At the end of this narrative, you will be faced with a few choices from which you will encounter different outcomes. There is a very nice storytelling element though as when you choose to explore or raid certain areas, you then refer to a specific written narrative in the book to explain to you what happens. The goal is to explore islands, obtain trade goods to gain currency to then spend on upgrades for your ships or to hire advisors to assist you. Overall the gameplay seemed to be very similar to any number of exploration games that I have played in the past. I could see this leading to a fair amount of revenge or spiteful choices as the emnity cards provide greater reason and incentive to attack your opponents. This “motivation” creates the need for interesting tactical decisions during game play. SeaFall introduces a “grudge” system to the game which has you hand any player you attack an “emnity” card which gives that player a bonus when battling against you in future battles. You will also notice on the board the words “Home Enmity” and “At War With”. Each player received a paper player board that can be modified by naming the ships or obtaining upgrades, taking damage or constructing buildings that provide advantages. This level of customization is very attractive to me when I play these Legacy style games because it adds to the narrative of the game which I enjoy significantly. I was also able to name my two ships, one being The Black Swan and the other The Crescent Moon. I named my character Jean Baptiste and my country Aquilonia. I really like the element of being able to name the characters, ships, islands and even your nation. We first were able to get into character and add some customization to the game. Notice the white text box on the card which can be written on with a dry erase marker. One of the many personalities that players can choose to play as and also name.
We were in a three player game and only were able to go through 3 full rounds and didn’t experience every element of the game. I want to point out that this is not a full and in-depth review as I was only able to play for about 30 minutes in a demo at Gen Con. Sail until the sea falls off the edge of the world! Sail the open sea in search of new lands. Wealth and fame await leaders who are cunning and brave. The great provinces have just begun re-establishing seafaring technology. The setting for the game from the Plaid Hat Games site says the following: The world is emerging from a dark age where history and knowledge were lost. Player choices have irreversible impact on the game world as the game board changes (literally with the addition of stickers), cards are modified and sealed packs are opened revealing twists and turns in an epic storyline. Like the players who play them, Legacy games ‘remember’ what happens from game to game.
SeaFall is a ‘Legacy’ board game designed by board game industry veteran Rob Daviau. It came in on my list at #10 and I believe now that was too low. With that in mind, here comes a new game on the scene, with an unproven track record, lack of long standing success with numerous expansions and you throw the Legacy tag out again and BOOM, everyone is saying you have a game that is the Mona Lisa and sure to be remembered for centuries! I was skeptical! So, with my guard up and on highest alert, I added Seafall to my Top 10 Games I’m Interested in Trying Out at Gen Con 2016. In fact, don’t they say past success is the best indicator of future success? Add to the proven game the Legacy tag and you most likely will be successful. In fact the game has been around since 2008 and has had 3 major expansions with several smaller ones as well. Pandemic is a long standing and time tested game that almost every gamer has played at least once. I use this example to point out a couple of differences but also similarities in this years new obsession in Seafall by Plaid Hat Games. Everyone wanted to play it and everyone who had played it swore it was amazing! It was as if this game was the best game of all time and would rewrite the Board Gaming Rulebook and usher in a new era of promise, a Golden Age of Gaming! Now that the furor has worn off and the game is not as shiny and new as it once was, it has actually been proven to be a really solid, fun and revolutionary game. In fact, Pandemic Legacy was atop the Board Game Geek list for a long time. Once in a while, a game is released with so much hype and fanfare that you can’t quite tell if the hype is real! For example, in 2015 the gaming world was introduced to Pandemic Legacy by Z-Man Games to great fanfare and praise.
Banner set up in the demo area of Plaid Hat Games at Gen Con 2016.