Culdcept blends the board-game competition of Monopoly and the card-based battles of Magic: The Gathering with a dose of old-style RPG story and dialogue thrown in. The title refers to an ancient book of godly magic powers that are used by Cepters to do their bidding. As they travel, they face challenges from other Cepters, but instead of casting spells on each other, fights for control take place on a board. With each die roll, players receive cards from a stylish 480-card deck: Character Cards enable the placement of a guarding creature on that square; Spell Cards give the ability to cast a special effect; and Item Cards impart an offensive or defensive boost to a character or square. When one Cepter lands on another Cepter’s square, the invader can challenge the existing character with respective Strength and Hit Points (and any influencing spells, items, or other enhancements) determining the victor. If the existing Cepter’s character wins, possession is maintained and a toll is received (similar to Monopoly’s rent), but if the invader is victorious, the land changes hands. Each match continues until one Cepter accumulates the gold goal stated at the start of a match, and victories in 16 such battles completes the Story mode. Versus mode enables up to four players to compete in individual card/board game matches. Sure, the chatter between characters is pretty hokey at times—and is that old guy a walking stick with a head?—but that doesn’t overshadow that Culdcept is an interesting and unique game idea. It’s worth a look to see if it will offer you a break from the routine.
