According to Polygon, Demeo x Dungeons & Dragons: Battlemarked is now available on Meta Quest, PlayStation 5, and Windows PC. The game features two campaigns set in Forgotten Realms locations – Neverwinter in Embers of Chaos and Icewind Dale in Crown of Frost. Despite the Dungeons & Dragons branding, the game essentially recreates the original Demeo’s gameplay mechanics with minimal D&D rule integration. Reviewers found the experience buggy, with one playthrough getting permanently stuck at 40% completion due to a quest-breaking issue. The game was developed by Resolution Games and reviewed on PS5 using a prerelease download code.
D&D in name only
Here’s the thing about slapping the D&D label on something – it sets expectations. When I hear “Dungeons & Dragons tactical game,” I’m thinking about ability scores, class features, spell slots, all that good stuff. Battlemarked gives you none of that. It’s basically Demeo with Forgotten Realms locations and characters. You get Icewind Dale, Neverwinter, familiar names… but the actual gameplay could be any generic fantasy setting.
The skill check implementation is particularly baffling. In a proper D&D game, you’d strategically choose which character makes which check based on their abilities. In Battlemarked? You’re stuck with whoever happens to be standing there when the prompt appears. Fail a persuasion check? Too bad, no do-overs. It completely misses why skill checks work in tabletop RPGs – they’re about player agency and character specialization.
Turn-based overkill
Now let’s talk about the turn-based system. Having to move miniatures and take turns in what’s essentially a social hub area? That’s just bizarre. Imagine sitting around a real D&D table and saying “I use my movement to approach the bartender, my action to order a drink, and end my turn.” Nobody plays like that. The constant turn-based structure makes what should be fluid roleplaying moments feel like a board game puzzle.
And the class progression? Don’t get your hopes up. If you’re playing solo, only your main character levels up while your hirelings stay permanently at level 1. The progression system doesn’t resemble D&D’s familiar class features and ability score improvements. Instead, everything revolves around collecting cards during combat. It’s fine for a board game experience, but it’s not what D&D players are looking for.
Buggy experience
The reviewer hit a game-breaking bug that locked them out of progressing past 40% completion. After completing a quest for goblins in Karkolohk, they couldn’t interact with the NPCs to get their reward or exit the area. With only a single autosave function, all progress was essentially lost. That’s the kind of issue that makes you wonder if the game was properly tested before release.
Basically, if you’re expecting something like Baldur’s Gate 3 or even Solasta – games that actually understand and adapt D&D rules – you’re going to be disappointed. Those games succeeded because they kept enough familiar mechanics to make D&D players feel at home while adding computer game enhancements. Battlemarked feels like it‘s riding the D&D brand popularity wave without delivering the actual D&D experience.
Who is this for?
Look, maybe there’s an audience for this. If you loved the original Demeo and want more content with a Forgotten Realms coat of paint, Battlemarked might work for you. The multiplayer VR experience could be fun with friends. But if you’re a D&D player looking for that authentic tabletop feel? This isn’t it.
The real question is: why bother with the D&D license if you’re not going to use what makes D&D special? It’s not just about fighting monsters in dungeons – it’s about the rules, the character progression, the strategic choices. Battlemarked gives you the setting without the soul. At this point, the D&D brand is being slapped on anything that moves, and it’s starting to feel like cynical brand exploitation rather than thoughtful adaptation.
