Pen and Paper Games Bundle

Genre: Compilation / Turn-Based RPG

Players: 1

.

Review:

(Note: Knights of Pen and Paper +1 Deluxier Edition and Knights of Pen & Paper 2 Deluxiest Edition, included in this bundle, also appear in two other bundles – they are also included in Knights of Pen and Paper Bundle. In addition, they are also both in Old School RPG Bundle along with Chroma Squad.)

Pen and Paper Games Bundle, released on the Nintendo Switch in 2020, is a Compilation of Knights of Pen and Paper +1 Deluxier Edition, Knights of Pen & Paper 2 Deluxiest Edition, and Galaxy of Pen & Paper +1 Edition, previously released on Nintendo Switch in 2018, 2018, and 2020, respectively. All three of these games are a Turn-Based RPG with a framing mechanic where players are playing as both a group of characters in a typical Dungeons and Dragons-style tabletop RPG, but also as the characters who are playing those characters, as well as to some extent the Dungeon Master himself.

Here were my thoughts on each of the games in this collection:

Game	Genre	# of Players	Grade
Knights of Pen and Paper +1 Deluxier Edition	Turn-Based RPG	1	C+
tl;dr Knights of Pen and Paper is a Turn-Based RPG with a game-within-a-game gimmick, having players playing an adventuring party in a D&D-esque tabletop game, as well as the characters who are playing that game. It’s a clever concept, but the gameplay itself gives players far too few options, and the story isn’t compelling enough to draw you in. As a grind-heavy game, it’s decent, but not on par with some of the great grindy RPGs on the Nintendo Switch. Not bad, but you have better options.
Knights of Pen & Paper 2 Deluxiest Edition	Turn-Based RPG	1	B
tl;dr Knights of Pen & Paper 2, like its predecessor, is a Turn-Based RPG with a game-within-a-game gimmick, having players playing an adventuring party in a D&D-esque tabletop game, as well as the characters who are playing that game. However, while the original game was lacking in both the story and gameplay, the sequel makes numerous improvements throughout the game that make it a much better experience overall, with a fun fourth wall-breaking story and some compelling grind-heavy gameplay. If that sounds appealing to you, definitely give this game a look.
Galaxy of Pen & Paper +1 Edition	Turn-Based RPG	1	B-
tl;dr Galaxy of Pen and Paper takes the Pen & Paper series of Turn-Based RPGs into the realm of sci-fi while retaining its “game within a game” concept. Unfortunately, the gameplay elements that tied into that concept are weaker here, resulting in a game with a solid presentation but lacking the compelling gameplay of its predecessor. This is still a serviceable RPG with a fun story, but the lack of compelling gameplay ultimately makes this a misfire for the series.

In short, this is a series that I feel hit its sweet spot with its second entry, which had a good combination of fun story and gameplay elements that made use of the series’ signature “game within a game” concept. The first Knights of Pen and Paper made good use of the concept, but suffered from lacking options, slow gameplay, and a lack of a compelling story, and Galaxy of Pen & Paper had a great story, but brought the gameplay too far away from the core concepts that made the series unique, and once again found the gameplay progression suffering. All three games are at least decent, but I would argue that Knights 2 is the star of the bunch.

While I might otherwise be tempted to tell you to skip the other games and stick with Knights 2, this bundle sweetens things a bit with its $30 price tag, which amounts to over $10 off the combined prices of these games separately. With that much cut off of the price, it may be worth it to you to look into this Compilation if you’re interested in collecting the entire series. Alternately, you may want to consider instead getting the Old School RPG Bundle, which swaps out Galaxy of Pen and Paper for Chroma Squad, which plays very differently than the other games in this collection and would make for some added variety.

In the end, Pen and Paper Games Bundle is a decent Compilation of Turn-Based RPGs, although how much it’s worth your while will depend largely on how much you want the complete series as opposed to just getting the best games out of the bunch. If you’re looking to be a completionist, this is a pretty good bundle, but if you’re wanting to focus on the best games in the bunch, you may want to consider either getting the Old School RPG Bundle or simply just getting Knights of Pen & Paper II on its own.

tl;dr – Pen & Paper Games Bundle is a Compilation of Knights of Pen & Paper 1 & 2 and Galaxy of Pen & Paper, three Turn-Based RPGs that have players playing an adventuring party in a D&D-esque tabletop game, as well as the characters who are playing that game. Of the three games, Knights of Pen & Paper 2 is the superior one, but this is a good value overall if you’re wanting to get the entire series.

Grade: B-

^{You can support eShopperReviews on Patreon! Please click HERE to become a Sponsor!}

^{This month’s sponsors are Lee, Andy Miller, Stov, u/wonderponder, Johannes, Ilya Zverev, Eli Goodman, and KC. Thank you for helping to keep the reviews coming!}