Cryptic Explorers (Kickstarter – IMPERATOR Deluxe Edition Pledge)

Board Game Geek Reviews

1. Albatrocity

   It depends on how the next incarnation comes out. I'm not too impressed with the minis displayed so far. I'd just as soon play the second incarnation, which didn't have minis than a version that has crummy minis.

2. 8 out of 10

   Rontuaru

   A change of pace from my usual gaming fare, but our first play was a grand old time. *THIS* is the sort of instanced-focused dungeon delve that I am looking for - a "one versus many" experience where the "many" consists of 1 to 3 players controlling squads of Cryptonauts; those seeking knowledge from the Realm of Death for their own pseudo-moral purposes. The "One" is the player acting as the Goddess: some twisted, malicious, and divine monstrosity bent on destroying the Cryptonauts lest they access esoteric knowledge not meant for mortal eyes. It's a wholly developed setting here (heck, 3 novellas worth) and suffice to say there's plenty of narrative flavor to chew on, if that's your thing. Now, I'm keenly aware that stellar aesthetics without good gameplay to back it up makes for a shallow experience, but I'm glad to report substantial intricacy on that front. There's an order of 40 or so Cryptonatus to choose from, each with a *highly* varied set of skills, and you're to assemble a multi-naut squad per player and communally figure out how you all can achieve your goal. Seeking synergies and executing decisive maneuvers without cluing the Goddess player in on your strategy is plenty engaging. The types of Goddesses to select from are not as numerous, but they're all thematically charged and quite distinct: varying summons, decks, abilities, capabilities. To these character matchups, you can combine an assortment of realm maps, each with its own set of hazards and goals, the addition of mini-realm maps that you can (should you be mad enough) create sub-portals within the larger maps to enter, a whole host of items that Cryptonauts can pick up and leverage, and various upgrades to 'nauts and Goddesses alike to skew the already palpable asymmetry in matchups--just immense content. The combat is charged, brisk, easy to follow, terrain constraints are simple and make sense (and can be subverted through destruction and even flight) and the customization, though sparse, is poignant and challenging. You can't have it all, in any given match, so your tactical choices matter greatly. Few games can do what Cryptic Explorers does, and with such an unassuming name, you'd never think twice about it if that's all you heard or read - which is a shame. There's boundless depths to explore here, and it's the perfect meaty morsel if you're looking to slam what feels like a full dungeon crawl experience in just under 2 hours. There's no campaign to speak of, but there is a sort of 'continuation' element that allows your characters to progress this story of acquiring knowledge, but it's handled with great tact and takes the shape of what is the antithesis to heavy-handed lore telling; similar to what you might see in Soulsborne games: Cryptonaut death in this mode is permanent (good thing there's so many!) and only bits and pieces of mystical knowledge is bestowed sparingly from game to game (and only if you manage to acquire them, and only by triggering certain actions, with a small choose-your-own-adventure style booklet to tie it together). The Cryptonauts are piecing together a broken but grander story should they manage to complete the (at minimum) 12 sessions required. But, that's beside the point - this is an arcade-like, macabre, and intricately designed romp that is bound to sate that dungeon delving itch, with a splash of sci-fi & mystical horror. ~ comes with: - playmats - deluxe/collector cryptonauts pack - errata - novellas 1-3

3. 7 out of 10

   TalesWithinWheels

   It suffers from some unclear rules and poorly designed components and the balance is tough to get right, but the game more than makes up for it in atmosphere.