Review - Demeo x Dungeons & Dragons: Battlemarked

Roberto Nieves
2 hours ago
7 min read

Developer: Resolution Games

Publisher: Resolution Games

Platforms: PlayStation 5, PC (Steam), Nintendo Switch 2

Reviewed on: Nintendo Switch 2

Board games and tabletop games changed forever when Gary Gygax introduced Dungeons & Dragons in 1974. This tabletop game was a watershed moment in the genre, establishing rules with sharp lore and exciting narrative-focused action. Dungeons & Dragons established a foundation that other tabletop games still follow today. What is more fascinating is how analog games like Dungeons & Dragons have bolstered digital arenas like video games, becoming more popular than ever. This influence has caught the attention of Resolution Games and their title, Demeo.

Demeo was released in 2021, making waves in simulating the tabletop experience through VR headsets. Now, Demeo has returned with a successor and a longer title, Demeo x Dungeons & Dragons: Battlemarked. This new addition to the Demeo franchise brings the gameplay apparatus of Demeo into the world of Dungeons & Dragons, creating an exciting tabletop and narrative experience, especially on the go.

Roll of the Fates

The world of Dungeons & Dragons is a world unto itself. From the deep forests of Neverwinter to the sprawling city of Baldur's Gate, Dungeons & Dragons is a world filled with magic and towering beasts. This is a world of treasure and quests, of wizards and mercenaries, all vying for their slice of fortune and glory. It is a land not traversed alone but with friends and companions, going on dangerous adventures but having fun along the way.

Demeo x Dungeons & Dragons: Battlemarked is the latest iteration of Demeo. The original game was released some time ago and brought the Tabletop experience to the world of video games. Whereas most games attempted to emulate that experience, Demeo brought it first and foremost through miniatures, dice, and cards. The original game was lauded for bringing a more focused direction to the tabletop experience with deep dungeons, exciting combat, and cooperative play that further enhanced the fun.

Where We Lay Our Scene

Demeo x Dungeons & Dragons: Battlemarked takes this formula and brings it into the world of Dungeons & Dragons. It is a narrative-focused turn-based tabletop experience. The game uses on-screen miniatures, cards for actions, and a dice for rolling, all wrapped in a narrative themed to the world of Dungeons and Dragons. An opening tutorial introduces players to the game's take on unique turn-based combat and dice rolling.

Taking place inside a living room, the tabletop is brought to life. Characters are represented as miniature pieces on the board. The tutorial introduces players to the archer character, learning how to move, interact, and maneuver through the game board. The tutorial takes place in a simple dungeon and has players fighting weak goblins. Eventually, combat becomes the focus, and here is where Demeo x Dungeons & Dragons: Battlemarked gets exciting.

If a plan fails, make a new plan

Demeo x Dungeons & Dragons: Battlemarked is turn-based. Players select a card and use one of two action points. Some cards, like potions, do not require action points. For most attack cards, an action point is needed. A useful tip is to read the cards carefully, as they can make or break an experience. For the archer, using a bow and arrow requires an action point and a card. Once that attack is initiated, a die appears. This D20 has three marks: a hit, a critical hit, or a failure. After rolling the dice, the attack is either a miss, a hit, or a critical.

Cards are customizable. Some offer direct attacks to a single target while others provide area attacks. Defensive cards boost a character's defenses by providing armor or raising stats. Each other game's heroes have their own assortment of cards to choose from. Cards can also be discarded to earn new cards. The archer is a good Hero to start with in learning these basics, but the other heroes carry their own weight and offer their own abilities. For my playthrough, I chose the paladin, rogue, archer, and bard. After the tutorial, players have access to the campaigns.

Choose your Path

There are two campaigns from the start, with more to be added via DLC later. The first campaign takes place in Neverwinter and contends with a potential war brewing. At the beginning of the campaign, players can choose their Heroes. IN addition to the aforementioned Heroes, players may choose from a sorcerer or the new shape-shifting orc that was just implemented. There is some customization to the miniatures, as well as several difficulty options. With that, players are off onto the campaign.

Playing Demeo x Dungeons & Dragons: Battlemarked is a remarkable and well-done tabletop experience. The fully voice-acted campaign features a narrator who details the setting and encounters, much like the real thing. Some choices can be made, in which case, a normal D20 is unveiled. These interactions require a certain number to be rolled. Their difficulty is displayed in the choices that are available. Some of these moments happen during combat.

Hits and Crits

When the combat hits, things get intense, even in multiplayer. Every roll of the dice is a roll of chance, fate, and enjoyment. Choosing the right card yields a degree of strategy while the dice excitedly chooses whether an attack lands or misses. These led to chaotic moments, including moments where I accidentally aided the enemy.

For example, there are elemental objects on the board, such as flaming barrels. Hitting these barrels lights the title grid on fire. Additionally, detonating an oil barrel makes a target more flammable, and water can make electrical attacks even more severe. These kinds of opportunities create tactical advantages for you and your Heroes, but also chances at pure chaos.

Damage Everywhere

In one instance, I was engaging elvish usurpers. I fired a barrage of arrows, nailing a critical hit. I wound up hitting a fire barrel, igniting flammable gas and nearly nuking my team as well as the enemy. Another instance was casting a spell as the bard, but I landed a failure on the dice. Instead of sending a psychic blast, it wound up inspiring and empowering the enemy target, in this case, a troll. Moments like these highlight the otherwise solid combat.

The game has a balance of difficulty, though it can be challenging. There is some procedural generation, so no run is the same. On a journey into a dungeon, during a campaign, I was downed twice by a sheer army of fire serpents. On the third time, I barely survived, but only because I slew the beast with the key and ran for the exit. If things get too difficult, Tymora's Blessing can be toggled on, which introduces two dice to roll instead of one. This happens following a failed roll.

Roll for Initiative

Each roll of the die and each attack landed feels like a small victory. Slaying foes left and right feels great. The visuals pop off and give that solid vibe of a tabletop game, with solid designs ripped from the pages of Dungeons & Dragons, but it's the soundtrack by Linus Söderlund that helps complement the adventurous atmosphere. The enemies are no pushovers, and they will put up quite a fight. This is most said for the larger enemies and boss fights.

Some larger enemies put up a bitter fight and can be a real obstacle, most especially in the game's several dungeons. Troll and snake-like monsters take plenty of damage and give out plenty of punishment. The boss fights are grand and epic, requiring luck but also good strategy and aggression to take them down. My campaign in Neverwinter had me face a large acid-dripping dragon, which was not easy.

Acquisitions Incorporated

Each campaign has main story-driven missions, but depending on who you ask, there are secondary quests. The quests each have their own objectives, such as grabbing syrup for a kobold or even performing a task for Acquisitions Incorporated. These help extend the campaign's runtime, but are also a blast to play as well. Everything players do earns XP to upgrade skills, as well as gold and new weapons. To maximize the enjoyment out of Demeo x Dungeons & Dragons: Battlemarked, it's strongly recommended not to skip these side quests.

The writing is fun, the story is entertaining, and the combat is great. Demeo x Dungeons & Dragons: Battlemarked gets it all right. Additionally, there is the portability of this specific game. Using the touchscreen of the Nintendo Switch 2, I was able to place my miniatures on the board, but also draw cards and initiate attacks. I was even able to roll the die with a button press. Playing this truly brings the immersion of a tabletop, though it can be a little fidgety. I wound up delivering attacks to the wrong target or giving my enemies health potions.

Gather Your Party

Demeo x Dungeons & Dragons: Battlemarked also features crossplay multiplayer, which includes the Nintendo Switch 2. This mode allows players to team up with others and embark on campaigns for a true digital tabletop experience. This is where the calamity, chaos, and fun come in for those who want to experience this game with friends or total strangers. The multiplayer works well and is there for those who wish to partake in it.

It could be argued that Demeo x Dungeons & Dragons: Battlemarked is better in multiplayer than single player, but the single player works fine. I found myself enjoying controlling my own team of Heroes and plundering dungeons.

Some Flaws in the Armor

Demeo x Dungeons & Dragons: Battlemarked is a strong game, especially on Nintendo Switch 2. However, it isn't without its faults. The game only has two campaigns at launch. Granted, these campaigns easily last up to 15 hours each if players are thorough in completing the game. However, it seems a bit light on content, though the team is cooking up DLC for the future. Future campaigns will be available, but as it stands, there are only two D&D campaigns to get through.

Additionally, the game lacks a local couch co-op. I suppose this could be corrected by simply passing the controller, but it would have been nice to have an option for local couch co-op, especially as I can see Demeo x Dungeons & Dragons: Battlemarked being an introductory game to tabletops and the world of Dungeons & Dragons. It's not a dealbreaker by any means, but it would have been a nice addition.

Demeo x Dungeons & Dragons: Battlemarked

Demeo x Dungeons & Dragons: Battlemarked takes the bold step in introducing the tabletop experience to video games without needing to read and interpret a rulebook, and the results are great! The turn-based combat, narrative, story, and inclusion of crossplay online multiplayer make this a winner for the Nintendo Switch 2, especially when playing on the go.

Demeo continues to make innovations in the gaming space, and there's no telling where they could go next. Warhammer 40K, Battletech, and so many other opportunities await Demeo. If the powers that be stay the course, Demeo has a very bright future. Demeo x Dungeons & Dragons: Battlemarked is a worthy addition to the Nintendo Switch 2 library, whether you are a fan of tabletop games or new to them.