The 1983 tabletop RPG board game, Talisman, is one that has resonated with players for decades, and right now the 2012 digital version is available as part of a Humble Bundle that includes every single one of its expansions. For $10.94 (£9.04 in the UK) you can get the base game and all 53 of its expansions, which works out as just $0.22 each.
So why should you get the Talisman Humble Bundle? Well, this is an iconic Games Workshop game that everybody should try. When you play, you and your friends compete against one another as you traverse a fantasy world to get the Crown of Command. You all play as different characters who each come with their own unique skills and abilities, giving a great deal of variety to each game you play, depending on who you pick and who your opponents pick.
As you make your way across the board and land on different spaces, lots of things can happen. Sometimes you’ll have to draw Adventure Cards trigger events like encountering monsters, or finding treasure. When you do get the Crown of Command, you cast the Command Spell, and everyone else loses one of their four lives – you then have to find the crown again, and repeat the process until everyone is out of lives.
When you add all of the expansions into the equation, you’ll find so many nuances and can look forward to a whole range of new experiences. Getting the digital version with all of the expansions together is a fantastic opportunity for you to dive head first into the world of Talisman.
Here’s a list of all the Talisman expansions in this Humble Bundle:
- The Blood Moon Expansion – adding werewolves, new characters, spells, and more
- The Nether Realm Expansion – incorporating a selection of new, powerful enemies
- The City Expansion – which adds the city as a new region on the map, plus 100 new cards
- The Sacred Pool Expansion – this one adds four new playable characters, a selection of new adventure cards, spells, and more
- The Highland Expansion – which adds a new region, new characters and more
- The Frostmarch Expansion (Legendary Deck) – adding new characters, endings, and more
- The Dungeon Expansion – adding a new dungeon that lets you explore the subterranean realm
- The Reaper Expansion – which includes the Black Witch character pack, among other things
- Complete Runestone Deck – giving your characters extra abilities, and helping to speed up the game
- Martial Artist – a character so powerful, they can slow down the movements of other characters after they defeat them in battle
- Saracen – a character adept at travelling through the desert
- Jester – a character who can perform in cities for gold
- Goblin Shaman – a character who can recruit goblins and sacrifice them to learn spells
- Illusionist – a character who can confuse and trick anyone they encounter
- Shaman – a character who is at one with nature and can transform into animals
- Shape Shifter – a character who can transform themselves so that they appear to be any of the other characters on the board
- Apprentice Mage – a character who has the capacity to learn a huge selection of spells
- Black Witch – a character with a natural level of spell resistance
- Gambler – a character who can make wagers on the outcome of battles they get involved in, increasing your potential winnings (or losses)
- Martyr – a character who can gain the favour of the gods through prayer
- Genie – a character who can fly across dangerous lands and charm the followers of foes so that they join him
- Devil’s Minion – a character who can use Enemy Spirits as weapons
- Courtesan – a character who uses her charms to convince other players to give her their prized possessions
- Exorcist – a character who uses holy powers to rid the world of evil spirits, learning new powers as he does so
- The Clockwork Kingdom Expansion – adding large clockwork towers, flying carriages, and magical automations to the game
- The Ancient Beasts Expansion – adding long-dormant behemoths and titans to the map
- The Realm of Souls Expansion – adding the King of the Dead, whose force are attacking from beyond the world of the afterlife
- The Cataclysm Expansion – adding a whole new game board, showing the world of Talisman after a terrible cataclysm
- The Harbinger Expansion – adding omens which predict the end of the world, meaning you have to act quickly to prevent the apocalyptic scenarios
- The Dragon Expansion – adding two new inner regions, Dragon Lords, dragon cards, and more
- The Firelands Expansion – adding various new mechanics, endings, and characters
- The Woodland Expansion – adding the woodland region, new characters, and more
- Talisman Origins: The Eternal Conflict – featuring new story content which gives existing characters a little more development
- Talisman Origins: The Legend of Pandora’s Box – adding a whole new book to the game detailing an invasion by creatures from the Nether Realm
- Talisman Origins: Beyond the Veil – adding the Grim Reaper as a character, as well as new chapters of story content
- Talisman Origins: a whole new way to experience the world of Talisman, giving you an insight into the universe’s backstory
- The Frostmarch Expansion: Legendary Deck – allowing you to increase the difficulty of the cards you’ll encounter in the Frostmarch Expansion
- The Sacred Pool Expansion: Legendary Deck – allowing you to increase the difficulty of cards you’ll encounter in the Sacred Pool Expansion
- The City Expansion: Legendary Deck – allowing you to increase the difficulty of cards you’ll encounter in the City Expansion
- The Blood Moon Expansion: Legendary Deck – allowing you to increase the difficulty of cards you’ll encounter in the City Expansion
- Base Game: Legendary Deck – allowing you to increase the difficulty of the game across the board
- The Dungeon Expansion: Legendary Deck – allowing you to increase the difficulty of the cards you encounter in the Dungeon Expansion
- The Highland Expansion: Legendary Deck – allowing you to increase the difficulty of the cards you encounter in the Highland Expansion
- The Reaper Expansion: Legendary Deck – allowing you to increase the difficulty of the cards you encounter in the Reaper Expansion
- Vampire – a character who can steal lives from other characters they encounter
- Pilgrim – a character whose unwavering faith means that they will not mean a turn, even when they should
- Satyr – a character who can steal followers from others and who can evade others in woods and fields
- Swordsman – a character who stars the game with a sword from the purchase deck
- Ranger – a character who is a skilled tracker, and hunter
- Witch Hunter – a character with a legion of villagers at their back, who starts with a Witch Token
- Pathfinder – a character who is able to ignore instruction on spaces outside of the Inner Region and draw a card instead
- Woodsman – a character who starts the game with an axe, and who has extra mobility in the forest
- Samurai – a character who will assist other characters in battle, for a fee
That’s a heft selection of new characters, scenarios, and settings. With all of these, you’re sure to get hundreds of hours of fun out of Talisman. The game is at its best when you have every single one of the expansions, so this is definitely something to consider if you’ve been meaning to try it for a while.
Buying this Humble Bundle helps to support The Trevor Project, a charity dedicated to reducing the suicide rates amongst gay, lesbian, bisexual, trans, and questioning children.
For more gaming recommendations, check out our guide on the best kids’ board games (which features Talisman), and if video games are what you seek, our guide on the best free strategy games may serve you well.