Pagan: Fate of Roanoke is an expandable deduction card game set in the colonial America of 1587.
The essence of this asymmetrical game is a witch's struggle against a witch hunter. As the witch strives to complete a ritual of renaturation, the hunter tries to discover her true identity among nine villagers. Each turn, the two players use their action pawns on active villagers to draw cards, play cards, and gain influence. Each player has their own variable card deck of fifty cards; with these cards, the witch can brew powerful potions, improve their familiar, and cast enchantments and charms, while the witch hunter enlists allies, claim strategic locations, and ruthlessly investigates the villagers.
As the witch, your objective is to collect enough secrets to perform a ritual so potent that the entire region will fall under your spell and Mother Nature will reclaim the island. As the hunter, you gather all the allies and support you can muster to bring the witch to justice before her fatal ritual comes to fruition.
The prototype won the Danish design award Otto at the Fastaval for best game of show in 2018.
-description from publisher
- Strong social deduction system in a two-player format
- Beautiful visuals and thematic depth
- 2-player social deduction niche; requires specific vibe
- witchcraft, deduction, and regional actions
- witch-hunter vs witch in a village
- mysterious, social deduction flavored
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- 1v1 social deduction — witch vs hunter with hidden information and region-based play
- role-based abilities — allies and potions/brewing as strategic tools
- social deduction — witch vs hunter with hidden information and region-based play
- token-based currency for actions — tokens function as currency to perform actions
Video topics + discussion points
Quotes (from this video)
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- Red Dust Rebellion is no joke amazing.
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References (from this video)
- tight two-player deduction experience
- strong theme and tension
- variety due to card interactions
- theme may feel light for some players
- complex card interactions can require careful teaching
- deduction and hidden roles with ritual actions
- witch and witch hunter duel in a village
- mystery and deduction with a dark fantasy vibe
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- action selection — three action points; players choose actions to advance or hinder
- hidden roles — witch hides among villagers; hunter deduces identities
- hidden roles / deduction — witch hides among villagers; hunter deduces identities
Video topics + discussion points
Quotes (from this video)
- three kittens in a row they'll upgrade to three cats
- this is a great two-player game it is I'm very bad at it though
- to me Dice Throne is a lifestyle game
- Undaunted is amazing
- it's such a fun puzzle when you link cards and resources
- Star Wars rebellion is Star Wars in a box