This is a preview copy sent to us for our early opinions. No money exchanged hands. Some art or components may change in the final game.
OK. I don't want to beat around the bush here. This is a fantastic game.
If you enjoy two-player skirmish games, then you will love this.
If you enjoy arcade fighting video games and want to see how that will feel in cardboard form, this may very well be for you.
If you like programming games or clever card play, you will love this game.
First up, let's check out the box. It opens into three pieces. The bottom splits into two, and then one of the pieces, your choice, can be inserted into the lid to form the arena. Looks awesome, doesn't it! The art can change depending on who is fighting, or what you prefer the look of.
This is all for aesthetics, and I am all in on this. I love it. The only functional part of the box is the nine blocks where the fighters enact their battles. It's linear to replicate the video game style this game is trying to recreate. If you just had a flat board with nine blocks, it would work just as well. But this game is all about the drama. I love it.
Each character comes with its own unique player board, deck of cards, reference card, player handbook, and standee. It is all very easy to sort and get playing. Set up is a breeze. Each of the characters is completely different. Some have weapons and can attack from range. Others are good in the grapple and want to be up close. One has a guitar and can use it to make vicious melodies. Another has lightning-fast speed and can nip in, attack, then run away again. They are all brilliant to play with, fun to learn, and offer a very different game experience.
The cards themselves look complicated at first, but very quickly become incredibly simple to read and understand. The above two cards are for a character that can change their stance mid-fight. This allows them to be stronger in certain attacks and movements. Generally, you work from top to bottom and carry out one of the options on each horizontal level. But MIXUP means you can work from the bottom up if you prefer. So, the card on the left lets you change stance and then attack in the three spaces in front of you, but only the first if you are in stance red, and only the second and third if you are in stance green. The card on the right looks way more complicated, but it really isn't. Let's go through it.
Remember, due to MIXUP, you can do these three actions in any order you like. First, you can move or change stance. If you are in the yellow stance already, your movement could be up to three spots. Just one if not. Next, you can either attack in front or behind you, depending on where your opponent is. Again, your range is affected by your current stance. Finally, you can attack directly in front or behind you, either for one damage or two if you are in the red stance. Simple, huh?!
The fact that you can choose what you do, and MIXUP helps a great deal as this is a programming game. You see the number in the top left; this will determine the order the cards are acted out in. First, the starting player will play one card face up, followed by the other player. Then the starting player can play another card if they wish or end that round. If they play another, they will do so face down, as will the other player. They can then, if they desire, play a third card, again, face down. If they do this, the other player must do the same. So, you will end the planning phase with either two face-up cards or two face-up and two or four face-down cards. When this is done, all cards are flipped face up and arranged into sequential order, lowest to highest. So, you need to think hard about what order you want to do things and plan accordingly. But the flexibility on the cards, often offering a lot of choices, gives you the chance to adapt and react in the action phase.
The cards also offer added flexibility with a status power in the top right. Both of these cards can be used to simply reverse the orientation of your fighter if you desire. See the icon in the top right? This allows you to switch the side you are facing and then ignore the card. Other statuses show that you can only use certain cards if you have suffered at least two damage or gain a shield. Shields simply block one damage either from the front or back, depending on where you oriented the shield when you placed it.
The final part of the card, and now that you know most of the rules, is the green icon at the very top in the cards above. This lets you move forward one space on a meter track on your player board. As you move up, you will gain various bonuses such as shields and the chance to exchange cards in your hand. But when you reach the end, you can add to your deck of cards your character's unique ultra card.
These cards allow each fighter to enact one huge power move once per game, which is sure to cause significant damage. Above, the card on the left is for the Guitarist. It allows him to play a Chorus, which is when they exchange three previously acquired notes for one big attack. Then acquire three more notes before finally attacking for a second time with another Chorus. This feels immense and wildly satisfying if you manage to get this card and use it.
Everything about this game just screams fun. It strips away all the usual mechanics, rules, and complications of a skirmish game. The game is so pure, fast, fun, and full of twists and turns. It's a simple race to see who can inflict five damage first, which I have found only takes around 10-15 minutes and 4-7 turns. This makes the game feel very much like something I would recommend you play, just like a video fighting game on a console. Multiple fights, game after game. Strap in, get comfy, and enjoy the fun.
Each character comes with its own reference card, along with the book to explain their unique rules and fighting options. This game is very accessible. I am blown away by the level of detail that has gone into this game, from a designer who seems to be at the start of their board game design journey. Massive congratulations have to go to them for this.
As you can tell, I am a huge fan of this. It is just so much fun. I would urge anyone who has gotten this far to go check out the page now and see if this is something that may be for them.
Now, who wants a fight?
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