Lords of Waterdeep is a German-style worker placement board game set in the Dungeons & Dragons universe, where players take on the roles of masked Lords of Waterdeep competing for control of the city. Players deploy agents to recruit adventurers and complete quests to gain victory points over eight rounds of play.
The Verdict
based on 31 reviews
“Board Game Quest highly praised Lords of Waterdeep as an accessible and smoothly playing worker placement game with high replay value, making it an excellent gateway game for new players.”
“Lords of Waterdeep is an absolutely cracking worker placement board game and has been firmly positioned in my ‘Top 3 Favourite Board Games’ list for a very long time. I cannot recommend you this game enough.”
Tom Vasel enthusiastically praises Lords of Waterdeep, calling it the best new game he played in 2012 and highlighting its entertaining gameplay, numerous choices, and top-notch components.
The reviewer enthusiastically praises Lords of Waterdeep, calling it one of their all-time favorite board games due to its rich thematic elements, awesome artwork, and strong strategic gameplay.
“Lords of Waterdeep is a genre defining worker-placement game that easily caters to players of all experiences. This, without a doubt, makes Lords of Waterdeep one of the best games to introduce someone to the worker placement genre or even board gaming itself.”
The reviewer enthusiastically praises Lords of Waterdeep, calling it one of their all-time favorite board games due to its rich Dungeons & Dragons theme, awesome artwork, and significant strategic depth.
“I bought this game because I thought my gaming group would enjoy it, and we have. It’s remained in our regular rotation of games for about five years, which is saying something.”
The reviewer finds "Lords of Waterdeep" to be a genuinely enjoyable and highly accessible worker placement game, making it an excellent recommendation for new players due to its clear rules and gradual introduction of mechanics.
The reviewer highly praises Lords of Waterdeep as an incredible and thematic game that consistently delivers a great gaming experience, despite its abstract components requiring players to use their imagination.
Rahdo finds Lords of Waterdeep to be a highly accessible and straightforward worker placement game, making it an excellent introduction to the genre, though it might contain some minor mechanics that some players could find less appealing.
“Lords of Waterdeep is obnoxious to own and transport. But it's a delight to play! If someone suggests Lords of Waterdeep at a game night, you should play this game.”
The reviewer highly praises Lords of Waterdeep for its strong theme, excellent component quality, and well-designed worker placement mechanics, noting that he thoroughly enjoys the game despite not typically being a fan of the worker placement genre.
The reviewer praises Lords of Waterdeep as a classic worker placement game that has stood the test of time, excelling in its core mechanics and remaining a top choice despite issues with mandatory quest cards and extended playtime at higher player counts.
The reviewer expressed significant satisfaction with the board game, particularly appreciating its D&D theme and relatively quick play time, stating he was very pleased with his purchase.
“Best New Game Designer Nominees: (for any designer’s first or second published game) Lords of Waterdeep: by Peter Lee and Rodney Thompson”
The reviewer highly recommends Lords of Waterdeep as an accessible and solid worker placement game, particularly noting its effectiveness as a gateway game due to its light D&D theme and thoughtful mechanics. While acknowledging some minor flaws like mandatory quests and a somewhat narrow feel, the reviewer emphasizes that the Scoundrels of Skullport expansion significantly enhances the experience, elevating it to a truly great game.
“Board Game Halv highly regards Lords of Waterdeep as a significant worker placement game that excels in its quest-driven gameplay and seamlessly integrates its Dungeons & Dragons theme.”
The reviewer regards Lords of Waterdeep as an immensely popular and accessible introductory worker placement game that effectively draws new players into the board gaming hobby, highlighting its Origins Award win and strong appeal to its fans.
Tom and Melody Vasel praised Lords of Waterdeep as a highly entertaining worker placement game with numerous strategic choices and strong replayability due to varying buildings and quests. They found it accessible and considered it one of the best new games played in 2012, with Melody particularly enjoying the dynamic gameplay with more players.
“Lords of Waterdeep is arguablely one of the best worker placement games to start a new gamer on. The game play is streamlined with a clear winning objective and clear iconography on the board.”
The reviewer enthusiastically praises Lords of Waterdeep as a classic, straightforward, and highly accessible worker placement game, potentially one of the best gateway games available. However, they consider the "mandatory quests" mechanic a significant and outdated flaw.
The reviewer describes Lords of Waterdeep as a fun worker placement board game.
“It gets criticised for being too light for a worker placement but I honestly don’t care. I think it’s lightness is a good thing and I can’t think of a better introduction to the idea of worker placement than this game.”
“I really enjoyed Lords of Waterdeep, and can see myself playing it a lot more. Heck, it may give Flash Point some competition for family game night favorite.”
The reviewers found Lords of Waterdeep to be an incredibly accessible and fun worker placement game with beautiful components and good replayability due to secret lord objectives. While the D&D theme isn't deeply integrated and the strategic depth is lighter, it's highly enjoyable for players who approach it with those expectations.
“This game does what it intends to do very well. It introduces people to Worker Placement games, yet keeps people interested in it for years.”
The board game 'Lords of Waterdeep' is widely regarded as a highly accessible and enjoyable worker placement game, making it an excellent introduction to the genre for new players while still offering strategic depth.
Lords of Waterdeep is considered a fantastic entry-level worker placement game, though the reviewer, having played it extensively, now finds it enjoyable but not a top preference for personal play. The game's intrigue cards offer engaging player interaction without being overly disruptive, but the reviewer notes a lack of significant progression in later rounds.
“While Lords of Waterdeep is a fun and well-executed game that makes an excellent introduction to worker placement, it lacks strategic depth and a captivating theme. The reviewer found it a fine game for a collection, despite not living up to its hype.”
The reviewer found the game's theme to be pasted on and the intrigue cards a bit random, making it a decent but not exceptional introductory worker placement game. However, they appreciated the incremental advantages provided by buildings and plot quests.
“Shut Up & Sit Down found Lords of Waterdeep to be a 'fine' worker placement game, but ultimately considered it an unambitious, simple, and safe design when compared to other games in the genre.”
