The Gods War is a brilliant and immersive strategy game with a rich and textured lore. The premise is simple but the varied factions with dissimilar powers lead to some intense game play. Built in the lore rich world of Glorantha, The Gods War pits up to five factions against each other in a battle for territory. Each faction has a unique set of abilities, and it is this asymmetry that keeps this game interesting. Strategies will vary greatly depending on which factions are in play and who’s playing them.
My son and I recently had the honor to visit with Sandy Petersen in his home and play Glorantha: The Gods War. The rules at first seemed daunting, but we had the hang of game play and each faction’s powers within the first two or three rounds. What we didn’t have yet was a good strategy, but that developed as we played. I really look forward to playing this game many more times to see how the strategies evolve. An average game lasts about two hours so there would be time to play a few in a long afternoon.
The Gods War has a similar play style to another Petersen game, Cthulhu Wars, but differs in some key elements. Where Cthulhu Wars is played fast and furious with epic clashes, The Gods War requires more thought and as you build infrastructure to support your faction. It also includes some world changing events in which all players must participate.
The version of The Gods War that we played was partially print and play with stand-in miniatures from Cthulhu Wars. Sandy had most of the prototype models on hand and look amazing. The Sun God was my favorite and my son really liked the portrayal of the Kraken with a giant nautilus shell. The level of detail on the prototypes is the best I’ve seen, and given the look and feel of the Cthulhu Wars miniatures these will be well worth the price of the game.
If you’d like to try the game out before committing to the Kickstarter you can download a print-and-play version from Petersen’s site. If you already have a good selection of miniatures you can forego printing some of the standees. I would suggest keeping each faction’s figures the same color to avoid confusion in play.
Check out the Kickstarter video below and if you’re interested pledge some support. I haven’t decide which level I’m in for, but I’m definitely in. Sandy Petersen has run a number of successful Kickstarters included the extremely popular Cthulhu Wars, so I am confident he can deliver.
