Nine Worlds (2016) Board Game

Nine Worlds is a board game released in 2016, designed by Matthew Comben and Andree Schneider. The game takes players on a journey through various mythological realms as they battle for control and supremacy. With a mix of fantasy, fighting, and mythology themes, Nine Worlds offers a unique gaming experience for 2 to 6 players.

Game Components of Nine Worlds

Game board featuring the Nine Worlds of Norse mythology

Coloured glass beads representing troops and avatars

Tokens for tracking control and special abilities

Rulebook

How To Setup Nine Worlds

To set up Nine Worlds, players start by placing their coloured beads (troops and avatars) on designated starting positions on the board. Each player chooses a faction, each corresponding to one of the nine worlds, and receives the appropriate coloured beads. The board is divided into the nine realms, and players must be ready to move their troops and avatars to capture and control these realms.

Gameplay Mechanics and Game Objective

Mechanics

Action point allowance: Players spend action points to move troops and avatars.

Area control: Players aim to control as many realms as possible.

Combat resolution: Fights occur in worlds with more than five counters, with casualties sent to Valhalla.

Special abilities: Each realm has unique abilities that players can use if they control it.

Game Objective

The objective is to control the most realms and accumulate points.

Scoring occurs every three rounds, with the option to play short, standard, or long games (3, 6, or 9 rounds).

Player Experience

Playing Nine Worlds can be a mixed bag. On one hand, the game is beautiful in its presentation and simplicity, with straightforward mechanics that make it easy to grasp. However, the game suffers from significant downtime, especially with more players, as each player takes their entire turn before the next player’s turn begins. This leads to analysis paralysis as players weigh their options, causing the game to slow down considerably.

Pros

Simple and easy-to-learn mechanics

Beautiful presentation and thematic integration with Norse mythology

Quick combat resolution

Deep tactical options

Cons

Significant downtime, especially with more players

Colour-blindness issues due to transparent glass beads

Limited ability to plan ahead due to changing board state

Disparity in player count affecting game pace and engagement

Personal Thoughts on Nine Worlds

Nine Worlds is a game that shines in its simplicity and thematic depth but falters in its execution, particularly in terms of player downtime and colour accessibility. It is best suited for players who enjoy strategic area control games and can tolerate periods of inactivity during other players’ turns. However, it may not be the best choice for those who prefer fast-paced games or have colour-blindness issues. Despite its flaws, Nine Worlds offers a unique and visually appealing experience for fans of Norse mythology and strategy games.

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