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Cartographers, For Real Now

This is actually not that bad for me…

In Fantasy Map Maker, each game will have 5 goals related to various aspects of the map. Each turn two dice are rolled, one will select which wedge of features are available, and the other the size of the feature.

Features come in 3 basic types, each with basic restrictions on how to be drawn. Big features cover intersections, long features cross vertical lines, small features individually need to be in the same square, but can be spread. There are also features that are drawn according to coordinates, and give you special abilities.

Each type of quest awards points for how the features are drawn and interact, and the player loses points for map errors, such as rivers starting from nowhere, incomplete shorelines and similar issues.

Featuring: Features

Like a Geographic Cheese

The thing I enjoy about the most about Fantasy Map Maker is the artistic liberty. As long as you keep simple guidelines, your map is your own. You can have skinny mountain ranges or huge crags, dinky little streams of rivers so large they can house islands. Even if you’re being strategic and thinking just about the points, there is still a lot of room for creativity.

The wedge of features system is really interesting. You need to balance what you use to have more opportunities open, while still thinking about the numbers you associate with each feature. Space is limited, so if you care about forests, you need to be putting on small mountains for example.

The Improved Edition

Big Cards Big Games!

This improved edition changes little of the gameplay, but it adds so much in terms of quality. First, the obvious one, big tarot sized cards for the quests and events. The art is gorgeous, the layout is clear and the examples drive the point home.

But just as good are the sheets. The layout is the same, but now each sheet has an unique configuration of the wedge, giving each game its our structure and strategy.

Epic, Once Again

Get Ready for Cartography (no, not that one)

Fantasy Map Maker keeps its place in one of my favorite print and plays of recent years. It’s clever, but yet so approachable. You can bring this out to any group and I think it’s going to be a hit, specially if they have this artistic itch.

But, artistry is not necessary. I mean, I’m awful at drawing, but I still get to look at my finished sheets and see not only a fun game I played, but this fragment of a world I want to be part of.

The boxed edition will be on crowdfunding on February 1st. Don’t miss it!

1-2 Players

Designer:Matthew Dunstan, Rory Muldoon

Artist: Rory Muldoon

Publisher: Postmark Games

Kickstarter Campaign

Do you ever feel the need of dueling your friends with a deck of cards, and throwing it at them just doesn’t feel right? Well, worry not, as Postmark Games brings us 52 Duels, where 1 or 2 players will fight as classic fantasy characters wielding the power of poker!

It’s Time To D-d-d-duel

Each player gets a character mat and their poker deck, shuffling and getting a hand of 5 cards. Every turn you can do two actions: using a card for their suit power, add cards to your level to unlock permanent bonuses, or add cards to your attacks. Each attack has thresholds of cards to activate and what cards can be played, be it same suit, rank, runs, full houses, etc. Whenever you add a card to your abilities, you can discard them and activate, usually dealing damage to your opponent.

Whenever a player is attack, they can use their chatacter’s defense, and any remaining damage is dealt by putting that amount of cards in the damage pile. At the end of the turn, the player draws back to their hand limit, usually 5. If the deck is empty, just shuffle the discard and continue drawing. If at point a player needs to draw or take damage and there aren’t enough cards, it’s game over.

Solo game is almost the same. The Nemesis adds cards by suit to the abilities, while face cards are added to levels. Each character has their own Nemesis side to their sheet, but they play almost identical to the regular side.

Pulling Straight Punches

The game starts out simple and intuitive, since you have all of your deck you can decide to invest in any ability or level. However, this is an explosive game, where a few turns really change how to handle your investments as damage taken is out of the deck almost for good.

It’s an interesting balance as doing lots of small weaker attacks is not the most effective, but defense usually entails discarding cards so it can also be a way to slow down the enemy. There is an intense push and pull of setting up, unleashing attacks and getting ready for defense.

There are currently two characters in this preview, and each does play very differently. The rogue tends to set up abilities quicker and turn around more hands, and also soaks damage more easily. Meanwhile the barbarian hits HARD and hits harder and harder as the game goes. Knowing Postmark Games, there will be even crazier characters with lots to explore in each.

A Solo Duel? Monoel?

The concept of an automated duel opponent is not novelty, but they are often either too simplifies and a bit dumb or complex and natural. Well, not here. The Nemesis side distributes cards differently, but the abilities and level up powers are as close as their player side can be. The feel of each character is pretty much the same and, as a mostly solo gamer, that excites me. Victories do not come by exploiting the system, but by out maneuvering and playing to your strengths.

Again, Postmark is pretty much a Seal Of Gauranteed Design, but this might be one of my favorites. It’s light, tense, high adrenaline card play with explosive and exciting turns, and that is just the start.

Tag: print and play

Let’s Preview More: Fantasy Map Maker: Improved Edition