Shadows over Camelot
| Shadows over Camelot | |
|---|---|
| Game data | |
| author | Serge Laget , Bruno Cathala |
| graphic | Franck Dion |
| publishing company | Days of Wonder |
| Publishing year | 2005 |
| Art | Board game |
| Teammates | 3 to 7 |
| Duration | 90 minutes |
| Age | from 10 years on
|
| Awards | |
|
Game of the Year 2006: Special Prize Fantastic Game |
|
Shadow over Camelot is a cooperative board game by Serge Laget and Bruno Cathala, which was released in the United States in early 2005 and in Europe in the summer of the same year by the game publisher Days of Wonder .
According to the publisher, the game for 3–7 players is suitable for players aged 10 and over and takes about 90 minutes. Both statements are questioned by critics and an age of at least twelve years is recommended and an average duration of about two hours is given. The expansion Merlin's Power , released in 2008, enables play with up to eight (or nine, see below) players and adds new game elements (→ section Expansions ).
Schatten über Camelot has received multiple awards: In 2005 it reached 7th place in the German Games Prize , in the same year received the Austrian Game of Games Prize in the "Games for Experts" category, and in 2006 it received a "Special Fantastic Game" award from the Game of the Year critics' award excellent. In Japan it was named Game of the Year 2005, it won two French game awards and in 2006 it received the Origins Award 2005 in the USA for Gamer's Choice Best Board Game of the Year (audience: best board game of the year).
Theme and equipment
The game is set in the world of Arthurian epic . The knights of the round table - here King Arthur , Sir Gawain , Sir Kay , Sir Palomides , Sir Galahad , Sir Parzival and Sir Tristan - meet in Camelot , individually or jointly complete various quests and fight the forces of evil.
The large game board, the outsourced game boards for quests and the action cards are illustrated in a manner typical of the genre. The game figures of the knights, the Picts and Saxons as invaders, the relics - Excalibur , Lancelot's armor and the Holy Grail - and the siege machines are made of plastic in great detail, while the white and black swords used as scoring points are made of cardboard.
Gameplay
As in any cooperative game, the players fight together against the game as such. You can only win or lose together. Direct communication - for example via certain cards held in hand - is not permitted, but hints are expressly desired. In this way, an atmosphere should be created in which the players represent their characters, the knights of the round table, also through communication at the gaming table and thus immerse themselves deeper in the game world. To indicate that you have the right cards in hand, it is recommended to say something like: “My men are strong and ready, my Lord!” To announce future actions, one could say something like: “I have heard that these terrible Saxons are on the march again - I will finish them off! ”As each player embodies one of the knights of the round table with individual skills and weaknesses, elements of role-playing games come into play. Character traits, life points and dice are also reminiscent of this type of game, but are used to a relatively limited extent in the interests of a fast game process.
The cooperative gameplay is broken in Shadows over Camelot by the randomly assigned or not assigned role of the traitor. As long as the traitor is not exposed, his job is to secretly lead the players into defeat and thus win himself. If he is exposed, there is an endgame in which the cooperative element is given up and the traitor openly obstructs the "loyal" in their actions.
At any time during the game, various conflicts and tasks (" quests ") take place simultaneously. Each player decides where he can have the greatest success with his skills and the cards in his hand. Constant tasks are the fight against Picts and Saxons , a siege army and the Black Knight . The quests include finding the mighty Excalibur sword , Sir Lancelot's armor, fighting the dragon and finding the Holy Grail .
target group
Shadow over Camelot stands out from other board and parlor games thanks to the cooperative gameplay. The interaction between the players is crucial. An interest in the fantastic theme of the game is not absolutely necessary, but helpful in order to think about the various options for action.
Extensions
In some game magazines in 2006, another knight, Sir Bedivere with specific characteristics, a game figure and a character card was added, which increases the possible number of players to eight players or the selection of characters for fewer players. The character map can also be downloaded from the publisher's website. Sir Bedivere is also included in the A Company of Knights expansion, along with fully painted mini-doll figures of the seven original knights. An unofficial expansion opens up the possibility of introducing Mordred as the ninth character, who is then automatically the traitor. The random principle with the loyalty cards and the search for the traitor are then omitted.
In June 2008 the expansion Merlin's Power was released , which is equipped with some new cards, new knight characters (which are used with the old figures) and a Merlin figure, as well as the knight figure Sir Bediveres with his character card and dice. No additional tasks ("quests") are introduced for the knights. Instead, the expansion - in addition to the introduction of additional helpful and harmful cards - especially shapes the movement of the characters according to a new mode. The expansion is usually judged to be successful, but is not so extensive that it justifies the package size and the price.
Individual evidence
- ↑ Detailed game review by the Institute for Youth Leaders and Qualification under #institut juleiqua - accessed on November 15, 2006.
- ↑ The 2005 Origins Awards - Presented at Origins 2006 ( Memento of the original from December 27, 2013 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. at GAMA: The Game Manufacturers Association (English)
- ↑ Quotes from the rules of the game about shadows over Camelot ( Memento of the original from March 13, 2006 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. , 2005, p. 8 ( PDF , 3.66 MB).
- ↑ Rules of the Game & Downloads from Days of Wonder for Shadows over Camelot .
- ↑ Information page of the publisher Days of Wonder on A Company of Knights .
- ↑ Rules ( .doc , 60 kB); Mordred's character map ( page no longer available , search in web archives ) Info: The link was automatically marked as defective. Please check the link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. ( PDF , 466 kB); both on boardgamegeek.com .
- ↑ Information page of the publisher Days of Wonder on Merlin's power .
- ↑ Markolf Hoffmann: Merlins Macht (extension to shadows over Camelot) . Review on Lorp.de, July 19, 2008; Björn Backes: Shadows over Camelot - Marlin's power . Review on Fantasyguide.de, July 31, 2008; Stefan Haag: Merlin's Power ( Memento of the original from July 26th, 2009 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was automatically inserted and not yet checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. . Review on RoterDorn, last accessed on August 2, 2008.
Web links
- Official website in German
- Shadows over Camelot in the Luding games database
- Shadows over Camelot in the game database BoardGameGeek (English)
- Review at H @ ll 9000
- Merlin's power in the Luding games database