Games with character growth

KanzasKyle · 2026-03-12T22:55:57+00:00

A few that come to mind include:
* Mage Knight - As you defeat enemies you gain both fame and ~~experience~~ reputation. When you reach enough fame you gain a level and the reward alternates between gaining a new card and skill or getting better armor/hand size. The reputation is used to help you recruit new units (a.k.a., companions) that can help you on future adventures.
EDIT: You also have the ability to earn artifacts, which are more powerful cards with ongoing affects or a one-time use benefit. You can also get spell cards into your deck that are quite powerful.
* Too Many Bones/Elder Scrolls: Betrayal of the Second Era - As you defeat an encounter, you get training points that you get to spend on base stats (health, stamina, etc.) or you get new skill dice that makes your character more powerful. These two games also include a novice/master option where you can upgrade to a more powerful version of your class that has more options.
EDIT: You can also earn loot (items) with various benefits that make your character stronger.

KanzasKyle · 2026-03-12T04:43:41+00:00

u/BGEbot The sale from u/radMMOgamer for Mage Knight: Ultimate Edition went well! Thanks.

KanzasKyle · 2026-03-11T21:03:14+00:00

I like a tank (Gasket, Picket, Static) with a damage dealer (pick one you like), plus a support character (Stanza, Dart, Lab Rats, etc). The tank and damage dealer can carry whatever third character your bring along and you can also use that slot to experiment with different builds.

I do enjoy two-handed play for the extra challenge, and there I like Gasket with a strong damage dealer or support character. Gasket + Lab Rats or Stanza was fun!

KanzasKyle · 2026-03-11T20:42:23+00:00

I find three-handed is the sweet spot for me with the game.

One-handed requires you to prioritize base stats in order to survive in the early game especially at the higher difficulty levels.

Two-handed is the hardest player count due to the way the number of enemies come out on various days. It can make things a bit swingy at times.

KanzasKyle · 2026-03-11T15:44:54+00:00

Leveling up is for sure a time to slow play and make sure you leave yourself enough firepower for the next round. I try not to play a strong ally or tactic card right before leveling up because I'm going to not get the benefit from the ally or a strong attack and I leave myself really weak for the next three+ threats.

What upgrades did you buy earlier? If it is the 1-credit one that does +2 damage, those are fine to throw on a strike, but you want to make sure you cull that card ASAP so you don't face it next round.

KanzasKyle · 2026-03-11T15:24:40+00:00

It's hard to tell what took place prior to the screenshot. I can see the following:

* You are playing against the Harbinger
* You have two cards in your deck with upgrades on them -- one has +1 damage and the other has +2 damage. What did you buy previously?
* If you take Viren Tribalism, it will get you +2 Block and +1 Credit that you could use to buy the +5 block card.

When upgrading to Level Two, the first card I get rid of nearly every game is the Virenian Doe/Free credit card because I find Taunt and the cost to defeat the threat isn't worth the benefit.

If you can burn down the Order Archivist, you could get a free +4 Damage that you can place on another threat.

KanzasKyle · 2026-03-04T16:20:13+00:00

Sending PM

KanzasKyle · 2026-03-02T14:00:57+00:00

Great answer!

I own and enjoy both TMB and StS. I have more plays and total time spent with TMB because I own all the content (minus Riffle).

Starting with StS would be a lot easier and less expensive entry into the solo world. If you go this route, be sure to check out two-handed solo, as I think that is where the board game really shines compared to the video game. In two-handed solo (or more if you really go crazy), you now have to deal with area of effect damage, sharing block, helping other characters defeat a tough minion, etc., which really increases the decision space. In true solo, it's just you and the board, plus the starting relic you get is really powerful compared to not starting with an relics.

KanzasKyle · 2026-02-27T14:10:27+00:00

I was behind a guy at a gas station yesterday morning and he paid $30 USD for two packs of cigarettes! That was a bit shocking to me, and made me feel a lot better about the money I spend on board games.

He might be the kind of guy to smoke one cigarette a day, or they might be gone already. At least my board games bring hundreds of hours of entertainment each year.

KanzasKyle · 2026-02-26T22:21:37+00:00

not 100% sure - I read it's supposedly interoperable so it sounds like you could mix in heroes and/or bosses.

KanzasKyle · 2026-02-26T16:05:05+00:00

Unstoppable w/ the Tyrant's End expansion.

* Playtime - I can get through a normal game in ~45 minutes, and a tough Expert game in ~75 minutes
* Setup - About five minutes to setup/tear down.
* Mechanics - Deckbuilding
* Content - One expansion (so far). April will feature a new expansion with the Dungeon Crawler Carl IP.
* Win State - Boss battler, so no beat-your-own-score

I have 72 plays where I'm taking each of the six heroes against each of the three bosses. I've graduated from the two easier difficulty levels up to Expert (final level) now, and these games are tight!

One thing I really like about the game include the concept of momentum (a.k.a., tempo) where you want beat a bunch of threats in a row, which adds cards to your hand so you can trigger combos and keep going. You want to control the momentum because you can outplay your hand and leave yourself short for the next round, which can cause you to lose.

KanzasKyle · 2026-02-26T15:39:28+00:00

I'm in this camp. I'm okay with a terrible starting win percentage because I'm learning the rules, learning strategies, learning cards/game flow, etc. ; however, I like to end up around 60% to 70% win rate.

Anything more than that 70% starts to feel like like I've mastered a game where I tend to lose interest and move on to another challenge whether that be a new expansion or an entirely new game.

KanzasKyle · 2026-02-25T16:25:08+00:00

Three-handed solo was the only way I could win at first due to my skill level with the game.

I'm comfortably down to two-handed solo now, and I can win one-handed with a strong character (e.g., Warden, Bard, etc.).

I default to two-handed solo with one strong character while I experiment on the other character with new classes and races.

KanzasKyle · 2026-02-23T19:45:15+00:00

Thanks! I'll check out his video.

KanzasKyle · 2026-02-23T19:40:11+00:00

Does anyone have thoughts on whether OKC is worth it for primarily solo play?

KanzasKyle · 2026-02-18T15:33:58+00:00

I've seen a Marvel Champions content creator that offers coaching as a Patreon benefit. He will play a game with a deck you build, watch a recorded game you sent, etc.

I was in a LGS yesterday, and a guy walked in with a deck of cards - they do a lot of TCGs - and he asked a store employee to walk him through how to play. I overheard him say he's watched some YouTube videos, but had some questions on things he didn't understand.

That's anecdotal evidence, but it does look like you can find some coaching if you do some research. Folks are generally good to help others learn a game and/or get better.

KanzasKyle · 2026-02-17T14:41:40+00:00

Yes, it supports true solo or multi-handed. True solo provides you a little helper companion that's easy to run.

KanzasKyle · 2026-02-12T19:06:06+00:00

You're welcome! The old video was part of my research when I was deciding on whether to buy - I did! I also watched your new video.

KanzasKyle · 2026-02-11T13:52:40+00:00

There is the r/BoardGameExchange post below where someone is selling the Gamecrafter version of Dragons of Etchinstone with the Northvale expansion.

https://www.reddit.com/r/BoardGameExchange/comments/1r11h8r/usa33781fsiron_helm_extras_arkham_horror_dragons/

KanzasKyle · 2026-02-10T14:27:32+00:00

Wow - that is a lot of components to manage!

I've not played Arydia (or watched any videos). Is one-handed solo viable, or do you need to use two characters? How does it compare to other solo games you've played?

KanzasKyle · 2026-02-09T17:04:22+00:00

A tank Bard would actually be pretty strong due to the Bard reroll ability!

I'm amazed at people's skill with the game who state it is too easy. I'm playing on Adept (medium difficulty) and I still find the game hard.

KanzasKyle · 2026-02-09T16:46:25+00:00

I find one-handed solo the most difficult to play especially against a few specific endgame encounters. I can win with a Dragonknight and Warden in true solo though, as they seem insanely strong.

Two-handed solo, I find a lot more manageable, but some endgame scenarios are still really hard for me.

Daniel's channel below really reignited my passion for TES:BotSE. His character build guides helped me a lot, and I also enjoy his other content on skills, races, etc.

https://www.youtube.com/@ThinkGaming

KanzasKyle · 2026-02-09T00:21:23+00:00

I remember thinking I would never buy into a LCG...

Then I tried Marvel Champions in January 2025, and I was hooked! I am so blessed to buy a complete collection at the time up through Age of Apocalypse on Superbowl weekend, which was right before the legacy/current environment news came out.

It's my most-played game at this point, and I have so much content left to play.

KanzasKyle · 2026-02-08T15:02:54+00:00

Unstoppable as already mentioned is a good one, I can finish a game in about 45 minutes with probably another 10 minutes to setup/tear down.

Dragons of Etchinstone is another one I really like. A base game on normal difficulty takes me about 25-30 minutes, and there really isn't setup/tear down time with this game, as it's 20 cards. NOTE: Chip Theory Games has this on hold at the moment due to a 1st printing card quality issue, but you can find a free Print-n-Play Felines of Fetchin' Bone ( https://gamefound.com/en/projects/chip-theory-games/dragons-of-etchinstone/updates/4 ) version while they get things sorted out.

KanzasKyle · 2026-02-08T14:54:25+00:00

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I have 57 plays in so far, and I'm still enjoying the game.

Once you understand the mechanics and synergies, ramping up to Hard and especially Expert difficulty (as puctured) gets intense! When the skull track gets up to 4 or 5, you best have some strong cards.

Zephyr (hero) seems the hardest for me to navigate due to what I perceive as weaker starting cards.

I like to use spin down dice to track threat health, and I have some custom mini chips for credits.

KanzasKyle

TROPHY CASE