A man writes because he is tormented, because he doubts.
Escape the Zone alive with your S.T.A.L.K.E.R. The Board Game rules & reference!
Awaken Realms do some amazing stuff, but I’m personally pleased to see them step back from the longer campaign, story-driven games for this adaptation of the S.T.A.L.K.E.R. video game (itself inspired by the 1972 book Roadside Picnic by the Strugatsky Brothers and the 1979 film Stalker by Andrei Tarkovskyne). The result is a short campaign of tense, difficult, tactical scenarios with the option to play unique one-off games as well. To me that’s the best of both worlds.
Be prepared however, because this is not a light experience, either thematically or mechanically. The setting is an alternate history version of the aftermath of the Chernobyl disaster, and players are mercenaries exploring and scavenging in the Zone, an irradiated area swarming with bandits, mutants, and bizarre ‘anomalies’ that affect the laws of physics in various bizarre ways. If you’re brave enough to grab the ‘artifacts’ created by these anomalies however, you’ll have access to some special powers that can help you out – if you can endure the radiation. And it’s not just radiation (tracked on a nifty cardboard Geiger counter) that’s out to get you. This is a very dangerous setting full of horrific enemies and environmental hazards.
I’ve played a lot of these kind of ‘miniatures on board tiles’ games, but despite the sometimes punishing difficulty – Awaken really does like to make it hard for you – there are some clever and distinctive mechanics here, including a stealth system which is one of the best I’ve encountered, and that really makes you feel like you’re reading the terrain and the enemy’s lines of sight in order to make your next move. You can even throw a bolt as a decoy to distract the bad guys! The anomaly system is pretty ingenious too, with clear plastic overlays printed with icons that you have to cover to clear a path to the artifact. I also love the way the scenarios use cards that overlay the board tiles and can be flipped for further information when you trigger them – it’s a very effective way of making the environment come alive.
In fact, I think this is one of the best things Awaken Realms has published, and probably should be getting more attention than Nemesis: Retaliation which, while excellent, is still just a variation of an existing game. The only thing that stumps me is the level of difficulty, and I say that after the experience of trying one scenario four times and finally giving up. Which I suppose is a reflection of how much I enjoy the game, but also my frustration with it being a little too tough and therefore (for me) a little less fun. Like a video game, I just want to turn that difficulty setting down a little bit!
Watch out for more on S.T.A.L.K.E.R. The Board Game in coming weeks, including a full video review!