FATED KINGDOM REVIEW

Fated Kingdom is an old school, digital board game, and sandbox for 2-4 players. It's played with a shared physical space and no rules enforced by computer. The backstory is that the Kingdom of Kinmarr is falling apart. To survive in these dark times, players need to roll the dice and draw cards to move along the game board. Published in 2019 by Game Liberty, FK holds a rank of ‘Very Positive’ on Steam. 

 

   So, I have 60+ hours in on this game and I have to say, it's been a lot of fun. I started streaming Fated Kingdom over a month ago. Since then I have made some new friends and discovered a whole new affection for board games.

Yes, there are things worth discussing,  like the interpretation from Russian to English. There are also some phrasing or wording points that may seem unclear at first. Reaching out to the developers has helped a lot. The developers are still very active in the games development. From bug fixes to Rule updates. And they are quick to respond to questions on Steam and Discord.

The game is  meant to be a cooperative experience.  2 to 4 players work together to save the kingdom of Kinmarr from the dark forces that are battling to bring it to ruin. Each player represents a different guild. The guild may not trust each other but agree to put aside differences to rescue Kinmarr.

There are five guilds. Knight, Pathfinder, Follower, Heir, and Watcher. Each has there own lore and unique abilities. I've played them all and it's very hard to pick a favorite.

The misconception that this game is a cash grab  is disheartening.  Because the rules and certain tasks are not AI enforced does not diminish the game in any way.

 The rules are well developed. The English rules are of Russian translation.  I've played with enough people, who are familiar with the game, to learn that everyone has their own style of play.  It's what I would call 'House Rules'. The developers intended it to be this way. Even they will play the game in different alterations. They  even include an 'Official Fated Kingdom Editor Guide' with the installation.

You can play the game  as Co-op, PVP , and teams. In fact, the game can start out as a co-op and any one or more players can decide to go rogue. After all, these guilds do have a history of distrust among each other. I have yet to actually play a full game in co-op because somebody always decides to go rogue. Then there are games I have played in pvp  between two players.

The game changes each time you play. There is random tile placement and s resetting of all 4 decks. There are also cards that can flip the entire game over on it's head. There are four decks, Encounter Cards, Skill Cards, Item Cards, and Prophecy Cards. Over 200 cards in all that take the game in many directions.

In ways, Fated Kingdom reminds me of board games I played years ago where there was no AI. You had a rule book and your imagination. How many people grew up putting a $500 bill in the center of the Monopoly board to cover Free Parking? It's called House Rules. Almost everyone has their own House Rules for the games they love. The most important thing about House Rules is that everyone is on the same page before the game starts. Over the past few weeks of streaming and playing Fated Kingdom, I created my own House Rules. It has nothing to do with poorly written rules. It has everything to do with players personalizing the game experience.

For example; After a long discussion over Tower Cards, a couple of us thought of adding a House Rule.. When drawing a Tower Card, you can keep it as long as you have the value of the card in Creature Cards to buy it. There are times where a player is 'directed' to draw a Tower Card. What if he cannot afford to buy it? The rules would have you return it to the bottom of the deck. In our discussion, we talked about the possibility of the card going up for auction.

In another instance, a player can be directed to pay silver to another player or back to the kingdom. What happens if he doesn't have the amount? The rules would have you ignore this and move one. We discussed other options. Such as the player goes into debt and must pay as he gains any new silver. Another was increasing Fate by the same number he owes. AA third option was that the player taking a wound for each silver he owes. (The third was my suggestion and a very bad one to boot). The point is, the game allows for this as a House Rule or even as an edit, as  intended.

Not having the AI search for a specific card during game play was  labeled  a setback to the game. For instance, you can be directed to search for a specific Guild Card, or Creature Card. To manually search for the card is not an issue, for me.  It was not in issue in any match I have played, for me or other players.  I remember that Fated Kingdom is an old school, digital board game. It's a little hands on. It's NOT an AFK game or Idle Clicker and never claims to be. For me, the very last thing I want is a game that plays itself. And if I am attracted to a digital board game, a big part of it has to do with the art, look, and virtual feel of the game. So I have to go through a few cards? So what? I like the sound they make when you flip them and lay them down to be honest.

Yes, there are opportunities where you directed to name a specific card. It may be to obtain that card, use it, or look for it. You can access the library of all the cards 'before' game play but not during. The developers designed it this way. I have had more players know exactly what card they wanted or needed to name than players who couldn't name one. This is the difference between a real player or a casual player. It is not a defect in the design of the game. I ask, in what card game is it not to a players advantage to know all there is to know about a card. To put this in perspective; Magic the Gathering has over 20,000 cards. Hearthstone has 2,496 playable cards. Fated Kingdom has 200.

As for lag in the game, I have experienced little to none. I have played a few people who have said their lag was a little annoying but not a game changer. Most of the time a simple restart of the game seems to fix it.

To sum it all up, you need to experience the game yourself and come to your own conclusion. Yes, there are rules to read. And each guild has different attributes to remember. Sometimes you have to re-roll the same dice because there is no duplicate. And it's beneficial to learn and know the cards. These are not things that lessen the fun or depth of game-play. It's old school. Enjoy it.

I hope this review is helpful to anyone who is looking to own the game.  And if you do pick it up, look for me in the lobby. My games are always public. I am usually streaming. And I try to keep it fun and entertaining.     

Fated Kingdom on Steam