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Final Challenge
7.0
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Tabletop Game
Final Challenge is a party game so packed with action it does not have to pose as a drinking game!...
Josh Burns (166 KP) rated Spartacus: A Game of Blood and Treachery in Tabletop Games
Jun 20, 2019
Easy to learn but a ton of fun (1 more)
Great strategy and combat
I had my eye on this game for a while before finally pulling the trigger and ordering it a few years ago. I had little faith in a game based on a tv show, but I love gladiator games and there aren't many to choose from.
The base game is 3-4 players, there are expansions that increase that, but I'm sticking with the base game for this review. Each player controls a different House, which have their own stats, abilities, and alternate objectives, with the main objective being to reach 10 influence.
The game plays basically as follows:
Upkeep phase: collect money, try to heal wounded gladiators, and reactivate slaves that were used.
Market: A number of cards are drawn and placed face down, then one card is flipped. It could be a gladiator, a slave (can earn you money and may have abilities that are useful outside the arena) or gear for your gladiators. All players choose how many coins to bid and keep them in a closed fist until everyone is ready, then everyone reveals their bid. Whoever was highest wins. You then repeat till each card is flipped. You can also put your own cards up for auction or offer trades.
the arena: after this, 2 players chosen by another player have to either fight each other, pitting a slave or gladiator against the oppents, or forfeit at the cost of Influence. Players may place bets on who will win and if the loser will be killed, or badly injured.
The game is basically 2 games in 1: outside the arena and in it.
Outside: It is primarily about making deals, lying, setting each other up, making temporary allies and backstabbing. Literally the only rule in the actual rulebook about how to go about this is: "Don't be a dick. " It actually says that, and says they mean keep it fun, don't actually try to be a spiteful douche. There is nothing directing you when to lie or be honest, if you have to keep promises, etc.
In the arena: Combat is fun and simple. Not all fighters are equal but I have seen weak ones overcome the odds. If you're a fan of the show you will recognize many names. As a quick sidenote, an expansion can turn these fights from 1 vs 1 to 2 vs 2. I've won hard fought games, and I've lost on purpose to win a bet or fulfill a deal. Your fighter may or may not die or be injured. The player who chose the participants also decides the fate of the losing fighter (if they didn't die fighting) with a thumbs up or down. The player with the losing fighter can plead for the fighters survival or bribe, or maybe the player chosing wants the losing player to owe them a favor. There is never a clear cut choice.
In conclusion: This is a favorite of mine. It is unbelievably fun making deals (whether you keep them or not) bribing, setting players against each other etc. The combat is fun and easy to learn and the other players are typically screaming at whoever they want to win if they aren't doing well (in good fun, not actual anger). I can't think of anything to not like about it. If you like the show you'll love references such as the "Jupiter's Cock" card and seeing all the characters (slaves, gladiators, and dominas). If you don't like the show, it's still a hell of a game and you don't need to watch the show to know what's going on.
The base game is 3-4 players, there are expansions that increase that, but I'm sticking with the base game for this review. Each player controls a different House, which have their own stats, abilities, and alternate objectives, with the main objective being to reach 10 influence.
The game plays basically as follows:
Upkeep phase: collect money, try to heal wounded gladiators, and reactivate slaves that were used.
Market: A number of cards are drawn and placed face down, then one card is flipped. It could be a gladiator, a slave (can earn you money and may have abilities that are useful outside the arena) or gear for your gladiators. All players choose how many coins to bid and keep them in a closed fist until everyone is ready, then everyone reveals their bid. Whoever was highest wins. You then repeat till each card is flipped. You can also put your own cards up for auction or offer trades.
the arena: after this, 2 players chosen by another player have to either fight each other, pitting a slave or gladiator against the oppents, or forfeit at the cost of Influence. Players may place bets on who will win and if the loser will be killed, or badly injured.
The game is basically 2 games in 1: outside the arena and in it.
Outside: It is primarily about making deals, lying, setting each other up, making temporary allies and backstabbing. Literally the only rule in the actual rulebook about how to go about this is: "Don't be a dick. " It actually says that, and says they mean keep it fun, don't actually try to be a spiteful douche. There is nothing directing you when to lie or be honest, if you have to keep promises, etc.
In the arena: Combat is fun and simple. Not all fighters are equal but I have seen weak ones overcome the odds. If you're a fan of the show you will recognize many names. As a quick sidenote, an expansion can turn these fights from 1 vs 1 to 2 vs 2. I've won hard fought games, and I've lost on purpose to win a bet or fulfill a deal. Your fighter may or may not die or be injured. The player who chose the participants also decides the fate of the losing fighter (if they didn't die fighting) with a thumbs up or down. The player with the losing fighter can plead for the fighters survival or bribe, or maybe the player chosing wants the losing player to owe them a favor. There is never a clear cut choice.
In conclusion: This is a favorite of mine. It is unbelievably fun making deals (whether you keep them or not) bribing, setting players against each other etc. The combat is fun and easy to learn and the other players are typically screaming at whoever they want to win if they aren't doing well (in good fun, not actual anger). I can't think of anything to not like about it. If you like the show you'll love references such as the "Jupiter's Cock" card and seeing all the characters (slaves, gladiators, and dominas). If you don't like the show, it's still a hell of a game and you don't need to watch the show to know what's going on.
7 Wonders
8.3
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You are the leader of one of the 7 great cities of the Ancient World. Gather resources, develop...
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Purple Phoenix Games (2266 KP) rated Werewolf: A Party Game for Devious People in Tabletop Games
Jun 24, 2021
Growing up, I lived on a cul-de-sac and the neighborhood was full of kids around my age. So if the weather was nice outside, chances were that we were all out together playing kickball, capture the flag, or some other fun games. In the summer however, our favorite activities were night games – ghost in the graveyard, kick the can, capture the flag (in the dark!), and werewolf. Fast forward many years into the future, and I find myself with a physical copy of Werewolf – a game that was taught to me under the starry skies of my youth. Does the game still hold its appeal for adults? Or is it a game that should stay in the past?
Disclaimer: We were provided with a copy of this game for the purposes for this review. What you see is a finalized production copy, and is what would be received in a retail copy. -L
Werewolf: A Party Game for Devious People (simply referred to as Werewolf from here on out), is a game of bluffing and deduction in which players are attempting to complete their objective, based on their secret roles. Werewolves are trying to outnumber the Villagers, and Villagers are trying to kill all the Werewolves. To setup for a game, assemble the deck of role cards. Each deck will always have 1 Moderator card, a number of Werewolf cards, and a number of Villager cards depended on the player count. For example, a 5-player game would have 1 Moderator, 1 Werewolf, and 3 Villagers. Each player is dealt one card and keeps their role a secret, except the Moderator. The game is now ready to begin.
Each round consists of a Night and Day phase, all facilitated by the Moderator. To start the Night phase, all players (except for the Moderator) will close their eyes. The Moderator prompts the Werewolf to awaken (open eyes) and silently point to a Villager to kill. The Werewolf then closes their eyes, and the Night phase ends. To start the Day phase, the Moderator will have all players open their eyes, and will reveal which player has been killed in the night. All remaining ‘living’ players now have a chance to discuss amongst themselves and try to figure out the identity of the Werewolf. Accused players have a chance to defend themselves, and may even throw the blame to other players. Once players reach a consensus, they will kill off the accused Werewolf. If the accused player was the Werewolf, then the Villagers win (in a 5-player game)! If the accused player was not the Werewolf, then a new round begins with a Night phase, and the Werewolf is one step closer to winning. The game ends when either the Villagers have killed the Werewolf, or the Werewolf equals or outnumbers the Villagers.
The above description is a generic rundown of the game. Many versions of Werewolf have additional roles/abilities to enhance the gameplay and add new elements to the strategy. This particular version of Werewolf does indeed include optional additional roles. Those roles are: Seer, Doctor, Drunk, Witch, and Alpha Werewolf. These optional roles grant players additional abilities/powers for use during play. For example, every Night phase, the Seer can silently ask the Moderator whether a single player is a Werewolf or not. That can definitely help in the Day phase when it is time to accuse people! The addition of these roles helps to enhance the strategic gameplay by offering more for players to do, rather than just blindly accuse and guess each round. Included in the tuck box are even some blank role cards for you to create your own roles/powers if you so choose.
The major downside to any version of Werewolf is that once a player has been killed off, if they were not the Werewolf, they are out of the game for good. So even if the game lasts for 20 more minutes, that player just has to sit there in silence.
Components. This particular Werewolf consists of a deck of role cards, rules, and a guide for the Moderator. The quality of the cards is nice, and they are easy to manipulate and are sturdy. The artwork is very minimalistic in this game, and it actually works pretty well since Werewolf really isn’t a component-based game. All in all, a good quality deck of cards.
Overall, this is just a normal game of Werewolf. Honestly, you don’t really even need any components to play – as long as everyone knows the rules and roles, you are good to go. Does having a deck of cards help? In some ways, yes. But it kind of just feels redundant to me, since I already knew how to play the game. If you’re wanting to introduce someone to the Werewolf-type game, this little deck of cards would be a good way to do it. Personally, this type of game appealed to me more as a child/teen, and it kind of falls flat to me now as an adult, thus my low score. I don’t see this game staying in my collection forever, but it had a decent run while it was here. Purple Phoenix Games gives it a calculated 4 / 12. If you’ve played any variation of Werewolf before, there’s really no need to check out this particular iteration.
Disclaimer: We were provided with a copy of this game for the purposes for this review. What you see is a finalized production copy, and is what would be received in a retail copy. -L
Werewolf: A Party Game for Devious People (simply referred to as Werewolf from here on out), is a game of bluffing and deduction in which players are attempting to complete their objective, based on their secret roles. Werewolves are trying to outnumber the Villagers, and Villagers are trying to kill all the Werewolves. To setup for a game, assemble the deck of role cards. Each deck will always have 1 Moderator card, a number of Werewolf cards, and a number of Villager cards depended on the player count. For example, a 5-player game would have 1 Moderator, 1 Werewolf, and 3 Villagers. Each player is dealt one card and keeps their role a secret, except the Moderator. The game is now ready to begin.
Each round consists of a Night and Day phase, all facilitated by the Moderator. To start the Night phase, all players (except for the Moderator) will close their eyes. The Moderator prompts the Werewolf to awaken (open eyes) and silently point to a Villager to kill. The Werewolf then closes their eyes, and the Night phase ends. To start the Day phase, the Moderator will have all players open their eyes, and will reveal which player has been killed in the night. All remaining ‘living’ players now have a chance to discuss amongst themselves and try to figure out the identity of the Werewolf. Accused players have a chance to defend themselves, and may even throw the blame to other players. Once players reach a consensus, they will kill off the accused Werewolf. If the accused player was the Werewolf, then the Villagers win (in a 5-player game)! If the accused player was not the Werewolf, then a new round begins with a Night phase, and the Werewolf is one step closer to winning. The game ends when either the Villagers have killed the Werewolf, or the Werewolf equals or outnumbers the Villagers.
The above description is a generic rundown of the game. Many versions of Werewolf have additional roles/abilities to enhance the gameplay and add new elements to the strategy. This particular version of Werewolf does indeed include optional additional roles. Those roles are: Seer, Doctor, Drunk, Witch, and Alpha Werewolf. These optional roles grant players additional abilities/powers for use during play. For example, every Night phase, the Seer can silently ask the Moderator whether a single player is a Werewolf or not. That can definitely help in the Day phase when it is time to accuse people! The addition of these roles helps to enhance the strategic gameplay by offering more for players to do, rather than just blindly accuse and guess each round. Included in the tuck box are even some blank role cards for you to create your own roles/powers if you so choose.
The major downside to any version of Werewolf is that once a player has been killed off, if they were not the Werewolf, they are out of the game for good. So even if the game lasts for 20 more minutes, that player just has to sit there in silence.
Components. This particular Werewolf consists of a deck of role cards, rules, and a guide for the Moderator. The quality of the cards is nice, and they are easy to manipulate and are sturdy. The artwork is very minimalistic in this game, and it actually works pretty well since Werewolf really isn’t a component-based game. All in all, a good quality deck of cards.
Overall, this is just a normal game of Werewolf. Honestly, you don’t really even need any components to play – as long as everyone knows the rules and roles, you are good to go. Does having a deck of cards help? In some ways, yes. But it kind of just feels redundant to me, since I already knew how to play the game. If you’re wanting to introduce someone to the Werewolf-type game, this little deck of cards would be a good way to do it. Personally, this type of game appealed to me more as a child/teen, and it kind of falls flat to me now as an adult, thus my low score. I don’t see this game staying in my collection forever, but it had a decent run while it was here. Purple Phoenix Games gives it a calculated 4 / 12. If you’ve played any variation of Werewolf before, there’s really no need to check out this particular iteration.
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