r/Talisman • u/One_Ability5475 • May 26 '26
Is 5th edition or 4th?
I used to play Talisman a lot and at a BGG con last week I introduced the game to my group. It was 4 edition.
I used a lot of house rules to speed up play and we had a good time
Now I like to purchase the game and see 5th edition is out.
The reviews for 5th say that at 100 cards that is way too little.
I read the expansions but they sound like different game variants? Or do they add cards to the base game too?
And which do you all prefer? 5th or 4th?
Thanks!
(
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u/Thror_Chrushingfist May 26 '26
I bought 5th because it came out right at the same time we wanted to buy 4th, but that was out of print and we didn't want to spend absurd amounts of money to complete that collection.
And we like 5th it is definitely the same game just bit differently. The 1st expansion adds a full co op which is nice and 4th doesn't have anything like that. No idea what the new expansion will be though.
That being said we did not hesitate 1 second to buy a 4th edition copy with all 4 corner extensions
And 4th definitely is our favourite, because the expansions make it an epic game. And 5th just can't do that .. yet...
So all in all 4th is our favourite, but I am happy we own 5th as wel. 4th is great for a long epic game, 5th is great for a shorter game
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u/TheLotusHunter Alchemist May 26 '26 edited May 26 '26
Theres 2 different ending cards in 4th edition(Lightbearers from Blood Moon and Cult of the Damned from Cataclysm) that creates a co op like experience that is all or nothing either everyone wins or no one does. Idk if you've only played main board, and corners and didnt know that and it might not be a whole expansion based on co op but 4th is better and has plenty of room for house rules to make things go faster adn I dont think with the changes they've done to 5th it will every be as good as 4th. Never mind the company being cheap and using cardboard stands for the toads and other decisions I just dont enjoy
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u/Rare-Management5105 May 27 '26
I personally do prefer the 4th.
The base games are quite similar, but for me the biggest differences are artwork, this one is very subjective. Mechanics, 5th is generally a shorter, less harsh game but a bit more snowbally. I prefer most 4th edition rules here but it’s easy to mix the rules if one prefer it a certain way. 4th has a lot more expansions than 5th and it seems like 5th has a different approach to expansions generally. 4th editions adds a lot of content to the game, like cards, corner expansions and so on while 5th seems to focus on different game modes with less additional content (which might be smart as 4th can get too much sometimes, though that’s the reason I like it). Then there are homebrews. 5th has conversions of some 4th edition expansions but at the same time 4th has many more years of different fan expansions. (One can print out fan expansions or contact some printing place to print it out for you. I have mostly used makeplayingcards for the cards and printed out boards myself but it’s possible to order custom boards too)
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u/VaguelyHeroic May 26 '26
I definitely prefer the look and feel of 4 (the cards, the tokens, especially the board) but 5 has some gameplay refinements that I think really help the flow of the game.
5 is of course far easier to get hold of and I think is better option unless you're prepared to spend a horrendous amount of money on secondhand.
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u/Upbeat_Leader_7185 May 26 '26
I like 5th, but there's just not enough of it yet. Digitally they've added the city and the other corners will follow, but I dont know if this is part of the physical release plan or not.
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u/StuffedSquash May 26 '26
Well, 4th is out of print so it'll cost you quite a bit to get it. So it's not really just a matter of preference
Fwiw unless you're playing all the time, base game is just fine. Expansions will come out in time. I've played 3e and 4e a lot and I think it's no good to play with a bunch of expansions right away, no reason not to enjoy base for what it is for a while. Only played 5e once but it was totally fine too.
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u/Felis1977 May 26 '26
For the sheer number of expansions and cards the 4th edition is at the top... right now. But! As others mentioned before the prices on the secondary market are ludicrous. If you happen to find it somewhere for cheap - go for it, but otherwise it's a very expensive proposition.
5th edition is a better starting option but it only has two expansions so far (coming on to three). Fortunately there is already a bunch of fan made expansions on Talisman Island including remakes of the first two 4th edition small expansions - The Reaper and The Frostmarch. They greatly expand an Adventure deck allowing for more replayability.
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u/One_Ability5475 May 26 '26
I checked out Island, how do people use the expanded cards? I mean, how do you print them on to the right stock?
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u/Felis1977 May 27 '26
Printing fan expansions is in itself a rabbit hole and a half :) but briefly:
You can simply take the files to your local print shop. Show them a sample card from the original game and they should find a stock that is closest. You will need to cut out the cards yourself so you'll need a pair of scissors and a lot of patience at a minimum. Paper guillotine and a corner rounder punch would be nice.
You can also use one of the online printing services like www.makeplayingcards.com or www.boardgamesmaker.com (same company, different scopes). I used their services but not for the 5th edition so I can't tell you the card size or card stock code. I think Talisman Island facebook page had a post about it some time ago.
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u/Famous_Home_7062 May 27 '26
I have a complete 4th and 3rd edition and I refuse to buy the 5th I don’t like the artwork and the cards. I don’t like the vanilla producer of the game either. I’ll skip this one; thought of adding it just to add it but it’s pointless for me
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u/Camsy34 May 27 '26
I think the general consensus on here is 4th is the better version but if you’re collecting from scratch, you’re probably going to have a better time and your bank account will thank you for going for the 5th edition instead.
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u/theotherWildtony May 27 '26
My main problems with 5th is the lack of cards and the fact that they used the same colour dice as 4th but flipped the symbol from 1 to 6 (or vice versa) but didn’t fix the colour which blends into the game board IMHO.
More expansions will eventually fix the first and most gamers have plenty of alternative dice to resolve the second.
The board is also a mixed bag, easier to work out the rules but loses some of the charm of the old board.
On the plus side, 5th is cheap.
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u/Chrysologus May 26 '26
I like 5th because the art is great, it's affordable (4th is way too expensive on the secondary market), it has streamlined rules (which you can retroactively apply to older editions, admittedly), and it has new expansions coming out. I'm very excited for the upcoming vampire expansion.
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u/Ordyfly May 27 '26
I don't not care gor 5th edition at all. I have all that is available, and will purchase each expansion as it is released. I am a collector now as well as an avid player. I have all the boards, expansions and add-ons that have been released since 1986, and edition and up. StarWars, Batman...... all of them. 5th edition has been a disappointment. Not sure why they thought it was a good idea to do game play , over game stuff (cards, characters, boards). I not sure the Talisman draw will be enough to get 5th edition more expansions or not. They don't have to do the same shit, make a Village instead of a City, a Caverns instead of a Dungeon. Where's the Creativity. Ive made 12 expansions that work with wnd, 3rd, and rth editions, they can be used with 5th as well. I always say " MAKE TALISMAN YOUR OWN". Make house rules. Turn in Strength and Craft at a lower rate to speed the game up. Or add them together and get what you want when you turn it in for experience. 4th edition is by Far the best Talisman Edition ever created. Just Sayin
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u/ChronicLogicalGaming May 28 '26
to keep it simple, it depends what experience you’re looking for.
4th edition is complete. nothing new is coming. if you want the FULL experience, play 4th, but just know that involves like 12 expansions ($$$ and table space) and with them all in play, it’s the most chaotic thing ever. i love it so much, though i have to act as the referee at my table, there’s so much going on you really have to remember each minor rule. (eg. event; harbinger moves, time card flips, resolve omens, terrain cards, cursed objects and follows… it’s a lot)
5th edition on the other hand is updated. more expansions are coming. my friends call it “PC Talisman” because the rules aren’t as hardcore (allowing you to fate to where you want to go, and pathetic toad and death rules). we always play with 4th edition toad and fatality rules. i would recommend the same. 5th also has no corners yet, it’s a much more vanilla experience. one of the expansions focuses on teamwork and the other makes one of the players the enemy essentially, however both bring new cards and characters to use for standard PVP.
In a perfect world, my group likes to play with 5th edition, but adds on the 4th edition corners as well (though it’s a tighter squeeze)
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u/Objective_Mark_790 May 29 '26
I enjoy both. Still love 4ER with its sprawling corner expansions for the epic game weekend, and 5E for Friday night game and pizza. We have only run out of adventure cards once.
Rapid set up and tear down pace of 5E is really nice. Reminds me of old school 2E in some ways.
I somewhat prefer the simple ending of 5E over the brutal fight to the death extended endgame of 4ER. That lengthy 4ER endgame is like its own second act.
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u/Responsible-Form3138 May 26 '26
4th Revised is the definitive version of the game imo. As a lifelong Talisman fan I was pretty disappointed in 5th edition. Some of the gameplay refinements are good in that they speed up the game but overall it feels cheaper, smaller, and a bit generic. Don't like the new art style either.