Sleeping Gods: Distant Skies (2023) Board Game

Sleeping Gods: Distant Skies is an expansion to the critically acclaimed board game Sleeping Gods, designed by Ryan Laukat and published by Red Raven Games. This expansion takes players on a new adventure in the vast world of the original game, with new stories, characters, and challenges to overcome.

Game Components of Sleeping Gods: Distant Skies

Game board

Crew member cards

Resource tokens

Keyword cards

Encounter cards

Combat cards

Airplane model (a significant component, though received mixed reviews)

Rulebook

Various tokens and markers for tracking progress and resources

How To Setup Sleeping Gods: Distant Skies

Setting up Sleeping Gods: Distant Skies involves placing the game board, distributing crew member cards, and preparing the resource and keyword card decks. Players must also set up their starting equipment and resources. The initial setup is smoother compared to the original game, making it more accessible for new players.

Gameplay Mechanics and Game Objective

Narrative Exploration: Players navigate through a vast world, making choices that impact the story.

Resource Management: Managing resources to undertake various actions and encounters.

Combat System: Engaging in combat encounters that require strategic use of resources and crew abilities.

Campaign Mode: A multi-session experience where players’ decisions carry over from one session to the next.

Objective: The primary goal is to explore the world, complete narrative arcs, and reach one of the multiple endings.

Player Experience

Playing **Sleeping Gods: Distant Skies** offers a deeply immersive experience, especially for those who enjoy narrative-driven games. The game is highly playable with two players, as it allows each player to control more crew members, enhancing the overall experience. Players praise the smoother mechanics and better writing compared to the original, though some feel it has lost some of the charm and challenge.

Pros

Smoothe Mechanics: Improved gameplay flow compared to the original.

Engaging Narrative: Better writing and more rewarding narrative arcs.

Accessibility: Easier to set up and play, particularly for new players.

High Replayability: Multiple endings and varied encounters ensure different playthroughs.

Family-Friendly: Suitable for younger players with some administrative help.

Cons

Ease of Combat: Combat becomes trivially easy later in the game.

Airplane Mechanic: The airplane component has received criticism for not working as well as the boat in the original game.

Loss of Charm: Some players feel the game has lost some of its original charm and character due to the smoothed-out mechanics.

Personal Thoughts on Sleeping Gods: Distant Skies

**Sleeping Gods: Distant Skies** is an excellent choice for anyone looking to dive into a narrative-driven campaign game, especially those new to the series. While it has smoothed out many of the rough edges from the original, it maintains a compelling story and engaging gameplay. It is particularly suitable for families or couples looking for a game they can play together over several sessions. However, fans of the original may find it a bit too easy and less challenging. For newcomers, **Distant Skies** is a great starting point, offering a more polished and accessible introduction to the Sleeping Gods universe.

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