Vantage: Review
Introduction:
Vantage is no easy feat, this is a true exploration game.
With 415 large cards, 916 standard cards and an array of books referencing interactions. The best way to explain Vantage is a point and click adventure mixed with engine building that makes players intrigued in the personal story they are developing. What I find truly great about this is it is not a campaign game, the gameplay is all contained in each sitting.
Game Anatomy:
Large Cards:
These cards will mainly focus on the vantage view of the players. These locations will sit hidden in fromt of each player, after all it is their vantage of the world.
These locations have various actions which can be activated by referencing the correct book and using the cards number. Each player can normally only activate one action per each location. On the top for each location there is several options of movements, with a number representing the new large card that will be revealed for that player. Some directions contain asterix instead. These movements require a reference to the wander book, including a challenge and at times options.
Standard Cards:
The standard cards contain an array of elements that will enter the players three by three grid. Containing animals, items, objectives, curses, abilities and more.
These cards can have die allocations on the top of the card, and some cards also have opportunities for boost tokens to accumulate and be spent to do an action related to this card. If the card contains actions they will have a certain colour assigned to it.
These actions are taken by searching the number of the card in the corresponding coloured book, and resolving this interaction as an action.
Books:
This game is a narrative experience, truly an exploration marvel. Not only is there a rulebook, a book of vantage and a book of secrets.
There is a book for each skill type as well as a book of wander that will be used constantly thought the game. Most actions players take during the game will reference one of these several books.
Boost Tokens:
Cards in the players tableu of nine small cards can gain boost tokens. Each boost tokens will only be placed on the card that gained it. These cards will have abilities that boost tokens can be spent to activate.
Dice:
There are two types of dice, skill dice (each face represents one of the six skills) and challenge dice.
On the challenge dice are two blanks, and a symbol representing each health, moral and time. The last symbol is setback, after this setback is resolved it will return to the challenge dice pool (which is not ideal as it will take longer for the dice spots on cards to refresh) instead of returning to the penalty section like all other dice when resolving. If any health, moral or time die is resolved it will move that players health, moral or time down the track per die. If any players track reduces to zero the end game will commence.
Throughout the game players will gain cards with die allocation spaces. Instead of paying the penalty of a die, players can instead place a die on one of these allocations. When all dice have left the challenge zone all of these dices will be refreshed (removed back to the challenge zone). These die slots can have a boost benefit gained (right side of allocation) or paid (left side of die allocation). The die requirement may also be based on the die symbol, skill or particular action type achieved, and a lightning symbol that means any player can use this die slot normally it's reserved for only the owner. Some die slots even require particular terrains or specific interactions.
Skill Tokens:
Skill Tokens can be used to reduce the challenge cost of an action of the same type (the amount of dice, the action costs). The skill tokens can be spent to reduce the cost for any player's action. There is a skill token for the six skill types; move (blue), look (purple), engage (orange), take (yellow), overpower (red)
Coins:
This is a currency during the game, some interactions will either gain or cost the player coins.
Setup:
- Place skill tokens, boost tokens, books and cards withon everyone's reach.
- Everything else for setup is explained at the back of the book of vantage 000
and book of secrets 001.
How to Play:
Players will have turns back and forth choosing one interaction per turn. Ultimately the goal is for the players to complete the mission revealed at the start of the game. Throughout the game a destiny may be revealed as well. This acts as a secondary completion goal.
On a turn a player will do one of three interactions, boost and skill tokens can be spent as free actions. A player can move to a new vantage location by selecting a direction in the top right of a vantage card, some of these directions have new card values but some require reference to the wander book (referencing the current card number).
The player can interact with one interaction per location (as a general rule); or lastly interact with one of the interactions in their tableu or as a destiny/mission.
When players interact with any book, another player will read the scenario out loud. The active player has to do the challenge they then gain the card the book states or select an option read out loud.
Final Thoughts:
- Wide breadth of game content.
- Engaging interaction/ choose your own adventure game.
- This game is story driven but there is a lot of player agency on what they want to do and how they survive.
- The interactions relate to the kind of activity it is and often doesn't leave the player negatively surprised when the challenges are large.
Vantage is a game that I knew would be unique but didn't know how much I would like it. Story games for me simply don't excite me, I prefer games to be mechanisms and themes then a focal point on narrative. Vantage is a story-like game. Everything is composed in the sitting of the game, but gameplay wise this feels very much like a point and click adventure / exploration game. The part of the game that keeps me engaged is though most actions directly link to a narrative which at times can be hard to anticipate, there is an engaging back drop of engine building as players will naturally pursue their own paths and objectives based on the engine they build. Then when amongst the gameplay I became immersed in the narrative of this alien planet and what actions to choose what I thought would be best. This game is a design feat, there is an abundance of variety which truly won't have any game feeling the same. Whether story driven games are your fortay or if you simply enjoy exploration and discovery this is a game that you should at least play once.
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