Knights of Pen and Paper Bundle

Genre: Compilation / Turn-Based RPG

Players: 1

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Review:

Note: Both of the games in this bundle appear in two other bundles – they are also included in Pen and Paper Games Bundle along with Galaxy of Pen and Paper +1 Edition. They are also both in Old School RPG Bundle along with Chroma Squad.

Knights of Pen and Paper Bundle, released on the Nintendo Switch in 2018, is a Compilation of Knights of Pen and Paper +1 Deluxier Edition and Knights of Pen & Paper 2 Deluxiest Edition, both also released on Nintendo Switch in 2018. Both of these games are a Turn-Based RPG with a framing mechanic where players are playing as both a group of medieval fantasy 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.

In short, both games build on the same basic idea, but I would argue that the second game does a far better job of it, not only providing a better story built on the concept, but with better gameplay.

So then the question is, should you even bother with this bundle, or just skip the first game entirely to go straight to the second game? Well, from my time with these games, it didn’t seem like there was much in the way of an important continuous story between the two, and I don’t think that most players will miss out on much by jumping straight to the second game. However, at the very least this bundle does offer one advantage – the price tag. At $22.49, this bundle is about $5.50 less than buying these games separately.

Of course, if you’re going to go that route, the other thing to note is that you could always go a step farther and get the Pen and Paper Games Bundle, which includes these two games along with Galaxy of Pen and Paper +1 Edition, or you could alternately get the Old School RPG Bundle, which includes these two games plus Chroma Squad. Each of those bundles is $30 each, effectively acting as a discount of $10.50-$13 to the cost of getting these games separately.

In other words, if you’re looking for value, there are better bundles containing these games. And if you’re looking to just get some good games, you may be better off simply buying Knights of Pen & Paper 2 Deluxiest Edition on its own. As a result, it’s hard to think of who Knights of Pen & Paper Bundle is appealing to. And while you may enjoy the games on offer here, you’re probably better off doing so via some other means.

tl;dr – Knights of Pen & Paper Bundle is a Compilation of Knights of Pen & Paper 1 & 2, two 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 two games, Knights of Pen & Paper 2 is the superior one, and there doesn’t seem much reason to even bother with the first one if you can just get the second one separately. Or at the very least, you could get one of the other bundles that include more games from the series. In either case, it’s hard to recommend this bundle, as you have better options to play these games.

Grade: C+

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