An adventure board game is a board game in which a player plays as a unique individual character that improves through gameplay.[1] This improvement is commonly reflected in terms of increasing character attributes, but also in receiving new abilities or equipment.
Adventure board games often integrate various role-playing game mechanics, such as experience points and character creation into the board game format. The origins of the two types of game are related. In the early 1970s, Dave Arneson introduced his role-playing game, Blackmoor, to a group of players. One of those players, Gary Gygax, collaborated with Arneson to create Dungeons & Dragons. Another member of that gaming group, Dave Meggary, translated the experience into the board game, Dungeon!, the first adventure board game.[1]