As a child, I never had the opportunity to play Dungeons & Dragons. I was intimidated by the vast array of races, classes, and rules, and I also felt it was too nerdy for someone who enjoyed playing video games. However, as I grew older and my interests developed, I started to realize the appeal of D&D. Shows like Nerd Poker and Dimension 20 sparked my curiosity and I began to learn the basics of the game, despite only watching for entertainment. However, all of my friends who played D&D were already quite experienced and I didn’t want to be a burden. I thought video games would be a better alternative, but it was not an easy decision.

Over the years, there have been many official D&D games released, but not all of them have adhered to the traditional gameplay style or rules. Most of them, except for Baldur’s Gate 3, use older D&D rulesets. As a result, these games are not as helpful in learning how to play D&D.

That is until I discovered Solasta: Crown of the Magister on Xbox Game Pass. This is a game that may not have a revolutionary name, but it caught my attention immediately. It has kept my interest since then and I find myself wanting to return to the story whenever I am doing anything else.

Solasta uses a licensed D&D 5th Edition ruleset without being an official D&D game. Most of the races, classes, weapons, spell types, and possible combat moves are taken directly from the tabletop game. This allows for a smooth transition from Solasta to D&D, as the game is teaching you without you even realizing it. You learn how to set up attacks of opportunity, surprise enemies, and how to best utilize each class. Additionally, the aesthetics match up with classic tabletop games in a very literal way. When attempting any sort of attack, saving throw, or ability check in Solasta, dice appear on the screen and you can even customize what they look like. It’s a small detail that doesn’t change anything in terms of gameplay, but it further emphasizes the idea that you are effectively playing the tabletop D&D game in another form.

It’s not just the combat or window dressing that makes the Solasta experience authentic, either. Before starting a campaign, I had to choose my four adventurers. Solasta offers pre-made characters, but it’s much more fun to create your own and you can customize almost everything. Picking character traits affects the alignment of your squad, and I noticed it reflected almost immediately. My lawful-good paladin Aldritch wanted to de-escalate most situations, while the hot-headed fighter Mason preferred more of an “anyway, I started blasting” strategy. They felt like my characters and their flaws, just like their strengths, shaped what I could do. Sometimes, that even meant simply avoiding a side mission because my party wasn’t equipped to deal with a certain enemy type, but surviving is about being smart as much as it is about being strong.

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