Back in 2017, we designed Dungeon Poker first to work as an event in a bachelor party for a friend – consisting of youngish adult men, all of whom had background in fantasy role playing games and some in poker. Since we started seriously adapting the game for a broader market, we have sought to make the game broadly appealing and intuitive, yet with enough strategic depth for boardgame veterans.
You may note that our age recommendation is 14+. This is mainly because the game definitely is not for very small children or babies – it contains small items (such as the diamonds and the soul gems) that a baby/small child might swallow, so the game should be absolutely kept away from babies and very young children. However, we have found out mainly from Tuukka and Rauli, who are both family men with younger sons than 14 that the game does work for smaller children, too (their sons have played the game, first with some guidance from parents). Jere also thought that he probably could have played a game such as this when he was a child younger than 14.
Our game is thus “family friendly”, the language is never explicit and the art does not contain nudity or gore. However, some sensitive children might be find the idea that the monsters, for example, are “killed” if they lose, somewhat disconcerting. We trust that parents of children under 14 will know their children well enough, and the parents can be trusted to introduce the game as entertainment for the whole family, if they wish.
Happy Gaming!