The
Game
Cupboard
Exploring the world of modern board games
1-3 players
90-150 Minutes
Age 14+
Designer: Michał Gołębiowski, Filip Miłuńskil
Publisher: Lucky Duck Games
Artist: Karolina Jędrzejak, Magdalena Leszczyńska, Irek Zielinski
Our rating:
Destinies is a competitive, story-driven, game of adventure and exploration, mixing an app and a board game. The Destinies system offers a fully story-driven, app-supported, RPG-like board game experience without the need for a game master.
It is the first in a series of games using a brand-new system called Destinies. This game is set in a dark medieval-fantasy universe.
Each scenario depicts a part of a vivid world, full of dark stories, epic NPCs and mysteries to solve. Each player takes the role of a hero on a quest to fulfil their destiny. Each destiny is a final goal of the character and has at least two, completely different paths to victory, composed of branching series of quests. Players compete with each other to push the world towards their own destiny. - Description from the Publisher.
We were kindly sent a copy of King of 12 by Lucky Duck games for review.
** The following review of Destinies is free from spoilers to avoid ruining anyone's experience with the game**
In Destinies, players compete against each other to be the first to fulfil their character's destiny by exploring and interacting with the world, helping strangers (NPC’s) and passing challenges.
Set Up
To set up the game, the Destinies app must first be downloaded onto a phone or tablet, (it is also available on Steam for PC but a camera is required for QR code scanning). Players then choose one of the scenarios available to play. In the base game the first scenario is a stand alone story while the remaining 4 form part of a campaign.
Once players have selected a story, they must choose which mode to play. There are 4 separate game modes to choose from; two Normal 2-3 player mode, “Bound by Fate” mode which plays 4 in a 2v2 player face off, and Challenger and Explorer Solo modes. The Challenger solo mode pits a player against the clock to explore and fulfil their destiny whereas the Explorer mode is a mode designed to allow more exploration of the game world in a relaxed environment.
The 2v2 Bound by Fate mode is only available with the expansion but we have not yet had the ability to play this.
Once the mode is selected, the app will instruct you which characters will be in play for that particular scenario. Depending on the number of players, you will then select the portraits of the characters you wish to use.
The app will advise players on how to set up each character's player board with their character card, their starting skills for the skill track, two main dice and 3 effort dice, starting money and starting items. The app also shows a 3D rendering of the required miniature for each player.
The front of the character card has a portrait and two QR codes, one with a cream and one with a purple edge that wraps around to the back of the card. The back of the card details that character's motivation along with 2 potential paths for them to pursue, what they need to do to complete their journey and where they need to head to begin the finale and fulfil their destiny. It is important to keep the details on the back of the card secret from other players. Players should read through the backs of their cards before progressing further.
After characters are set up, the app will run through how to set up the game, telling you which map tiles to place along with a description of the tile and any Point of Interest markers (either tokens or other characters on the map which can be visited).