Board games remain something of a mystery. You never quite know what kind of experience you are going to get when you rip the cellophane off a new one.
That was The Meeple Guild’s experience with Halls of Asgard.
On the surface, the signs suggested we might like it, at least in so far as it was themed around Norse mythology, which, alongside anything Viking related, is always a strong hook for us.
Inside the box, while the hand-painted artwork by celebrated Norse mythology artist Helena Rosova was striking, the contents themselves felt rather sparse. It made us wonder just how much game was actually there.
As Guilder Adam later noted, after I read the rules aloud to the group, it did not exactly sound like it was going to be a great experience.
Ah, but it was fun. Quite a lot of fun, actually.
Now, we are not talking about a game of the year contender. No, not that good. And yet, there was an unexpected pleasure here.
That said, explaining exactly why it landed so well at our table is not easy. Frankly, we are not entirely sure ourselves.
What you have with Halls of Asgard, from designer Joshua Gillingham and publisher Little Hammer Games, is a semi-cooperative social strategy game for three to six players.
Players take on the roles of Norse gods, Odin, Thor, Freya, Heimdall, Idun, or Loki, each with two unique powers and one unique curse. Using these abilities, players claim heroes to join them in their halls in preparation for Ragnarok.
As a group, you are in conflict with Hela, who claims mortals from the Midgard board and gathers those who die without honour or who pass from old age.
That is where the semi-cooperative aspect comes in. You must work together to defeat Hela, the goddess of the Norse underworld, but you will still want endgame bragging rights by outdoing your fellow Asgardian gods.
You can use your special powers to aid the group effort, or not.
A clan mechanic and varying mortal values add an extra layer of strategy as gods collect heroes, because, of course, points matter.
As the publisher puts it: “If one of the gods can defeat Hela through the strength of their gathered warriors, the gods win; however, if Hela ends up with the highest strength score, all players lose as Ragnarok sets the nine realms aflame.”
It is super simple, though using your powers wisely is key. The game carries a light role-playing vibe, which really appealed to a table of veteran RPGers. Combined with the evocative artwork, it proved to be far better than expected, enough to push it toward the top tier of a crowded field of filler games.
Check it out at www.joshuagillingham.ca
About Author
Calvin Daniels is a Saskatchewan-born, self-taught journalist. He is currently Editor of Yorkton This Week, with 35-years in the newspaper business.
A game that surprised simply because it was fun
That was The Meeple Guild’s experience with Halls of Asgard.
On the surface, the signs suggested we might like it, at least in so far as it was themed around Norse mythology, which, alongside anything Viking related, is always a strong hook for us.
Inside the box, while the hand-painted artwork by celebrated Norse mythology artist Helena Rosova was striking, the contents themselves felt rather sparse. It made us wonder just how much game was actually there.
As Guilder Adam later noted, after I read the rules aloud to the group, it did not exactly sound like it was going to be a great experience.
Ah, but it was fun. Quite a lot of fun, actually.
Now, we are not talking about a game of the year contender. No, not that good. And yet, there was an unexpected pleasure here.
That said, explaining exactly why it landed so well at our table is not easy. Frankly, we are not entirely sure ourselves.
What you have with Halls of Asgard, from designer Joshua Gillingham and publisher Little Hammer Games, is a semi-cooperative social strategy game for three to six players.
Players take on the roles of Norse gods, Odin, Thor, Freya, Heimdall, Idun, or Loki, each with two unique powers and one unique curse. Using these abilities, players claim heroes to join them in their halls in preparation for Ragnarok.
As a group, you are in conflict with Hela, who claims mortals from the Midgard board and gathers those who die without honour or who pass from old age.
That is where the semi-cooperative aspect comes in. You must work together to defeat Hela, the goddess of the Norse underworld, but you will still want endgame bragging rights by outdoing your fellow Asgardian gods.
You can use your special powers to aid the group effort, or not.
A clan mechanic and varying mortal values add an extra layer of strategy as gods collect heroes, because, of course, points matter.
As the publisher puts it: “If one of the gods can defeat Hela through the strength of their gathered warriors, the gods win; however, if Hela ends up with the highest strength score, all players lose as Ragnarok sets the nine realms aflame.”
It is super simple, though using your powers wisely is key. The game carries a light role-playing vibe, which really appealed to a table of veteran RPGers. Combined with the evocative artwork, it proved to be far better than expected, enough to push it toward the top tier of a crowded field of filler games.
Check it out at www.joshuagillingham.ca
About Author
Calvin Daniels
Calvin Daniels is a Saskatchewan-born, self-taught journalist. He is currently Editor of Yorkton This Week, with 35-years in the newspaper business.
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