Munchkin Babies takes the D&D-inspired board game back to preschool

Fight monsters and grab loot as adorable infant versions of classic RPG classes in the Dungeons & Dragons inspired board game Munchkin Babies.

The newest entry in the series of humorous card games that takes plenty of cues from tabletop roleplaying games, Munchkin Babies takes players back to preschool by having them embody toddlers setting out on an ambitious adventure at a decidedly young age. In the game, players can become orclings; dwarflings; elflings or even quarterlings - which are half of a standard halfling - in a quest to gather the most loot and reach level 10 before everyone else in the dungeon.

Besides the new cute playable species, Munchkin Babies also introduces a fresh batch of infantile classes to the series including wiz kids, ankle biters, crumb snatchers and holy terrors, all of which offer baby versions of some of the classic classes featured in the original Munchkin. Along the way, player characters can arm themselves with a variety of weapons and armour from the game’s fictional toy box such as the kazoo of constant whining, the kid-safe stabbinator, the blame-resistant pajamas and the extremely pokey spoon.

Players will need to acquire items in order to survive encounters with the fearsome enemies that stalk the Munchkin Babies halls, with the jealous kitty, hootin’ nanny, napmare and paediatrician all awaiting the tiny adventurers in their quest to become the greatest roleplaying toddler that ever ventured out of their crib.

In the original Munchkin, players compete against each other to become a level 10 adventurer first. On a player’s turn, they can choose to kick down the door with the intention of battling a monster, gaining a level and acquiring some loot. Should the creature the player encounters be too strong for them to defeat, other players can offer to help them in exchange for some of the loot dropped. Players can also choose to make opponents’ fights more difficult by adding to a monster’s strength or imposing handicaps on their opponents.

As they acquire more loot in the beginner board game, players will be able to customise their characters with various classes, species, equipment and weaponry, giving them benefits - and sometimes hindrances - to help in their journey to become a level 10 adventurer.

Munchkin Babies was co-designed by Andrew Hackard and Alain H Dawson, who have both previously worked on the tabletop franchise in the past. Steve Jackson Games - the studio responsible for publishing the original Munchkin, alongside the driving combat board game Car Wars - is set to release Munchkin Babies.

The release date for Munchkin Babies is set for January 2022, with the board game being available at a retail price of $29.95 (£22).