There are tons of reviews for Descent that cover the components, rules, bits, etc. After reading through dozens of reviews it can still be very difficult to really understand how the game actually plays. I find that, for me, a good game keeps me engaged throughout the game, even when it's not my turn. So this review is for those already familiar with the game rules, components, etc, but who want more understanding about how the game actually plays. So...

Game Speed

Descent is a long game. My son (13) and I have played 5 times and have the rules down pretty good, and we are just now to the point that we got through a mission start to finish in one 4 hour session. Perhaps we're just slow, your mileage may vary. We've played the first 3 missions, the first two took more than 1 session, and the game feels very well paced. You always feel like you're making progress (as the heroes) and never feels draggy or slow.

Even being long, Descent keeps you involved since you always have to react to the overlord or as the overlord to get through the dungeon. While the dungeons are basically linear, there always feels like there is a choice of how to proceed since there are usually lots of monsters to kill. I really enjoy finding the right path using the skills my heroes have.

Game Feel

The good news is that it never feels long. I think this is the only game longer than an hour that I have played without ever looking at the clock. You are constantly evaluating your next moves and even with the length there is not a lot of downtime. I've only played 2 player, with one player controlling multiple heroes, but since the individual turns are fairly short I don't think having more people would upset this balance too much.

I cannot think of another game (no, I haven't played Die Macher) where after 4 hours or more I still want to play. I never played D&D as a kid so it's not like I'm scratching that itch I've been missing. It just really is that fun.

Overall this is a very long, fun game that when it's done, you'll wonder where the time went. I highly recommend it.