Developer: Markt+Technik
Publisher: Mindscape
Platform: PS4, PS5, Switch
Tested on: Switch
Labyrinth – Review
Board games are still a very popular pastime nowadays, but it’s not always easy to gather a group of people to play actually play one. More often than not, it requires a bit of planning, and even then, you might need a suitable location to host friends and family. This is also why digital board games, such as the Mario Party series, have been rather trendy because it’s easy to just sit in front of a TV with your loved ones. Nonetheless, more traditional board games have been getting their own digital versions as well, such as the wildly popular Wingspan game. A lot of these digital versions also allow online play, which again reduces the need to actually get a group of people together in your own house. The latest party game that has made the step to a digital version is Ravensburger’s Labyrinth. This enjoyable title has been around for ages, and it can rightfully call itself a classic. Now, the question remains, is the digital version just as charming?
Story
There is absolutely no story to be found in this title, as it’s a digital take on a classic board game. You’ll have different modes and maps to choose from, and that’s basically it. This is a game that does not require an engaging narrative.
Graphics
Graphically, there isn’t that much you can do with a board game such as this. The board that is based on the actual physical game looks good and very much like the real thing. The characters that roam around on the map may look a bit simplistic, but as far as pawns go, they are cute and add to the overall atmosphere. This digital version of Labyrinth also comes with a few different maps, some of which are rather appealing, while others look very cheaply done. We very much enjoyed the design of the Junior and Master maps, while the rest felt a bit rough around the edges. Nonetheless, it’s nice to have some variety.
Sound
The overall soundtrack isn’t too bad, but it’s extremely repetitive, and we wouldn’t be surprised if people eventually turned the audio off altogether. If you’re playing this game with a few friends, you probably won’t be paying attention to the music anyway. The sound effects are basic, but they suffice for the onscreen action. The audioscape is pretty much forgettable.
Gameplay
Labyrinth is a digital version of the classic board game with the same name. In the game, you’ll have to make your way through an ever-changing labyrinth, in which you’ll have to gather treasures. The treasures you’ll have to find are assigned randomly to each player, and the players are also the ones responsible for the labyrinth constantly changing. Each player will have a floor tile at the start of their turn, which they’ll have to slide into the board. This can only be done in specific rows, and only from the outside. When sliding a tile in, one will come out on the other end, and that will be the assigned tile for the next player. Your pawn will be able to move after your tile has been placed. This repeats until one player collects all their treasures and makes it back to their starting location. The latter can also be turned off, making it so that the game ends when the last treasure of a player is found.
Overall, the game works as intended, and it’s certainly a blast for those who always enjoyed the original game. You can also play against AI if you can’t muster up a full party of players. We do find it a shame that the game does not have an online mode, as playing against AI is of course not as fun as playing against real people. As expected, Labyrinth does allow local play with up to four players, and this also works reasonably well. When a player is viewing their new treasure card or simply wants to take a peek at their current card, a prompt will appear that asks the other players to look away. This is okay in theory, but a few annoyances appear with this system. The game can be played with a single controller that gets passed around, but each player can also use their own controller. This is sometimes easier when you’re not sitting right next to each other. Sadly, other players can also interfere with the active player during their turn with their controller(s). This is rather annoying when you have a player in your party who is used to skipping dialogues, who then might accidentally reveal another player’s card. This can truly ruin the fun.
As mentioned above, the game does have a few other boards available to spice things up, but these are basically small variations of the base game. You’ll have a few unique ‘special events’ that do change things up, but for the most part, these are the same experience as the original. They are fun to try a few times, but we reckon most players will stick to the original for a more balanced experience.
Conclusion
Ravensburger’s Labyrinth made a fairly successful transition from a physical board game to a digital one. We quite enjoyed playing this digitized version of the classic board game, but we couldn’t shake the feeling of wanting to play the physical version instead. Don’t get us wrong, the game works as intended, and it’s fun to have a few new boards to play on, but for its current price tag, you can actually pick up a physical copy. If you don’t have that much room, and you can’t always gather a full party of players, this digital version does provide a fun alternative.
No Comments