This week, Disney Lorcana and Villainous publisher Ravensburger announced a new board game that sounds like a dream come true for tabletop RPG fans - or, at least, the TTRPG curious.Chronicles of Light: Darkness Fallsis described as “combining role-playing, storytelling, cooperation and the approachability of a board game format” to “create an immersive adventure game that allows players to experience Disney heroines in whole new ways while they work together to win.” As a certified Disney Adult and Dungeons & Dragons dabbler, I’m already sold.
I don’t know many TTRPG people in real life, nor do I have the courage to go out and find them, so I have to rely on RPG-themed board games to scratch that itch. One of my favorites, believe it or not, is Funko Games’ The Goonies: Never Say Die. This ‘80s throwback uses D&D conventions and design principles to deliver a narrative-focused role-playing adventure that’s totally approachable for players of any skill and experience level.
Each time you sit down to play, you experience a new story that can be treated as a standalone adventure or part of a campaign, and your party of Goonies sets out to explore the caverns, build their inventory, solve puzzles, and battle monsters controlled by the GM (Goondocks Master) who narrates the game with the help of their comprehensive Adventure Guide. It probably won’t satisfy hardened TTRPG veterans, but for a novice like me looking for a guided RPG experience, it’s perfect.
Chronicles of Light sounds like it has a lot of what I like about The Goonies - plus Disney characters, which I love. Here’s the full synopsis:
“InChronicles of Light: Darkness Falls (Disney Edition), players work together to form dynamic alliances of Disney and Pixar heroines, including Moana (Moana), Violet (The Incredibles), Maid Marian (Robin Hood) and Belle(Beauty and the Beast).Materializing as radiant crystal versions summoned into the realm, the heroines drive back shadows of infamous Disney Villains and restore the Realm of Light. Along the way, the team explores a brand-new illustrated world and encounters familiar characters, items, and creatures on their quests. Fully designed and illustrated by women, the game’s diverse missions and modular board generate new adventures every time it’s played.”
Though not as explicitly D&D-themed as The Goonies, it sounds like Ravensburger is going for a similar kind of co-op, narrative-driven, and beginner-friendly RPG experience. I can easily see this appealing to parents who want a way to introduce their kids to TTRPGs, as well as people like me that never grew out of a love for Disney’s characters and stories. I also appreciate that it’s been intentionally designed to appeal to girls and women, who have long been underrepresented in the tabletop hobby. Lorcana makes a similar effort with its design, gameplay, and character choices, and having a more diverse group of players at my local game stores has only improved the TCG community there.
Note: The way Chronicles of Light’s version of Disney characters are described as “radiant crystal versions summoned into the realm” echoes Lorcana’s Glimmers, which are versions of the characters drawn into the world of Lorcana using magical ink.
We don’t know much else about the game yet, but Ravensburger says details will be revealed at various game events leading up to its July 21 release date. Knowing the way Ravensburger likes to make games, I would bet on Chronicles of Light being an expandable game that will periodically introduce new expansions and story content. The subtitle “Darkness Falls'' and the mention of a modular board almost confirm it, which is exciting for people like me that like to invest in board games and watch them grow over time. Whether it’s filling a niche or inventing a new tabletop category, there’s a lot of reason to be excited about Chronicles of Light.
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