Playing the Hero: A Review of Sentinels of the Multiverse
By Brandon Blick
I love superheroes. I love the crazy costumes, the amazing powers, the alliterative names; all of it! But something I love more than anything about a good superhero story is the heroes teaming up and fighting a villain. A game that always captures that feeling for me is Sentinels of the Multiverse.
Sentinels of the Multiverse is a cooperative, super-hero card game for three to five players. Each player takes on the role of a hero with a unique hero deck. These heroes must choose a villain deck and an environment deck to represent who and where they are fighting, respectively. If the villain reduces each hero to zero hit points, incapacitating them, then the heroes lose. If the heroes manage to reduce the villain to zero hit points, however, they win the game.
The villain and environment decks are purely automated, with card effects such as “deal each hero target 2 fire damage,” or “increase all damage dealt by 1,” so no player has to be the “bad guy.” Communication between players is actively encouraged and often necessary to win the game. Everyone either wins or loses together. Even if a player is incapacitated, the back of their hero character card provides them with abilities that represent the other heroes fighting on to avenge their fallen teammate, so they’re not left out of the game.
I can’t recommend this game enough. It’s flavorful, fun, and simple. Characters are diverse in both how they are played and their stories told through their cards, and the cooperative element shines brilliantly every game. Comic fans old and new will find something to love about Sentinels of the Multiverse!
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