Fantasy games practice has long had a special appeal to players, but have the disadvantage that they're to be generally very slow. Thunder Stone is one of the games that the fantasy - bring ambience into a compact form of play and therefore get the feeling, however, keep the game manageable time.

Thunderstone is a family of Deck building - games that the invention of trading card games have a tradition since the early 90s, but use after the release of a self-contained Dominion amount of cards. Thus, it is not necessary to buy lots of expensive "booster packs" in order to be able to design a game. A box with a basic game is enough to have varied gameplay.

Because Dominion is the first game of this type concluded, games like Thunder Stone also referred to colloquially as the Dominion clone. But that is where Thunderstone therefore overall somewhat darker. It's about monsters of the underworld in a dungeon, about heroes, magic and a few other things from the fantasy world.

The name gives the game the map "Thunderstone", which is far below the deck, and thus is in a deep dungeon of some of the unpleasant underworld - is protected creatures. To get at the thunder stone, these monsters are cleared away. This use of the participating players hero cards that provide them with all sorts of weapons and tools, to then be sent in the direction of the Dungeon.

The game consists primarily of two selectable in each train phases of the game: The fight in the dungeon or a visit to the village to stop and buy hero subject. In addition, a player can always take rest and replace his card hand. Bought or bartered from the cards form the player their decks, from which they shall each with 6 open cards played their decisions to fight, village or recreation.

The fight against the monster turns out to be not so easy. Imagine that three of the monsters in the dungeon are almost in a row, so that the foremost and the rearmost easiest is to do the hardest. The decisive factor is the factor of light, among other things. The more light is available, the easier to defeat the monsters. Players have torches, light swords or flaming sign that says, brightens the room and the opponents are easier to see and overcome.

If the light problem solved, nor is classically required strength, but is divided into normal force and magic strength. Unfortunately, some monsters are immune to magic, so that a seemingly strong band of heroes against those monsters can not accomplish much. In this case, again helping the village to customize weapons and equipment to the enemy.

If enemy creatures defeated, players get experience points with which they can strengthen their hero. In exchange for the points of their own heroes to rise up to level 3 and receive more individual skills that can then also the more powerful contemporaries among the opponents to be overcome. Eventually the thunder stone is brought to light and end the game. The winner is the player who has accumulated the most victory points. This result among others from the difficulty of the monster that you have defeated.

Although Thunderstone despite similarity to Dominion plays differently, it is a card game, even one that a high proportion of mixed cards - requires action. This must be like. Playful Thunderstone its variability is interesting and entertaining. Particularly tricky combinations of heroes and monsters sometimes produce veritable puzzle to crack combination of cards with which the opponents are. The appeals again to re-play.

Year: 2010
Publisher: Steve Jackson Games
Author: Mike Elliot
Graphics: Jason Engle
Players: 1 - 5 Age: 10 - Annual
Duration: about 60 minutes

Buy it at:

Tags: card game , Pegasus