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Despite earlier attempts, Martin Luther started the Reformation in 1517 with his "Ninety-Five Theses". Luther criticized the selling of indulgences and stated that the Catholic doctrine of the merits of the saints had no foundation in the gospel. The "Protestants" soon incorporated doctrinal changes such as Sola Scriptura (Scripture alone) and Sola Fide (faith alone). These changes turned out to be not only theological, but also influential in the Reformation in other ways: the rise of nationalism, the Western Schism that eroded people's faith in the Papacy, the perceived corruption of the Roman Curia, the impact of humanism, and the new learning of the Renaissance that questioned much of traditional thought. The Roman Catholic church responded with a counter-reformation initiated by the Council of Trent.
In the two-player game Sola Fide: The Reformation, by the renowned design team of Jason Mathews and Christian Leonhard, players attempt to install Reformation in the Holy Roman Empire or try to prevent it, battling the Holy Roman Empire's Imperial Circles.
- thematic depth with historical flavor
- tight tug-of-war mechanics that create continuous pressure
- compact playtime around 45 minutes per session
- clear teach-through during play with straightforward core rules
- deck-draw variability can impact consistency
- themes can feel pasted on for players seeking historical fidelity
- two-player sessions may underutilize some card effects
- Religious reform and political maneuvering between Catholics and Protestants
- Holy Roman Empire during the Reformation
- Array
- historically flavored, card-driven tug-of-war between opposing religious factions
- Twilight Struggle
- Campaign Manager 2008
- 13 Days
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- card-driven — play cards from hand to gain influence and move the Imperial Circle tokens
- circle shifting — after actions, Imperial Circles shift toward the dominant or subordinate side
- disputation token — disputation tokens can move and affect other parts of the board
- foreign influence — foreign-influence effects trigger additional draws or actions
- influence placement and conversion — placing tokens on territories, converting opponent or neutral territories to your side
- Influence Points — placing tokens on territories, converting opponent or neutral territories to your side
- Tile/Map Shifting — after actions, Imperial Circles shift toward the dominant or subordinate side
Video topics + discussion points
Quotes (from this video)
- Nobody expects the Spanish Inquisition
- Hand advantage is really the key to this game
- it's a tug of war between the Catholics and the Protestants