Solo Review — Choose Your Own Adventure: House of Danger

What is this game about? 

House of Danger is a choose your own adventure game, based on a CYOA book with the same name. In this gamified implementation of the book, you and your fellow players will read story cards, make decisions about what to do next, collect items and clues, and try to survive to the end of the tale. (Don't worry though—if you die, you're just sent back to the previous card with some minor consequences, and you can take a different path forward.)  You'll need to manage your level of psychic sensitivity, which can help you find extra clues, as well as the "danger level" in the game, which affects the difficulty of the die rolls you'll need in order to pass in-game challenges. The cards themselves direct you very smoothly from one card to the next, so you won't find yourself "lost" in the game at any point. The story contains five chapters, each of which comes with its own story and clue decks. Some items, however, can carry over from earlier chapters to later ones. 

How does it play solo? 

This game may be at its best when played solo—it's a lot of text, and it really does navigate like a board game version of a CYOA book. It is also fun with two people, but I'm not sure it would be enjoyable with more, since the experience is closer to reading a book than it is to playing a full-on board game. 

Overall Thoughts

House of Danger is the type of game you play when you just want to relax. It's very light, with the emphasis placed squarely on enjoying the story cards and having a good time. While losing certain challenges can cause you to miss out on important items in the game, there are plenty of ways forward, and no particularly brutal consequences for mistakes. Instead, you should just go with the flow and reach one of the several possible endings. (Then, if you like, you can play again to see if you get a different result.)

If you enjoy books from the Choose Your Own Adventure series, this game will be a fun and nostalgic adventure for you. If you are looking for an intense gaming experience, look elsewhere. The story is fun, but random, and it's not one of those tales where you can win by making logical choices. Sometimes, bad stuff will just happen, and all you can do is laugh it off and try again. 

Overall, House of Danger isn't particularly deep or memorable, but it's fun while you have it. If you take it for what it is, you'll have a great time. 

Do I recommend it? 

If you are looking for a fun, light, story-driven gaming experience, then go for it! 

Overall Rating: 3 stars

5 stars — I love it!
4 stars — I really like it. 
3 stars — I like it. 
2 stars — It's okay. 
1 star — Meh. 

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