Adventure Begins provides a my-first-D&D experience

Hasbro has announced Dungeons & Dragons: Adventure Begins, a board game to introduce players to the world of Dungeons & Dragons. This cooperative game for 2-4 players puts familiar D&D concepts into the shell of a dungeon crawler board game.

In setup each player chooses their character and goes through multiple customization options. Then players embark on a journey across the modular board to encounter one of four boss enemies: green dragon, beholder, fire giant, or kraken. On the way to the boss, as players traverse the spaces on each tile, players take turns being the DM to resolve event cards or monster encounters. The player who is DM still gets to participate in the monster fight or event, unless the DM is required to evaluate the players. For example, the players might find their path blocked by an inscribed stone that requires them to dance to move past it. The DM would choose which player performed the dance the stone most enjoyed. Monster combat is quick and simple. Players take turns choosing one of their attacks to use against the monster, and the monster automatically retaliates whenever it is attacked, with a die roll determining the type and damage. Players also can accumulate items to assist in their adventure. 

Adventure Begins has art by Henning Ludvigsen. It is scheduled to release in October 2020. If you are looking for a blend or role-playing and simple combat, check out this how to play video by the publisher.