
- BGG rank
- BGG #1,545
- BGG rating
- 7.1
Paper Dungeons: A Dungeon Scrawler Game
- 1–8 players
- 30 min
- Complexity 2.1/5
- 2020

Rules assistance for Dungeon Academy: The Desert of Illusions
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.

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Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
Dungeon Academy: The Desert of Illusions is an expansion for Dungeon Academy released in 2020 for 1–6 players, 20 minutes per game, and ages 10 and up. It was designed by Julian Allain and its main mechanics are Dice Rolling, Paper-and-Pencil, and Real-Time.
Young adventurer, this excursion will not be without danger! Sandstorm hike, deadly scorpions and poisonous snakes ... Whether you are a lucky Prince, Assassin or Illusionist, you will have to surpass yourself to get your graduation. After the dungeon, after the Lost Forest, it's time to test your skills in the heart of the desert. Have a nice trip ! Game play and components : You embark on the exploration of 4 different floors: at each start of the round, randomly create a level by rolling 16 dice to obtain a square of 4 out of 4 dice. Armed with your Adventure sheet and the specific abilities of your character, draw your journey through the level while respecting travel constraints. Try to earn glory points and defeat small and large monsters. And don't forget to collect life and mana potions to stay alive! The fastest will have more choices when selecting their treasure, at the end of each level, and will thus be able to acquire more glory points, ensuring you victory ... and the graduation. -description from publisher
Dungeon Academy: The Desert of Illusions supports 1–6 players according to the catalogue. This range comes from the publisher’s listed player count, so the game can be set up for any group size within it. Some setups, rules and scoring details may still vary by player count, so check your edition’s rulebook for the exact configuration.
The listed playing time for Dungeon Academy: The Desert of Illusions is 20 minutes. This is the publisher’s estimate for a full game. The actual duration depends on the group, the player count and familiarity with the rules: first sessions usually run longer, while experienced groups often finish faster. Setup and teaching time are not included in this estimate.
The catalogue lists Dungeon Academy: The Desert of Illusions for ages 10 and up. This is the publisher’s recommendation and reflects reading demands, rule complexity and small components rather than theme alone. Younger players can often join with help from an adult, so check the age guidance on your edition and consider your group’s experience with board games.
Dungeon Academy: The Desert of Illusions belongs to these categories: Fantasy, Dice, and Expansion for Base-game. Its main mechanics are Dice Rolling, Paper-and-Pencil, and Real-Time. Categories describe the theme and setting of a game, while mechanics describe what players actually do on their turns. Each mechanic links to a catalogue hub with similar games, which helps when you want something comparable.
The credited designers of Dungeon Academy: The Desert of Illusions are: Julian Allain. These credits come from the published game data and name the people responsible for the game’s design, not its illustrators or publishers. Designer pages on MeepleRules collect other titles by the same designers, which helps when you enjoy a game and want to find similar ones.
The catalogue lists Dungeon Academy: The Desert of Illusions as an expansion for Dungeon Academy. Expansions add new content, rules or scenarios to the base game and usually cannot be played on their own, so you need Dungeon Academy to use it. Check that your edition of Dungeon Academy is compatible, as some expansions were revised between editions.