Making our escape

We took a break from miniatures this week to play Escape the Dark Castle. It's an RPG-lite, beer-and-pretzels, semi-chose-your-own-adventure, cooperative, quick-playing, retro-looking, card-based game. It's also very fun. You are imprisoned along with your fellow players when you free yourself from your dungeon cell. You have a card depicting your character, with a corresponding die.

You and your fellow players work together to overcome one card-based obstacle at a time, trying to accomplish what it says on the box: escape the dark castle. There are foes to battle, choices to be made, items to grab--all in your quest to defeat the final boss standing between you and your freedom. We played three games, and even though we only reached the boss one time (where we died in combat), we enjoyed each attempt.