In Oath, one to six players guide the course of history in an ancient land. Players might take the role of agents bolstering the old order or scheme to bring the kingdom to ruin. The consequences of one game will ripple through those that follow, changing what resources and actions future players may have at their disposal and even altering the game's core victory condition.
If a player seizes control by courting anarchy and distrust, future players will have to contend with a land overrun by thieves and petty warlords. In a later game, a warlord might attempt to found a dynasty, creating a line of rulers that might last generations or be crushed by the rise of a terrible, arcane cult.
In Oath, there are no fancy production tricks, app-assisted mechanisms or production gimmicks. The game can be reset at any time and doesn't require the same play group from one game to the next. A player might use the fully-featured solo mode to play several generations during the week and then use that same copy of the game for Saturday game-night with friends. There are no scripted narratives or predetermined end points. The history embedded in each copy of Oath will grow to be as unique as the players who helped build it.
—description from the publisher
- Narrative depth and emergent storytelling potential
- Color palette and component design aimed at accessibility (colorblind considerations)
- Large card pool offers broad thematic and strategic variety
- High complexity and potential for analysis paralysis
- Longer play sessions may deter casual players
- World-shaping politics and emergent storytelling through cards and actions
- Mythic, evolving world-state inspired by Chronicles of Pan-era fantasy
- Emergent storytelling; players influence the state of the world over time
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- card-driven / card suits — A card-driven system where suits and card text shape actions and interactions.
- world-state evolution — World state changes as cards are played, altering strategies and victory conditions.
Video topics + discussion points
Quotes (from this video)
- "Fantasy by way of like Rich Jim Hensen; everything's a little Muppet"
- "every card should be good"
- "I want somebody to open Leader Games stuff and say this is my favorite game"
- "colorblind friendly with the actual components"
- "you could tell that the people who made this absolutely were fully bought into this concept"
- "the art style is the trust; it's important to visually solve the game's questions"
References (from this video)
- immersive setting
- story-driven conflicts across empires
- multi-faction tension
- high complexity
- rules overhead for new players
- empire-building and conflict between factions
- Historical fantasy empire rise and fall, imperial conquest
- story-driven with world-scale history
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- Area Control — competition for influence over regions on the map
- hand management — managing a personal action card pool to shape turns
Video topics + discussion points
Quotes (from this video)
- The Emerald Flame was an amazing experience.
- I love a good cooperative game, but I also love a good competition every once in a while.
- This game has just the right amount of moving parts… to really benefit people that can think a few turns ahead.
- Vantage is like Breath of the Wild, but in board game form.