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Middara is a 1-4 player cooperative choose-your-own-adventure style miniatures board game. Players assume the role of a party of adventurers in an ultra-modern fantasy setting that exists alongside our very own Earth. During the game, players will experience an in depth, fully narrative-driven adventure that contains over 90 hours of content. Throughout the narrative you and three of your friends will confront real decisions that change the course of the story and its outcome.
Players will face many dangerous adversaries throughout the story and will take part in heated combat with these foes. Middara features an innovative, dice based combat system for these encounters. Based on their equipment and abilities, players will have access to unique two-dice combinations that will increase their attack and damage potential in a variety of ways. In addition to numbers, dice have a particular set of symbols on each face that can be spent according to players currently equipped weapons and abilities. With nine different types of dice, over 110 unique abilities and 150 unique pieces of equipment the possibilities for different character builds are endless.
What makes Middara so compelling is that the outcomes of story decisions and encounters have far-reaching effects that determine how the story moves and resolves. Friends and family might get killed, or they may survive. Maybe the players avoid some problems entirely, only to be faced with a whole new challenge.
Gameplay Features:
Narrative-driven campaign that contains over 90 hours of content.
Unique dice-based success system featuring multiple dice that players can upgrade throughout the campaign.
36 modular map tiles representing different locations in the world, such as magical forests, caves, and swamps!
A.I. controlled monsters, NPCs, challenges, traps, and other narrative-driven obstacles.
Campaign character progression via a point buy system allowing players to ditch traditional classes and instead focus on building the character they want to play.
Over 110 unique Disciplines and over 150 unique pieces of equipment.
Stand alone scenarios for when you aren't playing with your campaign group, or even when you are!
- High-quality components with UV spot details on tiles and tokens
- Striking anime-inspired art and clear graphic design
- Quick setup for dungeon layouts using double-sided tiles
- Deep and crunchy combat system with meaningful consequences
- Extensive character customization with many class and upgrade options
- Efficient campaign progression via a tracker sheet rather than a massive map
- Engaging story and memorable cast
- Rulebook complexity; some concepts like line of sight and sphere of influence lack exhaustive examples
- Indexing gaps; external resources (forums) helpful for clarifications
- Large table footprint and upkeep with four characters; lengthy teardown
- Relearning the system after long breaks can be daunting due to the 100-page rulebook
- Character-driven campaign, exploration, loot-driven progression
- Fantasy dungeon crawl campaign spanning multiple missions and dungeons
- Anime-influenced campaign storytelling with a through-line across chapters
- Gloomhaven
- Shadows of Brimstone
- Star Wars: Imperial Assault
- Mage Knight
- Eon's End
- Kingdom Death: Monster
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- Break attacks — Moving near an enemy can provoke free attacks, requiring careful maneuvering
- campaign structure — Missions are composed of encounters; progression tracked in a campaign book with a tracking sheet
- Campaign tracker and XP — XP and milestones tracked on a tracker sheet to guide progression and unlocks
- Custom dice resolution — Dice with icons are rolled to resolve spells and attacks; symbols spent to boost outcomes
- Line of sight — Positioning mechanics affect combat effectiveness and tactical choices
- Line of sight and flanking — Positioning mechanics affect combat effectiveness and tactical choices
- Loot and upgrades — Loot deck provides equipment; upgrades offer many stat and ability enhancements
- Random initiative — Initiative determined by shuffled cards; four characters can act before enemies each round
- Scenario / Mission / Campaign Game — Missions are composed of encounters; progression tracked in a campaign book with a tracking sheet
- Stamina and exhaustion — Stamina points govern actions; skills and gear influence tests and combat options
- Terrain and jumping — Challenging terrain; jumping tests; failures can lead to character death without support
- Track advancement — XP and milestones tracked on a tracker sheet to guide progression and unlocks
Video topics + discussion points
Quotes (from this video)
- The biggest selling point of this game is the character customization; by far the best character customization that I've experienced in any game of its category.
- The combat system here is just so detailed and fantastic it is pretty complex but it's just so much fun and it's so crunchy.
- The loot here in this game is pretty cool... the loot is a huge aspect of the character customization.
- No giant map board; campaign tracking sheet and the book gives it a minimalistic feel that I really appreciate.
- This is by far the best scripted campaign Dungeon Crawler that I've played to date.
- The story is engaging and I want to find out what happens next.