Best board game with RPG elements?

[Trond]

I kinda like Arkham Horror, but I was thinking people here might suggest some other games with RPG elements (bonus points for cooperative games). Any suggestions?

[yosemitemike]

Pathfinder?  Just kidding.

Sentinels of the Multiverse is pretty fun.  It's cooperative and plays a lot like a super hero RPG.

[TristramEvans]

[video=youtube;Cx8sl2uC46A]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cx8sl2uC46A[/youtube]

[JesterRaiin]

I kinda like Arkham Horror, but I was thinking people here might suggest some other games with RPG elements (bonus points for cooperative games). Any suggestions?

Well, the immortal Talisman, or one of its derivatives - fanmade DJARHUN or WH40k-themed Horus Heresy are always a good choice, however I'd like to suggest something you don't exactly ask about, but what might interest you:

The Quiet Year. It comes straight outta Compt... I mean, let's not discuss its origins. The game feature no board, but whole party co-creates a map, which is kind of cool.

Another suggestion is Beyond the Wall..., RPG which also features "map" building. It's currently on sale for 4$ IIRC

Both games are rules-light, the former is more "indie" and the latter closer to OSR.

[Spinachcat]

Ask me when my two Kickstarters arrive. The Conan boardgame and the Others: 7 Sins are both cooperative boardgames with heroes going around doing hero stuff and getting goodies. I am looking forward to both becoming my go-to games when I can't get a RPG crew happening.

[Michael Gray]

Descent is a good one. Battlestar Galactica (or really any 'secret traitor' game) can be if people get into it enough. BSG is easy because a lot of people have seen the show and know the characters.

Pathfinder?  Just kidding.

Sentinels of the Multiverse is pretty fun.  It's cooperative and plays a lot like a super hero RPG.

Why kid? The Pathfinder Adventure Card Game is a fine deck-builder that takes you through a board/card game based version of many of their APs. You play as the iconic Pathfinder characters and even level them up as you go along the AP. There are quite a few expansions and I like it a lot better than actual Pathfinder. I never was a big 3.x fan.

[Skarg]

Probably depends on how much RPG you want.

On one end, there are RPG's which have boardgames for combat systems, like The Fantasy Trip, it's modern descendant Dark City Games //www.darkcitygames.com, up to GURPS tactical combat.

On the other end are boardgames with characters in them. If you want something light but interesting and cooperative, I've always liked The Awful Green Things From Outer Space, though it has basically one scenario. On the far extreme of complexity, there's Squad Leader with the optional rules tracking surviving leader experience from scenario to scenario. There are also historical boardgames where each player is a historic figure, such as Conquerors. There are endless boardgames, and many of them could be extended to RPGs by um, being a GM and making up house rules...

[Trond]

I had almost forgotten Heroquest! A friend of mine had it, and we had some fun with it way back. Talisman is something I have only heard of, sounds good though. Have any of you tried Takes of Arabian Nights?

[yosemitemike]

Why kid? The Pathfinder Adventure Card Game is a fine deck-builder that takes you through a board/card game based version of many of their APs. You play as the iconic Pathfinder characters and even level them up as you go along the AP. There are quite a few expansions and I like it a lot better than actual Pathfinder. I never was a big 3.x fan.

I have the Skulls & Shackles set but I haven't actually played the card game yet so I can't really comment on it.

[Efie]

I am partial to the original , Dungeon. Something about being a wizard and just killing bugbears without a story is kinda nice.

[The Butcher]

I had plenty of fun with the 4e-era D&D boardgames — Wrath of Ashardalon and Castle Ravenloft.

[jcfiala]

I had plenty of fun with the 4e-era D&D boardgames — Wrath of Ashardalon and Castle Ravenloft.

Yeah, this is what I was going to come into to say.  I've also got 'Temple of Elemental Evil' which has a campaign mode and out of the dungeon aspects.

Someone's brought up the Pathfinder Card game - I've got to say, the tablet version of that helped save my sanity when my wife was in the hospital last month. (It can be buggy - this seems to depend on which tablet and which version of the OS you have as much as anything else - but happily it hasn't been too bad for my setup.)

In addition to OP's Arkham Horror, I'm fond of Elder Sign, a surprisingly difficult dice-throwing game that's good cooperative/solo.  I recently picked up the Gates of Arkham expansion for that.  (And the tablet version is very nice too.)

Zombicie: Black Plague has fantasy RPG elements against the usual slavering horde of the undead, now with necromancers to make things better or worse.  I recently got my kickstarter rewards for that campaign, and I've just been drooling over everything.  (which is going to make painting them sticky.

[JesterRaiin]

Talisman is something I have only heard of, sounds good though.

Good Lord!

How's that even possible? The game is like the primo hombre of "simple yet engaging adventure boardgames". I was sure everyone knows it.

In addition to OP's Arkham Horror, I'm fond of Elder Sign, a surprisingly difficult dice-throwing game that's good cooperative/solo.  I recently picked up the Gates of Arkham expansion for that.  (And the tablet version is very nice too.)

This game was made by the Devil himself. Playing it is to condemn your soul to eternal torment.

That's what I'm thinking.

[jcfiala]

Good Lord!

How's that even possible? The game is like the primo hombre of "simple yet engaging adventure boardgames". I was sure everyone knows it.

I've tried to teach my 4 year old daughter how to play - but she's not quite ready for that yet.  Too much reading.  But soon!

Talisman's a classic that's been in print for decades for a reason.  (Also, the computer version via Steam is pretty good too.)

This game was made by the Devil himself. Playing it is to condemn your soul to eternal torment.

That's what I'm thinking.

So, you're a fan of the game too?

[JesterRaiin]

I've tried to teach my 4 year old daughter how to play - but she's not quite ready for that yet.  Too much reading.  But soon!

If I may... I had quite good fun changing Talisman into a quasi-RPG game, where kids (I deny buying them on Ebay, this is a preposterous lie!) rolled dice, selected cards and I acted like a GM, inventing a story to match the card. I think those brats found it fun too.

So, you're a fan of the game too?

Definitely!

I've bought digital version and way I see it, the LESS characters you pick, the more their survivability rate grows. One character seems almost perfect.