of the game today. And if your character changed their moral alignment, you no longer dropped down a level, instead simply requiring more experience to get to the next one.

Classes were reorganized into a more consistent structure, with each class fitting into a Warrior, Priest, Wizard, or Rogue category. Druids were now a subset of Priests, alongside the Cleric, with a shared spell list. The Illusionist officially became a Wizard subclass instead of its own entity – with a wizard character now specializing in a school of magic such as divination, illusion, or necromancy for the first time. 

The Bard, the magical musician class themed after traveling minstrels, got a huge overhaul in Second Edition as well. In 1E, the Bard could only be played by multiclassing in a specific way and rolling very high ability scores, making it very difficult to actually play one. But 2E changed the Bard into an off-the-shelf class you could pick right away. As one of the 'Rogue' classes, it benefited from both Thief abilities as well as the spells of other classes, though the 2E Bard dabbled in Wizard magic rather than the Druid magic used in 1E.

Damage for attack spells became more standardized too, capping at a maximum 10 dice for higher-level characters: for example, 10d6 damage for a Fireball spell instead of 20d6. 2E also formalized and expanded proficiencies for things other than weapons – what would become 'skills' in later editions – that had appeared in some 1E supplements previously.

Through D&D's many editions, Armour Class (or 'AC') corresponds to the level of defense in a player's armour. In 1E, players had to consult a complex series of tables for calculating what roll was needed to hit a certain AC - and the lower the number, the lower the probability of being hit. 2E replaced this with THAC0, or 'To Hit Armour Class Zero', a number that determined how easily a character could bring an enemy's armour class to 0, based on their class and level. If you had a THAC0 of 10, for instance, you could hit an AC of 3 only if you rolled a 7 or higher, and so on. Later editions simplified this rule much further, but it was still a step in the right direction.

No more binaries

But 2E wasn't just a reorganized system, and the game's various supplements over the years - such as Forgotten Realms Adventures and The Complete Psionics Handbook - introduced plenty of new concepts to the game. This edition marked the first appearance of time magic in the Chronomancer supplement, which was revisited in a big way through 'dunamancy' in the Critical Role actual play series, as well as the unpredictable 'Wild Magic' now associated with the 5E Sorcerer.

Another positive change in Second Edition was the removal of biologically deterministic stats. 1E capped the maximum Strength scores of female characters lower than male ones for most races, while an early D&D supplement even suggested giving women a Beauty stat instead of standard Charisma. Sigh. 

2E removed these restrictions from the core rules, ensuring female characters could partake in the same kinds of roleplaying fantasies as their male counterparts. Gygax himself had said that this limit "doesn’t make a great deal of sense" in a fantasy game – despite including them in the first place – and this was a good first step towards the more inclusive TTRPG community we have today.

Alongside AD&D 2E, though, the company was continuing to market and sell the BECMI rulesets – Basic, Expert, Companion, Master, and Immortal – which offered a stripped-down alternative to the mainline game for a broader audience. In 1991, TSR released the Dungeons & Dragons Rules Cyclopedia, which repackaged the BECMI rules in a final compilation, just without the high-level Immortal supplement where you essentially play as gods. 

However, the sheer volume of materials for this once-basic ruleset had turned it into a complex beast of its own, ensuring that TSR wouldn’t keep both the Basic and Advanced lines of the game running forever. It wasn’t until the year 2000 that we finally saw both design philosophies blended into a single edition with the launch of Dungeons & Dragons 3E.

So far as today's version of the game goes, the D&D 2024 classes are well balanced – but have they lost their soul? Its creative director doesn't think so, and says that D&D "didn't burn the game down" for the new rulebooks: it's still the RPG you love.

With design credits on the beloved Return to Ravnica and a catalog of Magic: The Gathering fiction behind him, Troop has certainly lived up to that responsibility. But beyond his earlier work as a writer and designer on one of the best card games, he has also made significant efforts to push MTG into digital environments through his involvement in projects like Duels of the Planeswalkers and Magic: The Gathering Online. 

Outside of being an additional avenue for existing MTG fans to enjoy the game, there's also an unappreciated value Magic: The Gathering video games have for new players. Alongside WPN events, these digital clients help ease discomfort around walking into your first Friday Night Magic or Commander Night. With a couple of games of Arena under your belt, you can feel confident enough in your understanding of the game's basic systems and be able to focus on making connections with the community.

In that same vein, Troop describes how unraveling negative misconceptions of gatekeeping around MTG remains at the center of his decision-making. "There was a lot of Spike focus in R&D for many years. So, one of the things we started talking about is how we want magic to be for everyone. [...] One of the big things I really do try to highlight is that Magic has so many different things for so many different people. It is not all serious and competitive and Spike-y."

There's still high-stakes competition to be had (there's no doubt about that) but Magic is working to actively embrace more casual and social forms of play.

Moves like this, he argues, are crucial for the evolution of Magic, both paper and digital: "We talk a lot about how if we change nothing, Magic dies, we're very confident about that. If we change too much or too much too soon, Magic either dies or creates some unfun times for all. [...] We do a lot of deliberation internally about what are the right tweaks to make to keep this game continuing to feel fresh and exciting, but also still resonant and like 'my Magic'."

No doubt this balance is a delicate one, and criticism has been levied by some who claim that Commander has been overly prioritized to the detriment of the game's overall health. These are feelings which were only further heightened by the recent controversy around the Nadu ban. Troop seems to be particularly in touch with this tension, and despite the popularity of EDH, he asserts that efforts are continually made to give TLC to other formats too.

"Right now, Commander is obviously the most popular format," Troop explains, "You know, the way I think about it, it's the center of gravity for Magic. So yeah, we want to embrace that. At the same time, we still love Standard, Modern, Draft, and all these different ways of playing Magic."

Regardless of the environment or the format you choose to play in, all Magic: The Gathering players are united by a shared appreciation of really great cards. Be it stunning art, satisfying mechanics, or captivating lore, we all have picks we’re particularly fond of. So, what is Ken Troop's favorite card? "Any card I've designed," he jokes. I … I have to admit that’s a pretty good answer.

If you're looking for the next great addition to your board game nights, check out the best board games or our favorite board games for adults. 

Ahead of the weekend, Games Workshop offered a number of Warhammer Nova Open reveals with new miniatures and plans for all of its games, including a refreshed line of Stormcast Eternals miniatures. The highlight of the new Stormcast line was a new named hero called Iridan the Witness, an imposing character riding atop a Morrgryph and wielding the fearsome Axe of the Final Threshold.

Iridan’s backstory establishes them as the first Stormcast to kill a fellow immortal warrior, granting them a "true death" and sparing them from the Curse of Reforging, which slowly erodes a Stormcast’s soul turning them from a reborn mortal to an emotionless, memory-less killing machine. After conferring with the god Sigmar and Ionus Cryptborn (a Stormcast seeking the cure to the Curse of Reforging), Iridan is now deployed at any battle "where Stormcast Eternals are in danger of losing themselves completely." Of course, the irony to Iridan’s character is that they have an eidetic memory and never forget the face of a Stormcast they mercy kill, even though the Stormcast they kill have all but forgotten who and what they are. 

Notably, Games Workshop used they/them pronouns for Iridan when discussing the new character in both the Nova Open preview (which you can watch below) and accompanying article over on the Warhammer Community announcement page. This marks one of the first nonbinary characters to permanently appear in the fantasy-themed game and certainly one of the first featured nonbinary characters.

A similar character to Iridan, an unnamed Lord-Terminos responsible for mercy killings of Stormcast, also appeared in the Skaventide novel by Gary Kloster, and was also described with they/them pronouns. However, in the context of the novel (and the overall lore), the Lord-Terminos is an imposing and foreboding mystery and use of nonbinary pronouns may be a reflection of their solemnity and grim duty rather than a desire to provide greater representation or inclusivity. 

Back in 2021, Games Workshop announced Sylas Beastbane as one of two anniversary models for that year. Beastbane’s initial description used they/them pronouns as well, but Games Workshop quickly revised the character’s description to use he/him pronouns in all but one part on their website. No explanation was given for the change, although some noted frustration at the seeming walkback at the time. Games Workshop has used nonbinary pronouns to describe other characters in their various Warhammer games in the past, although they were generally aliens, robots, or followers of the hedonistic Chaos god Slaanesh. 

Iridan’s sculpt can alternatively be used as a generic Lord-Vigilant, a ruler of the Bleak Citadels where the Ruination Chamber (a collection of Stormcast Eternals on the verge of losing themselves to the Curse of Reforging) reside. As a generic character, an Age of Sigmar player can choose to make them whatever gender presentation they’d like.

Games Workshop provided no release date for Iridan or the rest of the new Stormcast Eternals line, but based on the Roadmap provided for Age of Sigmar, they will be released later this year alongside the Stormcast Eternals Battletome. 

Curious about how this new version of the game compares to the last? Check in with our guide to all Warhammer Age of Sigmar 4th edition rules changes. You can also see what we thought about it in our Skaventide impressions piece.

While many of the Warhammer Nova Open reveals tease what we can expect for the hobby over the next six months or so, there are some goodies for the here and now too. It's a particularly good show if you play Age of Sigmar, for example; the bulk of announcements revolve around the Stormcast Eternals' many reinforcements, and even if it's not your faction of choice, these are particularly handsome models. There's even a terrain piece that should be an interesting headache to contend with.

Sure, we're bound to get more info for next year as we approach 2025 (ranging from one-offs that seek to challenge the best board games to the Middle-earth Strategy Battle Game revamp), but for the time being, this is what fans can look forward to. I've broken these announcements down below with my thoughts to provide some commentary on what it all means.

Age of Sigmar Nova Open 2024 reveals

• Massive range refresh for Stormcast Eternals
• New Battletome for Slaves to Darkness on the way this year
• Roadmap spotlights Destruction & Death refresh in 2025

Warhammer's fantasy game got the lion's share of reveals for the Nova Open 2024, and the vast majority revolved around Stormcast Eternals. Alongside many new models (including one of its first nonbinary human heroes), we also got a better idea of what to expect from the next year of releases. It seems that greenskin fans are going to be kept busy, suffice to say.

 Stormcast Eternals

Following the reveal of yet more Skaven earlier in August, the Stormcast Eternals have finally received their due. Fresh off their defeat at Hel Crown in the launch event to coincide with Skaventide, Sigmar's reincarnated warriors have had their range massively reinforced with equally massive models. I've sketched out the details below, but the headline act would be a monstrous kit riding on a brook-no-nonsense griffin. A new Battletome was revealed too, but we knew that was coming and we haven't had a properly good look inside yet.

2025 roadmap

Following confirmation of the final AoS releases for 2024 (a Slaves to Darkness Battletome alongside a Darkoath Tribes box for the Spearhead game type), we got a brief tease of what we can expect to see next year. It looks to be a good time for fans of greenskins; the Orruk Warclans are getting a Spearhead box, yes, but it seems as if their smaller fellows, the Gloomspite Gitz, are going to enjoy something of a range refresh with an army box and new individual models. Their rank and file are long in the tooth now, so a refresh is definitely due.

Something big is promised for the forces of Death as well, so the cronies of Nagash are likely to get a similar treatment. Or could a new campaign be being hinted at?

Warhammer 40K Nova Open reveals

• Death Korps of Krieg get an army next year
• Aeldari are relaunching in 2025
• Next year will be a big one for Chaos

It was a leaner show for Warhammer 40,000 fans, but there does seem to be a lot on the horizon. Namely, the Astra Militarum is getting reinforcements from one of its most popular branches – the Death Korps of Krieg. We've seen this grim and gritty group of troopers recently via the last Kill Team starter set, but now they're gaining an entire army to rally around. 

This will be followed by a long-awaited relaunch for the Aeldari (some of those units are really showing their age) with promises of revised Aspect Warriors and more to go with them. We then get revitalized Imperial Knights, accompanied by the vague promise of Chaos goodies further into the year…

Horus Heresy, Old World, & Blood Bowl Nova Open reveals

• Tanks are a focus next year for Horus Heresy
• Empire and High Elves next to get models in Old World
• Chaos Dwarfs return to Blood Bowl

Although Warhammer's other games didn't get massive announcements (if any, in the case of Warcry, Underworlds, and Middle-earth Strategy Battle Game), there's still enough to chew on. Here's a whistle-stop tour:

And that's it for this year's Nova Open reveals! Want other cool stuff to daydream over? Be sure to check out our guide to the best tabletop RPGs, or the best card games.

Undoubtedly, Starter Sets aren’t the only way to get into Dungeons & Dragons, but I can’t say I don’t think the absence of one for 5.5E isn’t going to be harshly felt. Since way back in the 1970s with the advent of the ‘Basic Set’, Dungeons & Dragons has had a focused means of easing players into their journey with one of the best tabletop RPGs. Even to the uninitiated, these pared down boxes of rules and mini campaigns offer a great welcome mat to precede your more in-depth adventures.

In terms of sheer volume of content, these Starter Sets don’t hold a candle to the best Dungeons & Dragons books. However, they are exceedingly useful for those who are new to the world of D&D or tabletop roleplaying games as a whole. That’s what makes it all the more inconvenient that players are going to have to wait more than a year to pick one up. 

While not technically a distinct edition, OneDND introduces a swath of tweaked rules and important changes to Dungeons & Dragons as a system. And, as we progress further through the release lineup of 2024 core rulebooks, the existing 5th Edition Starter Set is becoming more and more redundant. That’s not to say that 5th edition isn’t worth playing with (it definitely is), but beginner adventurers are going to have to confront the unfortunate reality of having to learn 5.5E just as they start to really get the hang of 5E.

Like I’ve said, Starter Sets aren’t the only way to learn how to play D&D. In fairness to Wizards of the Coast, the new 2024 Player’s Handbook has demonstrated a noticeable positive shift in how it delivers content for first-time players. So, it’s possible that fresh PHB elements like sample session scripts can temporarily fill in the teacher-shaped hole left by the missing Starter Set. Still, what that doesn’t account for is the issue of budget.

As anyone who has seen my bank statements can attest to, tabletop gaming can be an expensive hobby. Wallet-friendly entry points like the Starter Set (and its cooler cousin, the Essentials Kit) are a savior for anyone hoping to dip their toe into D&D for less. Anyone D&D newbies who can afford to are probably going to splash the cash for the full Player’s Handbook. Everyone else, on the other hand, will have to stall until late next year. 

If you're looking for even more great additions to your tabletop nights, check out of rundown of the best board games. Alternatively, kick the littles one out and enjoy our favorite board games for adults. Our round-up of board game deals have you covered too. 

It's looking to be a busy year for one of the best tabletop RPGs. Even though it was only 19 minutes long, D&D Direct crammed a lot into its runtime; it offered a glimpse of the three new books we'll be getting in 2025 (an anthology of adventures and two setting books) alongside teases for returning favorites. The game's upcoming virtual tabletop was also shown off with new features that seem squarely aimed at miniature maker sites like Hero Forge.

To save you some time, I've listed everything worth knowing from August's D&D Direct below. Alternatively, you can catch up with the stream here.

Two new books detailing the world of Baldur's Gate 3 and beyond

• Releasing in late 2025
• A full setting for the Forgotten Realms 
• One book for players, one for Dungeon Masters

The biggest announcement of D&D Direct wasn't one many would have expected: there are plans to return to the setting of Baldur’s Gate 3. Indeed, Forgotten Realms is getting not one, but two books detailing everything you need to know about playing in and running sessions for Faerun.

This has been a long time coming. Even though the Forgotten Realms is arguably the most popular Dungeons & Dragons world (it's where numerous adventures, Baldur's Gate 3, and the recent D&D movie take place), it hasn't enjoyed its own sourcebook this edition. We got a Sword Coast-specific tome a few years ago, sure, but Faerun is so much bigger than that small stretch of land.

With that in mind, what is tentatively called the 'Forgotten Realms Player Guide' will include new subclasses, backgrounds, feats, and even a new type of spell that are specific to the setting. In addition, you'll be able to swot up on and learn how to join factions such as the Harpers. Intriguingly, that includes newer factions which may have been promoted to the big time. 

Meanwhile, 'The Forgotten Realms Adventure Guide' shines a spotlight on the world, its customs, and its people for the benefit of Dungeon Masters running games there. It also features five distinct places that fit into very different genres of story. Want grungy urban fantasy? Baldur's Gate is your go-to. Looking for traditional swords-n-sorcery? The Dalelands and its collection of villages built around the ruins of an elven mega-dungeon should be on your radar. Fancy survival horror, on the other hand? Hit Icewind Dale. The Moonshae Isles contrast this nicely with fey whimsy, while Calimshan takes us beyond traditional western fantasy.

Honestly, it's something of a surprise. Until now, I was convinced that D&D was going all in on Greyhawk for the game's 50th anniversary. As the oldest official Dungeons & Dragons setting, a lot has been made of Greyhawk's return in the new core rulebooks – numerous characters from it take pride of place, and it's even showcased as an example world in the 2024 Dungeon Master's Guide. With that in mind, it's a relief to see that the Forgotten Realms hasn't been completely abandoned.

These two books are the furthest out of everything announced in the stream, as they won't hit shelves until late 2025. 

Dragon adventure anthology offers 10 new oneshot quests

• Releases Summer 2025
• A book of short adventures starring dragons in dungeons
• The first new book of the revised core rules

Funnily enough, a lot of players miss out on one half of the RPG's name; as game designer James Wyatt points out during the D&D Direct stream, "it's kinda surprising how many people say they've actually never fought a dragon in D&D." If that applies to you, this anthology should sort you out.

Containing 10 adventures revolving around dragons in dungeons (see what they did there?), this as-yet unnamed book will be the first anthology and adventure for the new rules. There aren't many details to go on beyond that, but I think we can make a few educated guesses. If previous anthologies like Candlekeep Mysteries and Keys from the Golden Vault are anything to go by, these quests can serve as one-shots or as a larger, campaign with a homebase and patron connecting it all. What with a friendly golden dragon appearing on both covers of the Player's Handbook, I wouldn't be surprised if another was our mentor throughout this experience.

Personally, this is the announcement that excited me most. I've often said that these anthologies are some of the best D&D books of the past decade because they're so easy to pick up and put down (scheduling is the deadliest boss of any Dungeons & Dragons campaign, after all), but also due to the freedom oneshots bring. The designers have room to be more creative with short-form missions that don't need to prop up a multi-month campaign. As an example, you end up with wonderful nonsense like gnome cleaners who are annoyed at their working conditions so plot to fire their workplace into space like a rocket, or infectious nursery rhymes. Hopefully we get a similar degree of creativity with this dragon anthology.

We'll be able to find out in Summer 2025 when the book launches.

A new Starter Set is on the way… but it'll take a while to arrive

• Available Fall 2025
• Reimagines a classic adventure for the new rules
• Uses tutorials and a how-to-play video

The announcement of a new starter set might be the reveal that raised my eyebrows most. Yes, a beginner box for the revised rules was always going to happen. But the fact it isn't arriving for a while is not what I'd anticipated. Actually, D&D newbies will have to wait more than a year for an up-to-date starter set because it won't land until Fall 2025.

Thanks to extensive marketing that advertises how newcomer-friendly the 2024 core rules are, I'd been expecting a revised starter set to drop toward the end of this year as a way of riding that wave. Everyone's talking about this new version of D&D, so what better time to dip a toe into the water? I'm sure there's a reason the team is holding fire until later in 2025, and I appreciate that even the smallest project requires an absurd amount of work (e.g. the starter set may not be anywhere close to done, and that's totally fair). Plus, I suspect the designers would point us toward the example missions in the new Dungeon Master's Guide. But I'm surprised nonetheless.

As for what this 2025 starter set contains, it's currently called 'Heroes of the Borderlands' and will recreate the classic B2: The Keep on the Borderlands adventure from 1979. Apparently, the story will be split into three booklets – Caves of Chaos, the Keep on the Borderlands, and the Wilderness.

To help new players navigate all this, various tutorials will be included alongside a how-to-play video. I'd wager you get the usual pre-rolled characters, blank character sheets, and dice as well.

More Project Sigil details emerge, including a character builder

• Mini maker shown off
• We got our first glimpse of the premade adventure
• Set for a Fall 2024 beta

Of all the D&D projects in the near future, this virtual tabletop excites me the most. Project Sigil is "the Minecraft of D&D" according to developers, and we got a taste of that during the D&D Direct stream. Alongside a better look at how the level editor works, we got a glimpse of the free starter adventure (Danger in Dunbarrow) alongside the mini editor. 

This last bit has me pumped. In much the same way as online model maker Hero Forge, it allows you to define pretty much everything about your character as if it was a high fantasy Sims. You can apparently then add new items and clothing as your character travels, making sure they evolve from session to session. The jury's still out on how effective this will be (it all hinges on how many assets are available, and whether you have to pay through the nose for most of them), but I appreciate the idea.

As for the starter adventure, the developers call it the "best starter pack that's ever existed for Dungeons & Dragons," which I call fightin' words. Alongside the premade environments and characters we already knew about, it looks to show off all the details on how to run the session in a very handsome-looking sidebar I'm assuming only the Dungeon Master sees. Besides being easy to follow, it looks pretty fantastic thanks to D&D-specific fonts and design elements that feel more premium than I'd expected.

Adding to this are premade 'modules' with included stories that you can build upon or modify as you see fit. Not that you have to use them, of course; if you'd rather make something from scratch, that's supported too.

You'll be able to try Project Sigil in a closed beta Fall 2024, and anyone that pre-orders the Player's Handbook apparently gets a free gold dragon mini for the virtual tabletop.

Secret Lair Baldur's Gate 3 drop now available

• Available now
• Features Baldur's Gate 3 characters 
• Includes D&D icons from every era

We already knew about this drop (if you're still catching up, the newly teased D&D x MTG Secret Lair features Baldur's Gate 3's Astarion and Karlach), but we got a better look at the cards that would be included. Alongside numerous cards celebrating the Baldur's Gate 3 characters, classic D&D monsters and elements are also included. You've got that iconic 'Red Box' cover art, there's an actual Monster Manual, beholders show up, and big bad Acererak the Archlich turns up. Seeing as this is all a celebration of D&D's 50th anniversary, those inclusions make sense. 

You can pick up the Secret Lair now. Well, sort of – all the Baldur's Gate 3 cards sold out faster than you can say 'Karlach.'

Want a break from D&D? Be sure to check out our guide to the best board games, or drop in on our roundup of the best card games.

Okay, okay. I am a big Baldur’s Gate fan, but I have to give a little more respect to the source material. While the massive success of Larian Studios’ latest RPG banger further solidified D&D’s place within pop culture, Dungeon & Dragons had obviously cemented itself as one of the best tabletop RPGs long before Astarion and co. ever even set foot on the Nautiloid, and the Forgotten Realms has been one of the most popular D&D settings for about as long as that. 

It’s also worth noting that despite its references to further-out settlements, the entire events of Baldur’s Gate 3 take place in a surprisingly small stretch between Fort Morninglord and the eponymous city. So, if you loved the world you experienced in BG3, there’s a whole lot of Faerûn left to explore. 

If you want to scratch that itch to find out more about Faerûn, you do have other CRPG options in the way of classics like Icewind Dale or Neverwinter Nights but nothing quite matches the experience of getting a party together and experiencing it the old fashioned way. That’s – hopefully – where the new Forgotten Realms books will come in.

The D&D Direct includes the claim that “there hasn’t been a Forgotten Realms guide in 5th Edition” which sure helps in setting the Realms up for a triumphant return, but is really only true on a technicality. There was a notable absence of a full blown Campaign Guide for the Realms but the likes of Sword Coast Adventurer’s Guide and ​​Baldur’s Gate: Descent into Avernus delivered big chunks of Forgotten Realms goodness that were compatible with D&D 5E.

My hope is that what’ll really set these two new additions apart from the rest of the lineup of Dungeons & Dragons books is not just compatibility with the OneDND system but also a proper deep dive into the world of Faerûn. In particular, I’m holding out for the inclusion of more under-appreciated lands. For one, a visit to the vast desert of Anauroch would definitely be novel.

Speculation aside, there were a select few details that were revealed. Given that the Forgotten Realms encompasses roleplaying and gameplay opportunities ranging from urban fantasy to survival horror, it makes sense that a single campaign setting book would leave things feeling too cramped. “It’s too much to fit into one book,” explained lead rules designer Jeremy Crawford in the live streamed showcase , “so our return to the Realms is going to be in two books. One tailor-made for Dungeon Masters, and another a book that is tailor-made for players – but also of use to our DMs.”

In the Forgotten Realms Player’s Guide, you can expect to find plenty of information on new backgrounds, feats, subclasses, spells, as well as joinable Faerûn factions like the Harpers and the Red Wizards of Thay. Meanwhile, the more DM-centric Campaign Guide will offer lore and guidance on how to take players through areas including Baldur’s Gate, Icewind Dales, the Dalelands, Moonshae Isles, and Calimshan.

If all of this has you ready to roll up characters and start a new adventure, the bad news is you will have to wait until the book’s Late 2025 release to properly set those plans in motion. In the meantime though, we’ll be on hand with any updates regarding new D&D releases and more rundowns of everything announced on the D&D Direct.

If you're looking for even more great additions to your tabletop nights, check out of rundown of the best board games. Alternatively, kick the littles one out and enjoy our favorite board games for adults.

Balance is an essential element of any of the best card games, and Magic: The Gathering is no exception.That’s why, in an attempt to maintain a consistent power level and to avoid too singular a meta, Wizards of the Coast maintains a list of cards that are banned or restricted from play in sanctioned events. Yet despite pressure from players, Nadu, Winged Wisdom managed to avoid induction into the MTG banlist for over 2 months. 

Not only have we gotten a Nadu ban, we’ve also received greater clarity around how the card went so wrong in the first place. “Nadu, Winged Wisdom was a design mistake” admits Senior Game Designer, Michael Majors. As explained by Majors in a recent feature explaining the ban, Nadu saw a relatively last-minute change in its rule text and as result, the finalized version wasn’t allowed adequate playtesting before being shipped with the rest of the Modern Horizons 3 set.

On the face of it, the change was minor. However, by shifting Nadu’s trigger from explicitly requiring spells and abilities from your opponents to allowing for any spell or ability that targets your creatures, the reworked card provided ample opportunity for Nadu players to create convoluted combos off the back of their own zero-mana abilities. This ‘nu-Nadu’ results in games that were not only utterly oppressive for opponents but tedious in play. 

While the announcement of Nadu’s ban comes as welcome news for Modern players, the delay with which action was taken has frustrated some. What’s more, the revelation that the game-breaking change made to Nadu, Winged Wisdom was motivated by a desire to build around Commander has only soured feelings further.

With Commander being the foremost format for casual play, it's somewhat understandable that the format would cloud designer's judgement. After all, every set is a delicate balance act between attracting new players and satisfying established ones – between creating cards that feel cool and creating cards that are functional. In this case however, the scale has tipped in a way that leaves all parties unhappy.

All that said, the openness with which Wizards’ R&D team has addressed the failure of Nadu is commendable, and promises have been made to enact changes that will prevent Nadu-likes from spawning in the future. Assurances that time windows for future projects will be more sensible are always welcome. And, while the notion of being "more conservative" may sound like a recipe for boring game design, a little extra reservation goes a long way when crafting world-beating cards.

As Majors puts it, “the creation of this game is a labor of love [...] and we are always looking to improve the way we make the game.” While it may seem overly optimistic to some, I’m inclined to believe that. 

If you're looking for the next great addition to your board game nights, check out the best board games or our favorite board games for adults.