The latest Dungeons and Dragons game breaks every D&D rule and requires no DM

Although Baldur's Gate 3 is on a different level, Dungeons & Dragons video games have a long history. Development of new video games for the popular TTRPG has been relatively quiet this year, but 2025 won't end without anything new. Gameloft's rumored cozy Dungeons & Dragons game may not have a release date, but another upcoming D&D release certainly does. Virtual board game experience Demeo x Dungeons & Dragons: Battlemarked is coming soon, and players will be able to check it out early during Steam Next Fest. To give you our first impressions of this latest virtual tabletop gaming experience, we had a chance to play the demo ahead of its release. Demeo is a virtual reality RPG from Resolution Games. Released in 2021, this VR game was later ported to PS5 and Steam. It uses card-based mechanics to streamline turn flow and provide an immersive multiplayer virtual tabletop experience. Now, Resolution Games has partnered with Wizards of the Coast to deliver an all-new virtual RPG experience using the Dungeons & Dragons IP. Demeo x Dungeons & Dragons: Battlemarked will be released on November 20th, while the Steam Next Fest demo for PC players will be available on October 13th. I played two scenarios in the demo to get a taste of this virtual board game, and I can honestly say it was the best VTT experience I've ever had. Plus, the game is your DM, so anyone can play your character. Rich demo of a beautifully rendered DM-free virtual tabletop experience Image courtesy of Resolution Games and Wizards of the Coast Battlemarked is not a fully virtual tabletop, as it does not load its own tabletop campaign. But it certainly has the feel of creating a virtual board game environment that pays homage to the experience of setting up an in-game experience IRL. Control beautifully rendered 3D minis of each preset character and explore maps that look like the best crafted D&D stages from real play streams. Also, unlike D&D's Sigil VTT, the map is pre-built and requires no DM design. Demeo x D&D: Battlemarked is fully animated, with voice acting for player characters and enemies. So as you move your minis around the board and interact with the environment, they come to life. Area of ​​effect spells have animated poison or fire auras, and enemies hiding behind closed doors are invisible until the character actually looks at them. As such, playing Battlemarked is a more immersive experience than any VTT-style game I've ever played. Rolling giant dice in the gameplay area is just plain fun, and the fog of war makes dungeon exploration more immersive. One of the best things about Battlemarked compared to running D&D in traditional VTT format is that the game will send DMs for you. The demo lets you experience two scenarios, allowing anyone to take on the role of a player character. The first offering is fairly short for those used to this style of game, but the dungeon crawl will really test your skills. Combining these two scenarios will give you a good sample of what the final product might offer. You'll see what narrator and character storytelling is like, along with classic dungeons full of treasure chests, rats, and hidden enemies. I believe the demo takes just under an hour to play, including the obligatory tutorial. By testing four different characters and exploring two different maps, I felt like I was able to get a good feel for what the final product would offer. You can play solo, or have the option to control all four party members yourself, or play multiplayer with up to four friends. That said, the game certainly seems most fun to play in a group, although it's balanced and engaging in solo play. Battlemarked won't teach you how to play D&D, but it's still a good time Screenshot by ComicBook As someone who has played a lot of D&D but never played the original Demeo, I was definitely surprised by the action economy. The game is very similar to a tabletop game, so it is expected to follow the general rules of D&D. But that's not the case. The card-based mechanics and damage dice are more in line with Demeo's playstyle, so characters perform far more actions than can fit into a normal D&D round of combat. It was easy to pick up, but it was clearly different from what I expected. This isn't necessarily a flaw, unless you're hoping to use Battlemarked to teach your friends how to play D&D. This certainly surprised me, as I kept thinking that my character needed to be completed in one move and one action, but there was a bit of a learning curve. But instead, you start your turn based on the cost of each card. In that sense, it's certainly more of a D&D-flavored board game than a virtual tabletop. You'll see familiar D&D classes, locations, and lore, but overall playing Battlemarked didn't feel like playing D&D. It felt like I was playing another related tabletop game in a beautifully rendered 3D space. All this considered, I found this game to be a lot of fun to play with a group of friends in place of a D&D session when the DM doesn't have time to prepare. If you're interested in Battlemarked, the Steam Next Fest demo should give you a good idea of ​​what the game is all about. It covers the basics, from four of the six available characters to various aspects of combat, exploration, and dice rolls. The demo will be available from October 13th to October 20th during Steam Next Fest and is only available on PC. At launch, Demeo x Dungeons & Dragons: Battlemarked will be available on PC, PS5, and MetaQuest. Will you be checking out Demeo x Dungeons & Dragons: Battlemarked during Steam Next Fest? Leave a comment below and join the conversation in the ComicBook forums today.