Critical: Sanctuary – Season 1 (2023) Board Game

Critical: Sanctuary – Season 1 is a board game designed by Yohan Lemonnier and Kristoff Valla, with artwork by Vincent Dutrait. It was released in 2023 by Gigamic. The game falls under the Fantasy, Medieval, and Travel categories, with a unique role-playing mechanism that sets it apart from other board games in the market.

Game Components of Critical: Sanctuary – Season 1

Character cards: Representing different classes like Warrior, Ranger, Rogue, and Sorcerer.

Episode cards: Containing the story and challenges for each of the 9 episodes.

Dice: Used for combat and skill checks.

Flavor text cards: Providing narrative elements to enhance the story.

Game Master guide: For the player acting as the Game Master to guide the story and gameplay.

How To Setup Critical: Sanctuary – Season 1

Setting up the game involves preparing the character cards, episode cards, and dice. The Game Master needs to read through the episode guide beforehand to understand the narrative and challenges. Players select their characters and the Game Master explains the starting scenario. The game is designed with straightforward rules, making setup relatively easy, especially after the initial episodes.

Gameplay Mechanics and Game Objective

Cooperative gameplay: Players work together to progress through the story.

Game Master role: One player acts as the Game Master, guiding the story and presenting challenges.

Role-playing: Players can improvise or follow flavor text to engage with the narrative.

Dice combat and skill checks: Using dice to resolve conflicts and skill challenges.

Investigation mechanics: Players investigate to uncover more of the story.

Objective: Complete the 9 episodes, each lasting about 30 minutes, to experience the full story.

Player Experience

Players enjoy a cohesive and satisfying story with the freedom to improvise. The game is particularly appealing to beginners in role-playing games due to its simplified and approachable rules. The high fantasy setting and classic archetypes add to the immersive experience. New players can quickly settle into their roles as the game progresses, and the game offers good re-playability as players can switch roles or host the game for different groups.

Pros

Easy to learn: Simplified rules make it accessible for newcomers to role-playing games.

High re-playability: Players can switch roles or host the game for different groups.

Immersive story: The game is structured like a television series with 9 heart-stopping episodes.

Cooperative gameplay: Encourages teamwork and collaboration among players.

Beautiful artwork: Enhances the overall gaming experience.

Cons

Limited class variety: Classes have standard abilities with not much variation.

Initial effort for Game Master: Requires some reading and comprehension beforehand.

Balancing issues: Some characters may have higher bonuses, making certain checks easier or harder.

Need for more content: Some players feel the first season could have included more material for creating custom adventures.

Personal Thoughts on Critical: Sanctuary – Season 1

**Critical: Sanctuary – Season 1** is ideal for those new to role-playing games or looking for a cooperative, story-driven experience. It’s a great introduction to RPG mechanics without the complexity, making it suitable for both kids and adults. The game’s structure, with short episodes, allows for flexible play sessions, fitting well into busy schedules. However, experienced RPG players might find the class abilities and overall content a bit limited.

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