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Skytear is a competitive card-driven miniatures game inspired by MOBA video games (like League of Legends) featuring 32 heroes from an original fantasy universe.
Using a draft system that supplements regular deckbuilding, players pick heroes from four factions in order to flexibly respond to their opponent's selections. Then, using these heroes, players compete to take control of the lanes and lead the minions there to assault the enemies' towers, or enter the dome to take control of the outsider there. In doing so, they will win one of the three victory conditions selected at the start of the game, allowing for potential bluffing or feints by switching objective.
Skytear is diceless, instead revolving around modifiers printed on each power card. This duality of effect means deckbuilding is a nuanced issue: cards that are most beneficial when played (and likely will) come with a negative modifier, reducing the effectiveness of most attacks. At the same time, drafting a particular hero provides you with their associated cards, meaning flexibility can be integrated into your hero selections.
With two maps, 32 heroes, and over 65 power cards at launch, Skytear is an extremely replayable tactical experience.
- beautiful production and components
- rules are clear and approachable
- satisfying strategic choices in how to allocate resources
- two-player mode described as more of a filler
- box is notably large for what it is
- the game length can feel longer in larger player counts
- city-building with resource acquisition
- floating cities in the sky
- engine-building with card-driven actions
- New York Slice
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- engine building — buildings provide powers that can reduce costs or enable future builds
- engine-building elements — buildings provide powers that can reduce costs or enable future builds
- I cut, you choose — the player who splits the selection creates piles; others choose piles in turn, last picker gets advantages
- Set collection and resource management — resources are required to build structures, with a wild resource mechanic to mitigate shortage
- split-pile drafting / eye-split mechanism — the player who splits the selection creates piles; others choose piles in turn, last picker gets advantages
Video topics + discussion points
Quotes (from this video)
- the crypto absolutely gets actual love
- it's probably going to be the best party game of 2018
- I think the crypto is a flawless game
- it's this perfect little box of what I think party games should be in 2018
- I absolutely love New York Slice