When it comes to gaming, there has been a problem that has plagued it for as far back as computer gaming has been a thing. How can you bring a real tabletop RPG feel to a game without it feeling too, well, digital? That’s what Resolution Games sought out to do, and BOY did they deliver an absolute masterpiece of a game. The game they created would go on to change the digital tabletop game scene, making it actually feel like you are there with your friends dungeon crawling through a one-shot.

The game we’re talking about is none other than Demeo.

So, the version we’re going to be referring to today is the one on Playstation 5, but that isn’t our first rodeo with this modern classic. My wife and I actually played Demeo when it first came out for the Meta Quest 2 (called the Oculus Rift 2 at the time). We stumbled on it by complete chance and were completely hooked from the very first moments we booted up the game. When you first start, you’re immediately warped back in time to a 1980s tabletop gaming store run by a young woman who will become your dungeon master in the game. You are actually able to walk around the store and play minigames, but unfortunately, this feature is only available to VR users and not standard controls. It was a bit of a letdown when we fired it up on PS5 and weren’t able to experience the shop. I understand the developers want something just for the VR players, but it still would’ve been nice.

That doesn’t take away from the game at all, though. When you start a campaign, you are given a dungeon master style introduction, and then you pick your characters, who are then dropped into the first of three procedurally generated dungeons. Anyone who knows me knows that I absolutely LOVE procedural generation in games. I like the idea of games having endless replayability to extend the game’s life since I’m a dad of three and can’t afford to buy a million games. Plus, who wouldn’t want to explore endless dungeons with goblins chasing you?

The gameplay for Demeo feels like something straight out of a tabletop game like Warhammer Quest. Players move their animated miniatures around the procedurally generated dungeon, slowly removing the fog of war to see what is hiding in the shadows. Everything is great until you pop open a door and are greeted by a whole horde of twisted elves looking to take you out for their corrupted King. It can quite literally be a jump scare moment.

Combat is conducted by picking up your miniature and placing it on top of an enemy to initiate an attack. A virtual die pops on the screen that you roll to see if you land a hit, a critical hit, or the dreaded miss. If you aren’t careful, a miss can hit a nearby companion, which can suck, believe me. Special abilities for each character are handled by using a simple card system. Some cards specific to your character have unlimited uses with one turn recharges after each use. Others are single use, powerful attacks like the Sorcerer’s fireball. Any of my D&D friends here know how fun that is to use to clear a room.

The overall progression of the campaign is pretty straightforward. Your job in the first two of three is to find an enemy carrying a key to the dungeon door in order to escape to the next section. On the third and final map of the campaign, you are faced with a boss room. The bosses are always the same depending on the campaign you’ve chosen, but the rooms themselves with chests and all remain procedurally generated. These campaigns are structured pretty much like any old school D&D module from the AD&D days, as shown below. They always had randomness and flexibility for the players, but the final encounter always remained the same in some sense.

When it comes to campaign variety and unlockables, there’s a good bit to sink your teeth into! There are five awesome campaigns that you can play through as one shots, or play all in order to have one massive campaign. There is an overarching narrative, but it’s so loose that if you blink, you’d miss it. There are seemingly endless unlockables from character skins, new themed dice sets, and even bases for your miniatures. It’s the little details like that that led me to believe the developers truly wanted to give players the feeling of actually playing on the table top.

There are very few games currently on the market, especially on consoles, that give you a true tabletop experience, and Demeo is certainly one of them. The only other one I can think of that remotely comes close is For The King, which is an absolute piece of art in its own right. If you and your gaming group are hunting for the perfect Saturday night D&D experience without actually getting together, look no further than Demeo. You’ll have laughs, you’ll have tragedies, and you’ll have lots of misses rolled that end up hitting one of your friends, but honestly, it’s what makes the game so much more fun.

This certainly won’t be the last time we feature Demeo on here. With the upcoming release of the crossover game with Dungeons and Dragons you can believe that we’re going to be all over that when it comes! Until then, reach out and let us know your favorite adventures on the virtual table top, and we might feature it on the site!

For all things Nerd culture, keep it here with your pals at The Pixel Parlor!

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