Uprising A Kingdom Torn Asunder Board Game Review
A Game Crafter Game
Take part in a rebellion, or play the king and fend off the rebels (the rest of the players)! The overall game, Uprising: A Kingdom Torn Asunder, has a thematic feel that doesn't seem "slapped" on in any way. From the art, to the game play to the victory conditions, the game theme is fully immersive. This game aspect is well done. The graphics are not masterpieces, but they are far from ugly and they suit the feeling of the game very well.
One quirk I'm noticing among Game Crafter games is that they tend to be efficient at using low-cost parts to make games affordable. Uprising cost me $24.99. Similar games often cost $35 and up. Want tips on making your own board game? Click here.
When it comes to using small cards versus large cards, it makes sense to opt for small cards when large ones are not needed. But in Uprising, I feel that it would have been more appropriate to go for the more expensive large quad-fold board. Instead, you get two cheap folded "mats" that lay beside each other to make the map. While it looks fairly appealing, it doesn't lay flat.
I would be willing to pay more for games with nice-quality pieces. A good game should get 20+ plays if its a good game, giving the game 10 to 60+ hours of game-time. That is worth paying an extra $10 for a sturdy board and nice-looking pieces.
Pros:
- Immersive theme
- Visually appealing (although some of the spacing and printing could use adjustment)
- Strategic
- No Dice
- Interesting hidden-moves feature
Cons:
- It's hard to communicate reasonings for strategy without making the King leave the room.
- Depending on what characters you play, the balance can be off.
- Manual isn't polished or perfectly clear
Balance Issues in Uprising
Movement bonus is useless if you've got the Spy and the Instigator which both have movement abilities. That makes those territories really lopsidedly useless in comparison to getting a mercenary.
"Search" ability seems really over-powered. If all the rebels put their guys in one place and that place gets searched, the King gets to place all of his troops elsewhere, get full influence bonuses whereas the Rebels get no influence and no cards that turn. This happened on our first play of the game.
~ Raederle