Roll And Move Board Games, Are they really that terrible? Tabletop Bellhop Gaming Podcast Episode 135

June 8, 2021
by Moe T.

Roll and Move.

Is it really that terrible? What is a roll and move game, why do people hate on them and what are some actually good roll and move games? This is followed by two Aventuria Adventure Card Game Reviews, Master Tailor’s Poltergeists and Arsenal of Heroes. Plus our initial thoughts on the Battle of GOG Kickstarter prototype.

Episode 135 of the Tabletop Bellhop Gaming Podcast, recorded June 2nd, 2021.

Join us as we stream live every week on Wednesdays at 9:00 PM Eastern on Twitch. If you like some video with your audio, you can also watch/listen to individual segments from this show on YouTube.

Disclosure: Some links below are affiliate links. Using these links costs you nothing extra and helps us offset the cost of producing this show. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. Some games mentioned in this podcast were provided by publishers as review copies.

This episode includes:

—Suggestion Box – Fan Feedback —

Send feedback to moe@tabletopbellhop.com

Rail Pass:
Rail Pass Review on the Blog
Rail Pass Review on Youtube

A Little Wordy:
A Little Wordy Review on the Blog
A Little Wordy Review on YouTube

Magical Kitties Save The Day:
Magical Kitties Review on the Blog
Magical Kitties Review on YouTube

—Announcements—

We announce the winner of our Ticket to Ride giveaway.
Congratulations Mikhail!

—Ask The Bellhop—

Tonight we’ve got a question from local game designer and Tabletop Bellhop Patreon patron Roger Meloche who writes:

“Hey Moe and Sean, I’m really enjoying your show. Thank you for the occasional mention of my “Not Ready for Prime Time” games.

I have a question for you.

What’s so bad about “Roll and Move”. Backgammon is a roll and move game. If it’s played at a fast pace, for stakes (2 bits a point) and the doubling cube is used, it can be a very intense and exciting game.

Just because this mechanism was employed very poorly in the past doesn’t mean it’s bad. I believe it’s getting a bad rap because of the lack of player decisions, and lack of ways to mitigate poor dice rolls in games like monopoly and snakes and ladders.

I’m currently working on a roll and move game with many tactical and strategic decisions. Are there any other roll and move games that you know of which use this mechanism effectively?”

Our favourite Roll and Move Games:
Xia Legends of a Drift System
Camel Up
Formula D
Merchant of Venus
Ghost Fightin’ Treasure Hunters
Talisman
Basari
Monza
Viva Topo
Rattlebones
Long Shot
Thunder Road

Honourable Mentions:
Rallyman GT
Jamaica
Deep Sea Adventure

Send questions to questions@tabletopbellhop.com

—The Game Room: Aventuria: Master Tailor’s Poltergeists—

A look at the Master Tailor’s Poltergeists expansion for the Aventuria Adventure Card Game, a cooperative or competitive card game set in the world of The Dark Eye.

Written Review of the Master Tailor’s Poltergeists Expansion for Aventuria
Master Tailor’s Poltergeists Unboxing Video