Elder Sign board game from Fantasy Flight Games - Board game review by Ottó

image © Fantasy Flight Games
Elder Sign board game

Game: Elder Sign board game (Fantasy Flight Games company)

Author: Gregor Ottó
Edited by: Kadmon

Translation based on: Elder Sign board game (Fantasy Flight Games) - Board game review by Ottó (2019.01.05)
Translation: Google Translate (Google Translate website)

The Elder Sign board game from Fantasy Flight Games was reviewed by Gregor Ottó.

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As I have written, Howard Phillips Lovecraft has been influenced by many co-writers, video games and films over the years. Her legacy has been playing role-playing, books and, of course, board games! In the face of the upcoming horrors, let's see one more closely!

Elder Sign board game

Elder Sign board game

"The universe is much larger and older than the human mind can imagine. Our limited thinking, the walls we encode, the inhibitions, do not let us see the whole picture. Maybe it's better. I'm a professor and curator of the Miskatonic University. I have seen the dark side of our world that many people cannot imagine. Since then, I dare not close my eyes. Here they are! They're watching! And if the star status is favorable .... They destroy everything!"

The most famous Cthulhu game is undoubtedly the Arkham Horror. It's an old game with sophisticated mechanics, meticulous gameplay, and a fantastic atmosphere. The game has lived a second edition. The great lady is Eldritch Horror, which has a decent gameplay and a fabulous atmosphere (to be added, some say a stupid Arkham). There was also a simpler version. The smallest, which places the key mechanics of the game in the foreground, is the dice game, but with the almost complete abandonment of storytelling. This is Elder Sign.

"Another murder, another victim. Routine work, they said. We went to the scene to be our job. Ritual massacre. Not an individual case, common here. Sects are organized in the city in an organized way, yet I felt it was somehow different. I can not tell. As if the sacrifice ceremony was successful! I felt the pulsation! The cold as you run through my body! The darkness as it throws at me!"

In the Elder Sign, we make a detective. Our task will be nothing more than the shutdown of an ancient deity (Great Old One) before it is released into the world. To do this, we will solve missions, kill monsters in stacks and try not to lose our consciousness! Of course, this may happen if we realize the dark truth! However, we will be helped by worldly and non-worldly magic weapons, dark spells, allies, and of course our fellow players, because it's a team game!

"I told you I didn't care. Just the solid details and the pay. The less I know, the better in my profession. They said they dug too deep, he knew too much. I'm stupid, I let you show me. I let him flip into this whole thing. God, when I saw it, I thought I'd get crazy. Couldn't describe words. Not intended for mortal eyes! No sounds were heard for mortal ears. No, no, no, no .... No ... No ..."

The game takes place in a museum where dark events disturb the order. We need to solve these events. There's when we take part in a ball where not everyone seems to be the one. We have a tiny creature of foreign origin and we need to look for its origin. In the basement, we have witnessed the ritual of a dark sect or scraper, no world sounds come from the roof! Portals can also open up to other worlds, or we have our own fantasy magic to start weaving our minds!

"The reporter's job is to look for the truth, and I just did my job! I did the shit, though I wouldn't! In my hand, the camera used for torque amplification. We can make the words as we like it, but the pictures never lie! Undeniable evidence! Like this one. It is irrefutable about it. God, why ?! Irrefutable! Clearly removable! Inexplicable! Awesome! Terrible!"

We have to investigate the tasks, we need to acquire ancient knowledge, sometimes we have to kill something or someone, and most of all we have to overcome the terror that embraces us! The necessary actions must be thrown with cubes. All events (tasks) are defined for what actions are needed to fulfill. These are represented by figures, which we have to throw away with 6 dice. The luck factor is high enough, but we can manipulate dice rolls with objects, spells, and allies. Occasionally we get extra cubes, re-roll, rotate the cube to a particular page, or focus on our throws. With focus, we practically "left" a throw for later use. If we have more than one mission for him, then all players can focus on 1 to 1 cubes so players can work together for more difficult tasks! It will be necessary.

"The 'boy and his puppy' are used to call us. Although I could not call myself a boy for a few years, and Duke is no puppy anymore. We are old life artists. We live from what we know. We never stayed in one place for a long time. Maybe I was down here. I wanted to go, but we ended up in a place impossible to describe. Not part of this world. Not our time. Not our time. Fear was impregnated by all my cartoons, but I managed to get back. The 'boy' is back, but only the 'boy' into the damn life!"

For successful missions, we can get new items to help us. However, our most valuable reward is "Ancient Sign"! The team is gathering this together. If it is enough, you can close the Immaculate Man forever! However, if you are not fast enough, the old will wake up and get rid of the world. In this case, you can try to stop in a last desperate struggle, but you can experience their immense power! Defeating the Gods is terribly difficult, but if you succeed, the world will also be saved!

"The 'sects' are commonly called. It's like more. If they knew the truth, the whole city would be suicidal in fear. I have seen! I had enough power to get out of their collective, but that doesn't change the truth! We have to fight! We have to try and as soon as possible because the time is working for them. If the immense old man comes, it will be too late. Our world ceases to exist! Not only on the physical plane, but our souls will die, forever!"

Elder Sign is a great and creative dice game. There are many opportunities for us, and everyone has to take part in the investigation to win. The only drawback is that the cubes are grateful or trusted, if not completely, but in a good percentage of luck decides how successful. But if you want a tight gaming speed or just want a taste of Lovecraft's dark world, then welcome to the museum!

Are you afraid of the unknown? No? You will be!

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Buying the product - Elder Sign board game from Fantasy Flight Games

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