Quests of Yore: The RPG Family Board Game from Pixar's Onward
If you’ve seen Pixar’s Onward, you probably remember Quests of Yore. That’s because it’s the fictional tabletop RPG that Ian’s older brother Barley is completely obsessed with, and his expert knowledge of the lore of the game played such a large role in the film. Well the game is not fictional at all anymore, because The OP has now published a real-life version of Quests of Yore, and it’s absolutely this month’s Game of the Month.
I simply can’t resist when there is such a wonderful crossover like this - straight from a favorite movie to our board game table. Both of our kids are obsessed with Onward. There was a time that they chose Onward several family move nights in a row. And I certainly wasn’t going to complain because it’s a fantastic movie. I love the high fantasy theme, and the story about two boys on a quest to see their dead dad again is so heartfelt and so well done. So the amazing news that they were actually developing the board game from this universe got me really excited.
The first thing you need to know about Quests of Yore is that it really is a fully fleshed-out role-playing game akin to Dungeons & Dragons. That means imagination and storytelling are going to be front and center here, and that’s always a great fit for our family. It’s well-documented that I’m a big imagination fan. I’ve written often about games that encourage storytelling, and RPGs like this are just as good as it gets.
RPGs are very different than other board games. They’re about adventure and exploration and creativity. A high-percentage of the actual gameplay revolves around the players using their own unique voice and ideas to direct the action and the story itself. In the end, a lot of the fun comes from the cooperation and the camaraderie. And I like to think that experiences like this can make a wonderful impression on kids, because one of my fondest gaming memories from childhood was playing Hero Quest with my family.
Be Prepared for an Adventure!
The other thing you need to know going into this game is that there is a serious learning curve required - both in terms of learning the rule book, and in getting everyone used to this new way to play games. This is true for all the players, but doubly-so for the Quest Master - or the QM. The player who takes up this mantle is responsible for really knowing the ins-and-outs of the game system, and for keeping the game and story flowing as well. Your job is to hook kids into this experience with a smooth and exciting adventure, not with constant, excitement-killing trips back and forth to the rule book.
And I don’t say that to scare you away, just to let you know what you’re getting yourself into. If you’re reading this article, there’s a good chance it’ll be you who is tasked with playing as the QM, and it’s important to know beforehand that you’ll need good preparation, and some impromptu imagination as well. You’ll have the final say on all rulings, and also the joy of spicing up the proceedings with a little bit of storyteller flair. Just imagine how seriously Barley himself would take this role - with a pure, unbridled, contagious love of Quests of Yore.
Err on the Side of Fun
I suppose it’s safe to say that my leadership and explanation skills were stretched more than usual to get this game going, but we can still play Quests of Yore with our 8-year-old and even our 5-year-old. That’s because the game is as accessible as you want it to be, because you’re free to have as many house rules - or fellowship rules - as you want. And so much depends on what the game calls Rule Zero: Err on the side of fun; keep play moving.
When playing with younger children, I highly suggest you take this into account with basically every decision you make. All imaginative contributions should be celebrated, and failed dice rolls can be minimized as much as you want. As a QM, you can even keep dice targets secret and just tell the player that they succeeded. It’s a good way to keep everyone’s interest and keep play moving, and to reward them for their engagement and creativity.
And I honestly love that positive spirit of the game. You’ll find lots of positive advice for how to enjoy yourself in the Advanced Player’s Guide and the Tome of Quests, often through the adorable hand-written notes scribbled in the margins by Barley himself. There are stat sheets and levels and dice and rules, but, at the end of the day, it’s truly not about the nuts and bolts. Don’t waste those 5 minutes looking up that rule you forgot, just err on the side of fun and keep it rolling.
It’s also stressed in the rules that every player is important, and I like that a lot. A good QM can be vital in helping everyone feel involved in the adventure, and this is especially important when you’re playing with younger kids like our 5-year-old. But it’s not solely the QM’s responsibility. It’s also important for older brothers to remember this about little sisters in their fellowship. A fellowship thrives on working together!
And, for the same reason, I also love the emphasis the game puts on the bonds between the characters in a fellowship, which you actually write down on the back of your role sheet. There are wonderful details like this in the game, and it really helps you bring your characters to life. And the designers did a great job in helping you flesh out as much of a role-playing experience as you want.
How to Play - The Mechanics of Quests of Yore
So much of the game is based upon performing actions, and then rolling the action dice to see if you are successful. The QM has the added responsibility of setting targets for the dice rolls and generally keeping things moving along, but once everyone grasps the concept of performing actions and rolling the dice, you’re really most of the way there.
When performing actions, there are 3 different action dice to roll - approach, technique, and assist. Approach describes how you perform an action, technique describes the type of action you’re taking, and assist comes in the form of bonus help from items or other players. Approach and technique are broken into several categories, and they form the fundamentals of the leveling-up system for your character as well.
For example, if the adventurers run into a flaming wall of fire, and one player states they want to jump over it, the QM might say that it’s a “brave” example of “exertion”. In that case they would consult their role sheet to see their current level for the approach “bravely” and the technique “exert”. Higher levels are allowed to role dice with more sides, increasing the likelihood of their success. But they might have an unlucky roll, and trip and fall and burn themselves a little in the process.
Another player, because their character has different strengths, may approach the same obstacle in an entirely different way - stating that they want to patiently investigate the trap. On a successful role, the QM might let them know that with a keen and patient and eye they discovered a stone on the wall that looked different. Upon pressing the stone the flames in their path quickly sputtered out.
And that’s just a very tiny example of how player choices, a dice roll, and a little improvisation from the QM move the game along and tell the story of your adventure. As you can imagine, so much of the fun of this game is found in the little details like this, and the memories you and the kids make along the way. With any luck, they’ll be talking for days about how foolish Mom looked jumping headfirst into that fire when there was a button on the wall the whole time.
What’s in the Box?
The game comes with 12 ready-made quests (including the prologue) in the Tome of Quests, and there are also 4 pre-made characters if you want to jump into the game quickly. But making your own character is a big part of the fun in RPGs, so of course there are empty role sheets as well, and several classes and species to choose from - like manticores, goblins, merfolk, or sprites.
There are also many cards in this game - full of allies, weapons, items, and spells. As you gear up before each quest, you’ll find that characters with higher levels have more options about which gear and which spells they can bring with them on their adventures. Starting out with young kids, I found it easier to effectively skip this phase and hand them the recommended gear and spells at the beginning of the quest, but I have no doubt they’ll be interested in gearing up their own characters in no time.
The wonderful, ready-to-paint minis that come with the game, however, correspond only with the 4 ready-made character sheets. You also receive a manticore piece as well as the dragon. But if you come up with your own character of a different species, you’ll have to either use one of those minis, or find one around your house to use. As far as I know, The OP hasn’t announced anything about selling any optional minis for other species in Quests of Yore, but that would certainly be amazing.
Naturally another thing I certainly hope to see is expansion packs in the form of more quests. Of course, in the spirit of a true Quest Master, you’re absolutely encouraged to craft your very own quests for your fellowship to embark upon. In fact, an entire chapter of the player’s guide is dedicated to advice on exactly that. I may just take up that challenge in writing and creativity one day, but that doesn’t mean I wouldn’t snatch up another official quest book from the publishers at the drop of a hat!
Our Experience So Far
Our 8-year-old is in love with this game, and I’m having a blast as the QM. He is the wizard of our family fellowship, and I can tell that he loves the freedom of coming up with clever ways to use his magic to solve puzzles and fight and progress the story along. In the very first quest, he revealed an invisible enemy by throwing grape juice and seeing where it splashed in the air.
At first he was hesitant sharing his ideas, asking several times if it’s even possible. But after being reassured many times, he became comfortable with the concept that attempts at basically anything are allowed. It’s my job to determine a difficulty score and we’ll always weave it into the story somehow. That sort of creative license is very freeing, and I can tell he enjoys it a lot.
Our 5-year-old, as you can certainly imagine, needs for adventures not to last too long. Breaks and snacks are highly recommended. But she loves her warrior and legitimately gets into the spirit of coming up with creative things to add to the story. One time, Mom was trying to hear something in the tavern, and our 5-year-old said she wanted to lend her assistance by grabbing a parking cone for her to press to her ear. And that extra assist die made all the difference.
She also once came up with the idea of using her shield as a boat to cross a stream all by herself. And it’s moments like that that make this game. The rules and the dice rolling are just the rough bones of the game that hold the whole thing together, but it’s the creativity and the storytelling that are the heart of the experience.
And I personally think this game is amazing. It’s a very different experience than the games we usually play, and it’s a welcome change. We’ve always enjoyed highlighting cooperation and imagination, and this is a special way to do it. Without a doubt Quests of Yore will find its way onto one of our “best board games by age” lists - perhaps the best board games for 8-year-olds.
I’m thankful for Quests of Yore for providing this special family experience. I have no doubt that our fellowship will stick together for a long time - far after they level up to master level. Hopefully there will be many fan-made quests on the internet to explore, and maybe some official ones from The OP if we’re lucky. And perhaps I’ll try my hand at writing stories for the family. It might even turn out to be our bridge into playing Dungeons & Dragons together. But, for now, all I know is that we’re having a lot of fun together.
Have you ever played an RPG with your kids before? What do they think? Are you thinking about giving Quests of Yore a try? Let us know in the comments!
