Dungeons & Dragons-inspired video games are certainly nothing new, but it’s undeniable that Larian Studios’ Baldur’s Gate 3 reignited widespread interest in digital adventures driven by dice rolls. Following its immense success, Wizards of the Coast poured a staggering $1 billion into its gaming initiatives, collaborating with various developers to bring new D&D experiences to life. This includes titles like Tactical Adventures’ deeply D&D Fifth Edition-influenced Solasta II and an upcoming single-player D&D game from the director of Star Wars Jedi. Unless there’s a significant shift in strategy (like the five D&D games cancelled right before Baldur’s Gate 3‘s launch), we can anticipate a wealth of D&D games arriving in the coming years.
One of the most anticipated upcoming releases this year is Demeo x Dungeons & Dragons: Battlemarked. Despite its lengthy title, this four-player co-op game offers a delightfully fun experience. While Baldur’s Gate 3 caters to players craving the intricate mechanical depth of D&D Fifth Edition, Battlemarked presents itself as the perfect alternative for those seeking a more accessible entry point. It’s an excellent choice for younger players not yet ready for the complexities of Baldur’s Gate 3, or for adults with limited time who still want to enjoy a D&D adventure without the extensive time commitment of a traditional campaign.
GameSpot had an exclusive first look at Battlemarked, diving into two early levels alongside game director Gustav Stenmark and PR director Jamie Camargo. I took on the role of a Tiefling Rogue, while Camargo played an Elf Ranger. Stenmark expertly managed two characters: a Dragonborn Paladin and a Gnome Wizard. Our first session involved a straightforward skirmish against a band of attacking goblins, followed by the initial floor of a sprawling multi-level dungeon.
Battlemarked immerses players in the familiar Forgotten Realms, the same rich setting found in Baldur’s Gate 3 and the recent Honor Among Thieves film. This provides a fantastic opportunity to revisit beloved locations and characters that might feel stale after repeated playthroughs or viewings. The game demonstrates a clear commitment to expanding on this established setting, rather than venturing into other D&D worlds like Eberron or Krynn. While I still hold out hope for a game set in Eberron someday, I truly appreciated how easy it was to grasp the narrative, identify antagonists, and predict how non-player characters might react to different dialogue choices in Battlemarked. This familiar foundation significantly contributes to the game’s approachable nature, speaking the common language of D&D storytelling.
However, it was the gameplay, rather than just the narrative, that truly captivated me during the preview. In Battlemarked, most missions revolve around engaging combat. The game is turn-based, with each player making their moves before all enemy creatures act simultaneously. Every character class has a unique deck of 10 cards they bring into battle, drawing from it each turn. Critically, every player receives two Actions per turn. Each card has an Action cost (ranging from zero to two), and basic movements, melee attacks, and environmental interactions each consume one Action.
I absolutely adore this design. I’ve long found D&D’s traditional combat system—which divides everything into Actions, Bonus Actions, Free Actions, and Movement—often challenging for new players to fully grasp. The distinction between a spell being an Action, another a Bonus Action, and a specific class feature acting as a Free Action often feels arbitrary. While it’s primarily for balance, there’s no intuitive rule to explain why certain abilities fall into different categories, demanding significant memorization and a substantial time investment to master.
Many other tabletop systems, most notably Pathfinder, have adopted a simplified action structure similar to Battlemarked, where every single ability is simply an Action, and each player gets the same number of Actions per turn. This approach is far more intuitive. Battlemarked cleverly preserves D&D’s strategic depth and emphasis on teamwork through its reliance on cards. With a deck of just 10 cards, you quickly become familiar with your class’s capabilities. However, since you typically hold only five or six cards at a time (with occasional potions found in the environment appearing as temporary extra cards), you must make tactical decisions based on your current hand and anticipate future draws.
For instance, the Rogue possesses a card that grants invisibility for three turns, allowing for a more lethal melee attack from any position, not just a backstab. However, attacking typically ends the invisibility early. This card is excellent for escaping tricky situations, but I often preferred to save it. If I drew a ‘Knock Out’ card, I could execute the Rogue’s unique stunning melee strike, leaving an enemy vulnerable to the Paladin’s devastating Smite or the Wizard’s explosive Fireball. The best part? Knock Out uniquely doesn’t break invisibility, creating powerful combo opportunities.
Several other cards demonstrate similar levels of synergy. The Dragonborn’s poison breath could douse enemies and terrain in lethal fumes, which the Wizard’s fiery spells could then ignite for extra damage. Meanwhile, the Ranger’s varied trick arrows could group enemies together, making them perfect targets for the Rogue’s assortment of bombs. And this was just a demo, with everyone using a fixed deck of 10 cards. The full game promises to allow players to unlock new abilities and customize their decks, enabling them to fine-tune their ideal playstyle for their chosen class. This provides a satisfying level of depth to Battlemarked‘s combat, despite its easy-to-learn mechanics.
One aspect of the game that still holds some uncertainty for me is the narrative, primarily because the demo didn’t heavily feature it. Similar to traditional D&D, your character possesses ability scores that grant bonuses to skills like Persuasion and Arcana. When interacting with non-player characters, you can attempt dice rolls using these skills to uncover additional information or influence outcomes. During the demo, for example, Stenmark successfully convinced a noble of our friendly intentions, earning his trust. In contrast, I failed an attempt to identify a strange mushroom and impulsively ate it (a deeply poisonous decision, a lesson learned the hard way!). We also both struggled to persuade a group of deadly myconids that our visit was peaceful, leading to a rather amusing battle.
At first glance, Battlemarked‘s narrative depth may not seem to rival that of other dice-based RPGs like Baldur’s Gate 3 or Citizen Sleeper 2: Starward Vector. However, the outcomes of the limited choices our group made were consistently rewarding. Whether we achieved our desired result or faced hilarious, non-devastating failures, the experience was always entertaining, never forcing us to restart an encounter. It appears the dialogue choices and story-driven elements will offer ample enjoyment, but the game’s undeniable highlight remains its card-based, D&D-inspired combat.
Demeo x Dungeons & Dragons: Battlemarked is set to launch on PC, PS5, and Meta Quest on November 20.