Judgey Pants: Card Game Review - Sentinels of the Multiverse

Judgey Pants is our review series here on Rainbow Nerd.  We'll be reviewing board games, card games, video games, anime, books... whatever comes our way.  If we do get the game, book, or whatever as a review copy we'll let you know as well.  It's all about transparency here.  Plus, if you'd like us to take a look at something, let us know at rainbownerdblog@gmail.com.

Today's review is of a delightful little (well, big) card game that I was introduced to over the summer - Sentinels of the Multiverse.  It's a game of superheroes fighting supervillains and wrangling their way through dangerous environments.  It's a bit campy, a bit serious, and completely fun.  So let's take a look at what makes it so great.

Sentinels of the Multiverse is a collaborative card game from a wonderful little company called Greater Than Games.  It features a highly colorful cast of heroes who fight against an equally outrageous cast of villains all with completely unique and innovated gameplay mechanics.  Unlike most card games, Sentinels is one in which everyone works together to take down a common enemy.  There's no fighting each other (except in the case of one villain or your squabbles at the table) and there's no jockeying for position to be the best.  You all do something that creates the sense of unity and makes you feel like you're one of them fancy Avengers.  Though the heroes are not the ones we know from the decades of comic book history, they feel just like them.  They're a bit similar to many that we have but their subtle differences make them a beast of a franchise all their own.

He's like Superman but cooler.

Gameplay

This is just one area where the game shines.  Gameplay is both very simple to learn and complex to master.  This may seem like a cliche line but it's true.  You start the game with a hero of your choice (there are currently 15 with more on the way) and a hand of 4 cards from your hero's deck that you can use.  From there, you get a phase in which you can play a card, a phase in which you can use a Power, then your Draw phase.  Simple, right?

The cards you play are much like that of a trading or collectable card game.  They allow you to increase your damage, are a sort of attack, become equipment, heal, and so much more.  Each hero has a different play style so you can have cards that deal a lot of damage or others that help buff your chosen hero.  That's where the complexity comes in.  Your level of game can sometimes drastically change not from any villain but from what team you put together.

Then once you've played your card you may use your Power which can be anything from an attack to healing to an extra draw.  They reflect the hero that is using it and each one is unique because each hero is unique.  There's no palette swaps in this game.  It's all about creating a great game from great characters which is what the game does well.  You actually have to think about who you're going to use in your game because your options are plenty.  Even if you find a favorable character you might end up picking someone new and finding out you love him or her just as much for totally different reasons.

The general set-up of the game.

Of course the game wouldn't be anything without the villains, right?  This game has plenty to pick from (13 as of now, but more on the way) and each is as unique as the heroes.  Some are even certain heroes' main villain which means they each deal 1 more damage to each other if they're both in play.  Not only that, they do not require a player!  The villain deck plays itself so the group just has to turn over cards from that deck each turn, then read what the villain does.  This allows everyone at the table to actually play together instead of someone having to play the role of the inevitable loser.  Some villains are harder to defeat than others of course, but with the right hero combination you can easily take out some of the more difficult villains.  

In addition, an Environment deck is used in a similar fashion to the villain.  It acts on its own but can help or hinder the heroes.  It's all about the luck of the drawn with the Environment deck because you'll either be attacked by dinosaurs or helped by the police.  There are currently 8 decks with more to come, but those 8 are enough to have tons of adventures as it is.

And death?  If your character dies you're actually not out of the game.  You get to flip your character card over where there are 3 options you can choose from whenever your turn comes back around.  You pick one to activate and can continue to help your friends even though you can't play any cards.  It's a brilliant way to keep the game going for everyone and takes the sting out of losing all of your HP.

Game-flow is actually pretty smooth.  Turns can be completed in seconds if you're strategizing so you can blow through everyone's turns rather quickly.  Of course, teamwork is still a part of the game so you can discuss moves with each other to pick the best course of action.  There's no need to hide your cards from everyone in this game.  Work together and you'll see the fruits of your labors become the sweet smoothie of justice.  Though be warned- games can take from an hour to maybe 3 hours depending on who you're playing, what villain is out, who you're playing with, and so much more.  That's not a bad thing!  But be prepared for the long haul if you do play a harder villain.  This game may flow quickly but that doesn't mean it'll end quickly.

Materials

Sentinels started out on Kickstarter so its first set was a physically a bit flimsy due to printing costs needing to be figured out and, most importantly, affordable.  Though thanks to the huge amount of support for the game, the subsequent releases and the current base set are made from sturdier card stock that will stand up to most wear and tear.  The best part about this game and the people behind it is that if you need replacement cards you can actually purchase them for about 50 cents each.  Replacement decks are also available with pricing based on the type (Hero, Villain, Environment).

Art-wise the game looks great.  Each card has really great comic book-style art for its picture and the backgrounds and assets all look like they're pulled from a comic.  Each deck has personality bursting out of it and it really shows how much care went into creating not only a great game but a beautiful one.  I've played a lot of card games in my time and this one truly looks the best.  It captures the comic book feeling so that you truly do believe that these characters have existed for decades.

One of my favorite characters in the game.  Look at those colors!

The Enhanced Edition (currently the base set) includes damage counters, dividers, and a box with enough room to fit almost every card in the current game.  It's sturdy and the boxart reflects the game very well so you've got both a showpiece and something that's going to protect your cards.

Cost

With games like this we know cost is a huge factor.  Greater Than Games wants to make everything available at a good price so that everyone can play and they can still make money.  This means that the base set (Enhanced Edition) costs $39.95 direct from Greater Than Games' store.  Not bad right?  You get the base set of 10 Heroes, 4 Villains, and 4 Environments plus the damage counters, dividers, and more all for just 40 bucks.  To get all of that in a TCG would cost you far more than that.

The 2 expansions include the other heroes, villains, and environments at $19.95 each.  While not necessary, the expansions greatly enhance your game for barely 20 bucks.  You'd be nuts to pass up on the chance to get them.  Best part though?  If you get someone the base set you now have 2 presents to get them.  Boom.  Christmas and birthday are done.  (I just did all your shopping for you, didn't I?)

There are 2 promo characters (1 Hero, 1 Villain) available to round out the complete roster of each.  These both cost $4.95 so if you really want to get the entire game, it's only 10 more dollars to do so.

We here at Rainbow Nerd have played with every bit and piece of the game.  Let me tell you that it is worth the roughly $90-100 for all of it.  It may seem steep but, trust me, if you break that up and buy each part as you go, you won't even notice.  Plus the game is too fun not to pass up getting it all.  We're not being paid to say any of this, nor do we expect to be.  This is just a game we truly believe in and that is worth every cent.

Downsides

It had to come eventually, right?  Well this game has 1 downside (at least to this player).  It's easy to get burnt out on playing it if you marathon sessions or play it constantly.  It's amazing and fun so it's really easy to play 5 games of it and then realize it's 2 in the morning and where did my life go?  Though that said, you can end up tired of seeing the same heroes and villains constantly and end up praying the new expansion comes out soon to give you a new option.

While this is isn't actually a problem with the game or the design, it is apparent after a lot of playtime.  The solution?  Stop playing for a bit and wait for the yearning to return to your proverbial game-playing-loins.  Once you've stepped away for a while the return will make the game just as fresh as when you left it.

Basically what I'm saying is that this game is amazing and you need to play it now and then burn out on it and play it again because it's that good.

Bonus Points

But wait!  Bonus points!  This blog is called Rainbow Nerd so a game that tastefully handles the gay community will get bonus points.  So, in our first review, bonus points go to Sentinels for creating a positive gay character.

The hero Tachyon (sort of like The Flash) in the game is in fact a happily married lesbian according to the creators.  Sadly for the shippers, she is not married to any of the female heroes.  Her wife is a "regular" (meaning non-superhero) woman named Dana.  So not only is Tachyon a smart, savvy, scientist, she is also a lesbian which makes this gaymer happy.  Her sexuality isn't played up for sales nor is it tossed aside as just a blip in a biography.  It helps to make her feel well rounded as a character.  She feels real even though she has superpowers.  There's no sense of tokenism with her because her story and who she is make her lesbianism just another great facet of her character.  That's what makes these heroes seem like they've truly been around for decades- that a lot of time and love went into crafting them.

Final Results

Here on Rainbow Nerd we'll be doing reviews a little differently.  Instead of a number/star/percent/cake slice rating we'll be doing a system where we recommend the game based on how we feel about it.  This way even if we may not like a game, we can say it might be for a different audience or for someone who enjoys playing games on par with Aquaman or Big Rigs.

Do Play If:

• You like card games that involve cooperation
• You like card games in general
• You like strategy games
• You like comic books
• You like yelling out, "BAM!", "BIFF!", or "SPORNK!"

Do Not Play If:

• You're a super competitive card game player (like a pro Yu-Gi-Oh, Magic, Cardfight!! Vanguard, etc. player)
• You prefer to fight against your friends
• You think comic books are silly
• You don't like strategy games

So that's it!  Sentinels of the Multiverse is a great game made by some great guys.  It's fun, it's deep, it's pretty to look at, and it won't break the bank like most other card games.  Speaking as someone who loves card games, I'd easily place it as one of my top favorites.  And we may go more in depth into each expansion to break it all down for you if you're not convinced yet... so stay tuned.

Purchase The Game At:

http://sentinelsofthemultiverse.com/

Photos were taken by Ryan while playing (yes, on Instagram because he's cool like that.)  Cards and all such game materials are all copyright Greater Than Games.