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Game Info
Year
2021
Collection
Ratings
Creator Score
Expansions & Family
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Description
Sword & Sorcery is an epic-fantasy cooperative board game in which 1-5 players fight together against the forces of evil, which are controlled by the game system itself.
Ancient Chronicles, a new starting point for the game, is fully compatible with the original Immortal Souls campaign in terms of gameplay, allowing players to cross over heroes and monsters from one campaign to another. Gameplay remains familiar, but this new cycle also introduces new elements to the setting, expanding both the narrative engine and the mechanisms, without making the game more complex.
The Ancient Chronicles campaign is set in the distant past of the events narrated in the Immortal Souls campaign.
New features in the game:
No Game Master needed. Play alone or with up to 5 players together against the game system itself.
No player elimination. Dying, becoming a ghost soul and resurrecting your Hero are part of the game engine.
A real story-driven campaign with multiple outcomes, a main plot and several optional Quests.
World and city exploration, with different paths and ventures to discover.
Multiple development paths for your Heroes.
A sophisticated tactical combat system, based on custom ten-sided dice.
An advanced artificial intelligence engine for Enemies and Master Enemies.
Customizable difficulty level, thanks to the different options provided with the game rules and granted by the Challenge set.
Full backward compatibility with Sword & Sorcery: Immortal Souls heroes and enemies.
Crafting, Loots, Treasures, Traps and many other aspects of a true fantasy legendary adventure are a part of the game!
Familiars, a new type of faithful companions for all your Heroes.
Sword & Sorcery Family
(4 games)
Part of the Sword & Sorcery family — see Sword & Sorcery for the combined view.
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All mentions
Browse transcript mentions, sentiments, pros/cons, mechanics, topics, quotes, and references.
Total mentions: 5
This page: 5
Sentiment:
pos 5 ·
mix 0 ·
neu 0 ·
neg 0
Showing 1–5 of 5
Video JlEYRyiwNf4
Tabletop Turtle Analysis at 18:35 sentiment: positive
video_pk 119379 · mention_pk 336176
Click to watch at 18:35 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
- Abundance of experience and fun.
- Nostalgic combat system.
- Immersive narrative integrated into gameplay.
- Dynamic and varied enemy AI.
- Charming mess to play in.
- Stood out among other campaign games.
Cons
- Cumbersome and heavy game.
- Always something to keep track of.
- Overwhelming amount of abilities at first.
- Tracking recharge timing can slow down the game.
- Pauses for story breaks can slow down combat.
- Complete mess at times.
- Buried in rules.
- Branching and choices in narrative feel mostly illusionary.
- Fantasy pop culture references can be immersion-breaking.
- Narrative sweep differs from traditional Sword & Sorcery genre.
Thematic elements
- Heroes awakened from the dead and made immortal by the gods to destroy corrupted deities.
- The Under Reign, a starless stone ceiling realm
- Narrative maintained throughout the dungeon crawl via triggered story events.
Comparison games
- Forgotten Realms
- Conan
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- Ability Recharge — Every ability needs to recharge after use, turning face down for a set amount of time depending on the strength of the power.
- Dice Symbol Activation — Spending dice symbols to trigger abilities, stacking modifiers, and managing positioning.
- Enemy AI — The AI running the enemies is varied and dynamic, rather than predictable.
- Hero progression — Heroes are resurrected and made immortal, regaining abilities through leveling up. If they die, they come back as a ghost.
- narrative integration — Bits of story trigger at waypoints and story events, maintaining narrative throughout the dungeon crawl.
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- We have the new hotness that is sure to bring down a hellstorm of angry comments when I'm done.
- This was easily the greatest idea I've ever had in my entire life.
- The system works, it's just shallow and that's a feeling running through every mechanical piece of this game.
- Elder Scrolls respects my time.
- It is a complete mess at times. But, it's a charming mess to play in.
- You can give me money so I can just waste more hundreds of hours playing campaign board games.
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video j5eVctKyIyo
Watch It Played Top 10 List at 4:00 sentiment: positive
video_pk 88863 · mention_pk 307252
Click to watch at 4:00 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
- No game master needed
- No player elimination
- Sophisticated tactical battle system
- Familiars a new type of faithful companion
- Has a feel of a throwback game
- Has a muscularity amongst the Miniatures
- Looks like it's from 1998 but in a fun way
Cons
- The sun has changed
- The sun coming out is an issue
Thematic elements
- fighting against the forces of evil
- fantasy
- narrative engine
Comparison games
none
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- battle system — A sophisticated tactical battle system and familiars a new type of faithful companion for all your Heroes.
- cooperative play — Cooperative Epic Fantasy in which one to five players fight together against the forces of evil.
- Familiars — Familiars a new type of faithful companion for all your Heroes.
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- People's Choice top 10.
- This is now my all-time favorite game.
- This is the perfect Adventure series for short attention spans.
- This is the game I own that I most want to play but won't until five other Campaign games are at least good but not yet finished.
- This month's top touted game is Scarface 1920.
- I like more pretend Bloodshed than actual Bloodshed myself.
- This game was the perfect thematic gangster board game we needed.
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video pJd8za0L7oE
Review at 0:17 sentiment: positive
video_pk 79434 · mention_pk 192849
Click to watch at 0:17 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
- Outstanding production
- Minis look good
- Monsters are cool
- Modular tiles are cool
- A lot of different cards, weapons, and items
- Interesting stories that move the game along
- Fun scenario-based play
- Could be a fun campaign game
- Great production
Cons
- Token overload (tedious organizing)
- Bit of a learning curve
- Some things weren't intuitive
Thematic elements
- dungeon crawl fantasy adventure
Comparison games
none
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- Action Points — Heroes have movement points and can perform attacks, interact with objects, and take free actions.
- Card Drafting — Event cards are drawn and advanced when certain events trigger.
- Character progression — Players control characters with unique abilities and items, indicated on player boards.
- Dice Rolling — Combat involves dice rolls influenced by weapons.
- Modular Board — The game uses modular tiles to create passages, dungeons, and rooms.
- Quest System — Players aim to fulfill scenario-specific victory conditions.
- Turn phases — The game plays out in specific phases: Time Phase (housekeeping, effects), Combat Phase (hero and enemy turns), and Event Phase (story advancement).
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- I think it's dangerous to make blanket statements like that.
- token overload. There are a massive number of of different tokens, just kind of organizing them and bagging them and whatnot. That gets really tedious as far as I'm concerned.
- it's just an outstanding production.
- What I what kind of I really liked about this one, what I thought kind of made this one a little more interesting is is the stories and how this game really does move you through.
- There's a bit of a learning curve here.
- I like this game. Didn't quite love it, but I really see the merit in it.
- On the Cody scale, I'm going to go ahead I'm going to go ahead and give it a seven.
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video dv2M3sw5PYE
The Discriminating Gamer Review at 0:13 sentiment: positive
video_pk 30174 · mention_pk 317214
Click to watch at 0:13 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
- Stunning artwork and highly thematic presentation across cards and miniatures
- Interlocking tiles and modular maps support varied dungeon layouts
- Rich campaign structure with acts, quests, and multiple decks for variety
- Dual-sided cards and rotating power states add strategic depth
- Comprehensive and well-organized rulebook with extensive reference material
- Impressive range of miniatures and diverse monster designs
- Cooperative play scales from 1 to 5 players with adaptable difficulty
Cons
- Setup and organization are complex; vast contents can be intimidating
- Box is heavy and repacking can be challenging due to sheer volume
- Some paper components feel thin and may wear with heavy use
- Rulebook length and depth create a steep learning curve for new players
Thematic elements
- Epic mythic quest against divine and elemental threats; gods, fate, and heroism drive the campaign.
- Fantasy world where awakened mortal heroes traverse a land afflicted by deities and evil, exploring dungeons and ruins.
- Campaign-driven, act-based storytelling with quest books, events, and map-driven scenarios.
Comparison games
- Space Hulk
- Descent
- Doom
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- Boss Battler — Bosses, master enemies, and minions use a defined AI to drive combat and encounter variety.
- Cooperative Game — Players work together to complete quests, survive encounters, and defeat challenging enemies.
- cooperative play — Players work together to complete quests, survive encounters, and defeat challenging enemies.
- deck-based equipment and powers — Character progression and combat options are managed through a large deck system with many dual-sided cards.
- dual-sided cards and power-shift — Cards have two sides; rotating or upgrading sides changes their effects, enabling strategic depth.
- enemy AI with masters and minions — Bosses, master enemies, and minions use a defined AI to drive combat and encounter variety.
- hit point dials and resource tracking — Physical turn-dials and counters track health, status, and soul/resource counters.
- Miniatures and terrain components — Physical figures and terrain pieces enhance immersion and tactical planning.
- modular interlocking map tiles — Dungeon maps are built from interlocking tiles that create varied architectures and layouts.
- quest and story decks — Structured acts and quests guide progression with story events and objective decks.
- turn phase structure — Clear phases for movement, actions, combat, events, and enemy turns organize play.
- Variable Phase Order — Clear phases for movement, actions, combat, events, and enemy turns organize play.
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- I love dungeon crawlers.
- Sword and Sorcery Ancient Chronicles from Aries Games looks amazing.
- There is a ton to go through in this box.
- This game just looks really cool to me.
- There is so much stuff in here; this is a day to learn the enemy cards.
- I'm curious to see how this one's going to stand up to some of the newer games.
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video XYCdQOM3JVM
Meet Me At The Table Playthrough at 0:00 sentiment: positive
video_pk 10203 · mention_pk 90137
Click to watch at 0:00 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
- introduces the under reign area with distinct exploration routes and site types (bronze, silver, gold inlays on locations)
- crafting system with jade gems adds depth to equipment and long-term strategy
- campaign progression via venture cards and outposts provides ongoing goals beyond a single quest
- dynamic narrative choices with visible narrative consequences on map flow and encounters
- tension between errata and rules interpretations adds real-world flavor to the playthrough
Cons
- errata discussions can create confusion around shard usage and early power progression
- the amount of token management (time, loot, crowns, shards) may be fiddly for new players
- references to rulebooks, site sheets, and various sources can slow down onboarding
- combat can feel heavy due to multiple modifiers and nested effects in certain encounters
Thematic elements
- cooperative fantasy adventure driven by narrative storybook elements, site sheets, and venture progression
- fantasy realm under reign with a focus on temple paths, dwarven villages, and shifting loyalties among factions
- storybook-driven narrative with story paragraphs, site sheets, and event cards shaping the journey
Comparison games
none
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- Card Crafting — gems found from loot can be forged into weapons or armor, with side effects and upgrade paths
- combat with dice pools and armor — combat uses red and blue dice; auto-hits, armor, and special symbols (star, lightning) influence outcomes
- Combat: Dice — combat uses red and blue dice; auto-hits, armor, and special symbols (star, lightning) influence outcomes
- cooperative party as a single entity — the party token moves as one and an active hero is elected to decide actions when needed
- forging and crafting jade items — gems found from loot can be forged into weapons or armor, with side effects and upgrade paths
- loot, crowns, and soul shards — defeated enemies yield loot and crowns; soul shards are used for upgrades and potentially leveling up, feeding campaign progression
- Multi-Use Cards — acquired venture cards introduce long-term objectives; completing them unlocks rewards at venture outposts
- story events and site sheets — story-driven decisions occur via event cards and site sheets that guide path choices and encounters
- time reserve and exploration — time tokens are earned and spent to explore and resolve story paragraphs; time management influences journey options
- venture cards and outposts — acquired venture cards introduce long-term objectives; completing them unlocks rewards at venture outposts
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- this is awesome we're going to be traveling through this entire little area here
- it's pretty cool new feature
- we're going to read our story event one thank you so much for watching
- we're excited to see what continues our story here
- this crafting mechanic is a great addition to the game
- we're going to check out the old court, one two millberg old court
- that forge and jade item system is really neat
- we have a venture card, this is new to the Ancient Chronicles
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Transcript Navigation
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