Despite its age, having been around for over 40 years at this point, fantasy board game Talisman still has quite the fan base.

It’s been kept alive thanks to numerous revised editions, expansions, licensed versions and even a very faithful video game adaptation, but it’s been missing from store shelves for a little while, with the 4th Edition being long out of print.

That’s all set to change this year, with Hasbro announcing that they’re on publishing duties for the next edition, which is set to arrive sooner than you may expect: June 2024.

It’s now available for pre-order via Hasbro Pulse; though a close look at the board and components doesn’t reveal anything earth shattering for long term fans (though the plastic Life, Craft and Fate tokens, as well as the redesigned figures, are a welcome addition), Hasbro promise ‘…more streamlined and accessible gameplay that lets both newcomers and fans jump into a game’.

Given how straightforward Talisman’s mechanics already are, it’ll be interesting to see just how streamlined and simple Fifth Edition can even be!

Though board games have come a long way since Games Workshop released the original Talisman back in 1983, the simple chaotic and often random charm of the game still seems to have its place on the tabletop, and I must admit that I’m someone who’d usually decry the lack of strategy and control that players have over how a game of Talisman plays out.

Still, even though the game can outstay its welcome at times, I’ve never turned down a game of Talisman; it’s a game that just about anyone can pick up immediately, and it always offers a daft adventure that never plays out quite the same way twice.

With 12 characters to choose from in Talisman 5th Edition, who will you pick to be your avatar, as you work your way around the board, get yourself a Talisman and fight to secure the Crown of Command?

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