Caravan!

After purchasing and downloading the materials, this is not worth $15 USD. I should have reviewed the discussion rather than relying purely on the reviews and rating. Overall I am very disappointed and I feel like the product is misrepresented.

This IS NOT a hex crawl, it is a linear board game where the players roll 2d6 and advance along a track. The caravan may not leave the track. Each location has a very sparse description and maybe an event or two, and the expectation is that either the party will not spend much time there or the DM will fill in the gaps. A few locations have an event table, making them re-visitable, however many are not (eg. Party is stuck here until DC 15 survival check is rolled, 3 failures results in harpies attacking).

I am usually hesitant to comment on artistic quality, however the publisher is claiming it is "beautifully-illustrated " both in the description and in the comments, however the quality is well below what I would expect from a $15 product...See more and the resolution isn't great.

Does this include a sheet for tracking your caravan?

Review updated. Hope it is helpful.

Were any of the reviewers involved with the development of the game? If so, why did they not declare this? Thanks.

At $15.00 this is a hard pass for me,
The description gives very little info about the product, the preview is tiny.
If I zoom in 300% the preview actually mentions the booklet is 24 pages, not good value for 15$, That's about $1.60 a page,
That's not something you should waste space telling people in your product. I shouldn't have to buy a product to know how big it is. Tell us in the product description.
I'd expect to pay closer to $5 for a 24 page PDF, and $9.99 for a POD+PDF, consider I can get a POD copy of the Fiend Folio (1e) for $9.99.
I'd probably pay $15.00 for a POD+PDF version of this, but not $15 for a 24 page PDF.

After getting an actual review, this is a hard no. This is not a hex crawl hybrid, this is "moving pieces around a board." This is not "old school" D&D. The fact that the spaces on the board are in the shape of a hex does not make this a hex crawl.

Furthermore, your reviewers appear to be people you credit in the product, and it's rather bad form to get a comp copy and not let readers know that the copy was provided for the purpose of a review. It makes sense that they can provide "reviews" on the day of the product release, since they've either played through it or been a part of the production of the product.

Wow! Great fun! This game took me back. The perfect balance of retro/nostalgia and giving us something new. I’ve been trying for a long time to introduce my daughter who is turning 8 into the world of RPG and D&D but always failed. As a dad now in his mid forties I wanted her to love what her old man loved as a kid but it was always a bit overwhelming for her. Not with Caravan! We jumped right in and had a great time. She pretty much has the basics and I think now has the bug...my wife is not happy but I certainly am...lol
Can’t wait to take her out for another spin and eventually into more adventures...great work guys. We Look forward to future material.

Thanks for inquiring about Caravan!

We’ve included “Flip book view” of the first four pages of the game manual for perusal.

This game is indeed a hybrid. 5e characters are needed (or characters from another system, with some conversion) and gain experience, treasure, and magic by playing the board game/ hex crawl.

Imagine a board game with sequential spaces. You move around the spaces by rolling 2d6, like many other board games. But imagine each space represents one hex on a hex map. Each hex has its own adventure: whether a deadly encounter to defeat, an environmental challenge, a social interaction, or an atmospheric experience. Some squares are sanctuaries, which allow the characters to rest, recuperate, and drop off their cargo—so they can return to the “home” space (Gulls Nest) and finish the game. Some spaces hide treasure, magical armaments, and arcane lore (i.e., new spells). All the spells and magical items are original creations.

Please...See more take a look at “Flip book view” provided and let us know what you think!
We have a Facebook page which provides imagery from the game, as well as more detailed information. You can find us at @mountainsidegaming.

Four glowing reviews within 2 days of release, no preview, and $15.

Please explain more about the "hybrid" game system, because that seems to be a uniquely new mechanic.

Please provide a preview.

"If it waddles like a duck and quacks like a duck, it ain't a cow."

This is a great way to really explore and perfect your characters true abilities. The cargo is what drives the adventure. if you make it back to Gulls Nest you get payment and XP but you have to fight off many fiends that want your precious cargo. I absolutely recommend Caraven!! 5 Stars ⭐️!!

I have played this amazing adventure! Brilliant!
What a joy to journey through with my 6th level female barbarian and our fellowship. Adventure, surprises and treasure! Genius! And the art work illustrates the author’s imagination beautifully. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!