About Dungeon!

In 1972, David R. Megarry created a prototype game that would become the Dungeon! board game. David R. Megarry, Gary Gygax, Michael Gray, Steve Winter and S. Schwab created the final version of Dungeon! that was published by TSR Hobbies in 1975, a year later than the Dungeons and Dragons pen and paper RPG (created by Gary Gygax a.nd Dave Arneson). Dave Arneson had also created the blackmore pen and paper RPG and it was an influence on Dungeon!. The idea for Dungeon! came first but D! and D&D influenced each other. D! is considered a simplified version of D&D. In 1982, TSR Hobbies commissioned an Apple ][+ version of their board game.

Players choose from four classes of differing abilities for their character (gender is presumed to match the player's) and take turns battling monsters in a dungeon represented by game pieces and cards on a board. Dungeon levels contain stronger monsters and more valuable treasures depending on depth. Battles are determined by rolling dice battle aftermath is also determined by rolling dice. Monsters and treasures are randomly distributed. Everything else has predetermined values; such as the number of spaces a player can move. Characters receive the treasure that was guarded by a defeated monster, or lose treasure to a monsters if they lose a battle. Each player can win by acquiring _and returning_ a given amount of treasure to the beginning room according to the class they choose (wizards are the most powerful but require collecting three times as much treasure to win). The classes are Elf, Hero, Superhero, and Wizard. The Hero is equivalent to the D&D warrior class and the Superhero is a more powerful version of Hero. Only one character per class, so a maximum of 4 players. This enforces rarities in board games of asymmetric factions and asymmetric goals. The game might suggest another rarity, monsters can actually kill a player's character. Killed players actually restart in the beginning room without any treasure. Players can spend a turn to peek into the next room to see it's contents without being forced to battle any monsters therein. Wizards can launch spells into the next room. Rooms may also contain traps