Jim Hensons the Dark Crystal Board Game Review

If y'all've been paying much attention to this blog at all, y'all know that I am a major fan of The Dark Crystal. I have been e'er since I was a young boy and I saw it when it first released in 1982. And then information technology's no surprise at all that I had to pre-order a re-create of the board game the moment I heard information technology was being released.

Of course, the fourth dimension has come up to review that game. Mountain up on your landstrider; we're adventuring in the earth of Thra!

Warning: This game (and thus, probably this review also) contains spoilers for the picture. If you lot haven't watched the movie, y'all might want to do that before y'all read this review.

Of course, if you haven't watched the movie, why on earth not? Become lookout man this amazing film correct now! This review assumes that you lot are familiar with the story and the setting, so if you don't know what skeksis, mystics, garthim, Aughra, or podlings are, this review probably won't make a whole lot of sense.

So, with that said, shall we offset with the numbers? Of grade we shall!

Strategy: i

Randomness: v

Complexity: 0

Sense of humor: None

Bewitchery: Pretty

Boilerplate Length of Game Play: ane 60 minutes

Gamer Profile Ratings:

Strategy: Low

Conflict: Medium

Social Manipulation: Depression

Fantasy: High

Overview of The Night Crystal

This game is modelled after the Jim Henson motion-picture show that was released in 1982. Just as the picture follows the adventures of the final 2 gelflings, Jen and Kira, equally they quest to discover the lost shard of the dark crystal and render information technology to the castle of the crystal, healing the crystal and restoring balance to their wounded earth, so besides does this game pit the gelflings against the evil skeksis, who desire to preclude the crystal from being healed and then that they may rule Thra forever.

The game tin adapt upward to four players, simply in my opinion, it works best if you have exactly four. In the three role player version, ane role player controls both gelflings, and in the two player version, i player controls both gelflings whilst the other actor controls both of the skeksis characters. This detracts from the appeal of the game somewhat, every bit the two gelfling players are on a team working together to achieve a articulation victory, but both of the skeksis characters must win individually. This asymmetry in the teams is a prissy touch, and preserves the feel of the film.

The game consists of a lath that shows the crystal palace with a ring of spaces around information technology, and shows half dozen chambers within the palace. Additionally, in the upper left corner, there is a space that represents the Valley of the Stones. Each character has a very well-sculpted miniature and a card the displays that character'south attributes (Speed, Wit, Brawn, and Willpower). In that location are special ability cards (one per character), as well every bit Earth Cards, Mystic Cards, Skeksis Cards, and Minion Cards. Tokens with standing bases represent the Garthim, likewise every bit SkekAyuk, SkekNa, and a group of essence-drained podlings. There is a token for the emperor's scepter, one for the crystal shard, one for Fizzgig, and i displaying an Uru that serves every bit the plough token. At that place are six dice of various types, and finally, a plough counter made to resemble Aughra's orrery.

The gelflings start out on their home spaces (the Valley of Stones for Jen, and the Podling Village for Kira). The ii skeksis start out in the castle, just earlier the game begins, they must engage in a round of combat. The winner is granted the position of emperor, which grants certain bonuses; the loser is banished from the castle and starts at the moat of the castle.

Players have turns rolling their Speed die (they can cull to roll a smaller die if they want to movement more slowly) and moving that number of spaces around the board. Skeksis players depict a Minion Card before moving, which allows them to move a Garthim or otherwise cause difficulty for the gelfling characters. If a character lands on a space with an enemy, they must boxing that enemy. Failure results in the loss of a Willpower token; if a character runs out of tokens, they fall unconscious and are taken to the Valley of Stones (the gelflings) or the Throne Room (the skeksis) to recover. If the gelflings state on an empty infinite, they must describe a Globe Card and resolve its effects. Sometimes, a World Card must be left on the space where it was encountered; thus, if a gelfling lands on a space with a World Carte already on it, they must run into that card. Skeksis characters ignore Globe Cards.

Eventually, the gelflings will encounter the Aughra's Observatory card. If they pass the exam on that carte du jour, they acquire the Shard token. Once they have this, they may enter the crystal palace and face the essence-drained podlings, as well equally the skeksis characters SkekAyuk and SkekNa. Once they laissez passer these obstacles, they may confront a final test to try and supercede the shard into the dark crystal, healing it and saving the world.

As this is occurring, the two skeksis characters (SkekUng the Garthim Master and SkekSil the Chamberlain) are not simply trying to prevent the gelflings from healing the crystal, but are competing with each other to gain and hold the title of emperor.

Permutations

There are a lot of little rules that aid to preserve the feel of the game, such as Kira not being able to enter the Valley of the Stones until she's taken there by Jen or one of the Mystics, or Fizzgig granting a Brawn bonus to the gelfling who possesses him. I haven't described how to use special ability cards, or the office of Mystic or Skeksis cards. And there are a lot of other little details at which I haven't even hinted.

But you lot get the general idea of how the game works.

Winning The Dark Crystal

If one or both of the Gelflings detect the shard and heal the crystal before the plough counter reaches zero, they share the victory. If the skeksis are able to capture the crystal shard from the gelflings, or delay them from healing the crystal before the plow counter reaches cypher, then whichever skeksis grapheme has the emperor scepter (and thus holds the rank of emperor) when the game ends is declared the winner.

Final Thoughts on The Night Crystal

This game was definitely not designed for hardcore gamers. Information technology was meant to appeal to fans of the film. And in that regard, it does very well. The components are well designed, showcasing the visual style of the film excellently, either through stills captured from the movie or through original illustrations. Information technology follows the general story of the movie quite well, and in item, I was very impressed with the miniatures. The sculptor did an fantabulous job of capturing the appearance of the characters in those little chunks of plastic.

However, there'south not a lot of strategy involved. It'south a simple curl-and-move game. Then, if you're not a fan of Jim Henson'southward masterpiece, you may want to requite this game a pass.

Only if y'all, like me, dearest the film, and so you might just like this game. Just to be sure, allow'southward look at the 6 characteristics of a adept game:

• It's quite uncomplicated.
• It ends decisively.
• It has no player elimination.
• ❓ It may or may not be fun to lose, depending on your mental attitude.
• ❌ It doesn't have a lot in the style of player agency.
• ❌ It doesn't really let for upsets.

Well, that doesn't look great, does it? Three and a half out of six...

I rated the 'fun to lose' attribute every bit a 'maybe,' because it might be enjoyable to lose a game if y'all're seriously into the franchise equally I am. For others, losing can easily be more frustrating (I speak from experience; the first game I played, i player decided she did not like the game at all considering she lost then badly. She insisted that the game was stacked unfairly confronting the gelflings, although I nonetheless maintain that she was not playing them correctly). At any charge per unit, the question of whether to buy this game (or, honestly, to play it at all) comes downwardly, ultimately in my opinion, to whether yous love this motion picture. If and so, so yes. Absolutely. Buy it, play it, love it.

If you're not a fan though? Y'all should probably requite it a pass.

So in that location y'all have it: my rating of Jim Henson's The Dark Crystal: Board Game. I hope that information technology was at to the lowest degree informative. Join me here again next week for some other installment, and until then,

Game on!

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Source: http://www.gamedorkscorner.com/2018/06/board-game-review-jim-hensons-dark.html

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