Call to Adventure: The Stormlight Archive (2020) Board Game

Call to Adventure: The Stormlight Archive is a board game based on Brandon Sanderson’s popular fantasy novel series, The Stormlight Archive. It was released in 2020 by Brotherwise Games, designed by Chris O’Neal and Johnny O’Neal. The game immerses players into the world of Roshar, where they will create their own unique character and go on a journey to fulfill their destiny.

Game Components of Call to Adventure: The Stormlight Archive

34 Character cards

72 Story cards

48 Hero and Antihero cards

4 player boards

24 custom acrylic runes

60 Experience tokens (cardboard punch-out chits)

5 Adversary cards (primarily featuring Odium)

Full-color rulebook

Custom game mat featuring Spheres, the currency of the Stormlight Archive world.

How To Setup Call to Adventure: The Stormlight Archive

To set up the game, players start by choosing their character and selecting which Order of the Knights Radiant they wish to join, which sets their destiny and influences their abilities throughout the game. Each player receives a player board and the necessary cards and tokens. The game mat is laid out, and the deck of Story cards is shuffled and prepared. The Adversary Quest cards, which define the challenges against Odium, are also set aside. The game is ready for players to begin drafting cards, acquiring traits, and facing challenges to build their heroes.

Gameplay Mechanics and Game Objective

Character Building: Players draft cards to create unique characters, acquiring traits and abilities.

Solo/Co-op Mode: Players can play competitively or cooperatively against the antagonist Odium.

Challenge Resolution: Players use custom acrylic runes to resolve challenges and gain Experience tokens.

Destiny Score: The player with the highest Destiny score wins in competitive mode.

Radiant Mechanic: Becoming a Radiant requires focus and skill but grants enormous power.

Adversary Quests: Players face different scenarios against Odium, each with unique rules and challenges.

Player Experience

Players embark on an epic journey in the world of Roshar, crafting their heroes and overcoming challenges. The game is highly thematic, with artwork and cards that stay true to the source material. Fans of Brandon Sanderson’s books will appreciate the detailed references and iconic scenes from the series. The game offers a fun and strategic experience, with the solo and co-op modes providing a fresh take on the Call to Adventure system. However, the game is more enjoyable for those familiar with the books, as the context and themes are deeply rooted in *The Stormlight Archive* series.

Pros

Thematic Depth: Strongly adheres to the world and lore of *The Stormlight Archive*.

Variety in Play: Offers both competitive and cooperative play modes.

Unique Character Building: Each game creates a unique story and character.

Additional Mechanics: The Radiant mechanic and Adversary Quests add new layers of gameplay.

Aesthetic Quality: Beautiful artwork and custom game components, such as the acrylic runes.

Cons

Component Quality: Downgrade in component quality compared to the original game, with cardboard tokens instead of plastic ones and thinner card stock.

Context Dependency: More enjoyable for fans of the book series, as the context and themes may be confusing for newcomers.

Player Board Durability: Player boards are not as sturdy as those in the original game.

Personal Thoughts on Call to Adventure: The Stormlight Archive

This game is a must-have for fans of Brandon Sanderson’s *The Stormlight Archive* series, offering a deep and thematic experience that expands the world of Roshar. While it can be played without prior knowledge of the books, the game’s full potential is realized by those familiar with the source material. For new players, the game includes a brief background sheet to help understand the world and its main characters. Overall, it is a great addition to the Call to Adventure series, enhancing the gameplay with new mechanics and a compelling cooperative mode against the antagonist Odium.

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