"One HELL of a Game" THE HELLGAME Reviewed by William Sariego Technical Specs... Publisher: Udo Grebe Gamedesign (2002) Compexity: Moderate (ages 15+) Playing Time: 2-4 hours Players: Multi-players (2-6) Game Type: Multi-Player Power Politcs Format: Boxed COMPONENTS: *Unmounted, 60x80 cm glossy map *Two sheets of counters *220 high quality cards *32 page rulesbook *6 Hell-dice (black dice with Pentagram substituted for the 'one' pip). The components are indeed nice, with the counters being the weak link They are far too flimsy. BRIEF OVERVIEW: One might ask if THE HELLGAME (hereafter THG) is even worthy of review on Web-Grognards, devoted as it is to historical wargames. My answer is a resounding yes! This is a fantasy game, except to a Christian Fundamentalist or practicing Satanist (all too real for them!) and other fantasy games, from SWORDS AND SORCERY to WAR OF THE RING are on Web-G already. It is also a game of Power Politics carried to the nth degree; and Web-G abounds with articles on DIPLOMACY and MACHIAVELLI, among others. THG is also based firmly in history. Yes, you heard me correctly and no, I did not get my Master's Degree in History from a mail order catalog. THG is solidly researched in classic Medieval grimoires and hoary old tomes that deal with all things other wordly and diabolical. And even a casual reader of Dante's Inferno will recognize elements within that classic poem in the game. OBJECT Hell is divided into Nine concnetric Circles, with each Circle subdidived into five Sectio. To win the game, a player must completely bring under his/her/its (hereafter 'his') control all five Sectio in any one of the Circles. A player who does so is considered to have tipped the balance of power in Hell in their favor. To begin their Quest dominate the Infernal Court players are dealt (randomly) the following; three Daemons and five Sectio cards. The Daemons represent the Triumvirate under your control and the sectors are the areas you control at start. Getting two of the latter in the same circle initially is fantastic, but immediately signals 'front-runner' to evil minded players (and who isn't, playing this game!) to do something about it. Players also get five Souls (used as currency) and one Favor (a counter with a black Pentagram)., five Arcana cards, and one Legion (military unit) Not all Daemons are created equal, and it is entirely possible to get a bad draw. This can be mitigated (possibly) during set-up by expending your starting Favor and discarding a Daemon to draw another, hopefully getting a better one. THE MAP As mentioned above, the map is divided into nine Circles of five Sectio each. All of which are further differentiated into five Quarters, corresponding to the Pentegram in the center of the board. Each Sectio, except one, has a numerical rating. This number is the number of "Souls" the Sectio generates for the owing player. It goes without saying that in addition to the goal of controlling an entire Circle, gaining control of rich sectors will further inhance your coffers. One Sectio, called "The Wise Men" does not generate Souls. Instead it gives an extra Arcana card to the player, which is a good thing in game play. If dealt this Sectio during set-up, however, it can be a detriment to a player's economy unless a couple of wealthy ones were drawn to offset this. THE DAEMONS Daemons have five stats or attributes that affect game play. One is Rank. Hell being a very structured society the higher rank determines player order, though this can be changed by card play. Daemons also have a special ability that can bend the rules in your favor in a small way. The main stats are Hearts, Skulls, and Stars, which rate the Daemons Charisma, Martial Skill, and Magical ability, respectively. A Daemons rates one to five of each, with the higher numbers being best. A Daemons sex is also indicated, which can have some affect on game play. For simplicities sake this is male/female, though as many as 12 different sexes have been determined by scholars to populate the Infernal Regions :-) THE OTHER CARDS In addition to the cards representing Daemons and Sectios, you have Hell and Arcana cards. Hell cards are wild cards that radically affect the parameters in which players operate. They can happen and be done with, or be "permenant' in their affect. Such cards can not only influence Hell but also Heaven and Earth. The Arcana cards can be used for both Minor and Major effect, basically spells to enhance your ability to have a positive turn. Most cost Souls to cast. The general outlook of all the cards included in the game is striking. The art/photography can be described as "Gothic" or disturbed, as you will. A sense of humor is sprinkled amidst the chaos, also. An example of this is the card for the Sectio called "Playground of the Idle". It is a picture of gamers sitting around playing THG! THE SEQUENCE OF PLAY 1: Hell Phase Draw Hell cards to determine what random events affect play for the turn 2: Soul Phase Collect Souls and pay for upkeep. All Daemons on earth get a Favor. 3: Summoning Phase Raise Legions and such, buy Arcana cards. Wealthiest player goes first. 4: Action Phase Players have their Daemon perform an action each, in order of rank. 5: Random Moves Phase Entities outside players control move according to their rules 6: Combat Phase Resolve combat in Secto where two or more players have Legions 7: Petitions Phase Ask Lucifer to recognize claims to Secto. Done in order of rank. 8: End Phase Unless someone wins, Players can exchange Favors to get rid of Disfavors. Roll for recovery. Many things happen during the course of a turn, leading to a structured form of chaos (no doubt intended). Much is beyond players control (a rampaging Angel, natural disasters, etc) and in affect the 'game' is almost another player to compete against. A strong economy of Souls and accumulation of Favors can help off-set a not so powerful Triumvirate, so apparently weak players should not despair. Smart game play and temporary alliances help. Never let Disfavors (a white chit with the picture of a fish) accumulate. Many game functions require you to roll higher than the Disfavors you have accumulated. You can possibly play with one but more than that and you are in trouble. Favors have many uses and keeping a Daemon on Earth is a good way to rake keep them coming. Combat is quite simple. After Casting any Magic (Arcana Cards) that effect combat, players allocate attacks. A six is required to hit the enemy, though this can be modified by magic and having Lieutenants leading your Legions. After hits are scored Saves are taken, which can be improved if one of your Daemons is involved. After Saves players players can decide to flee or stay. Since a lot of combat can go on rules are included to shorten battles by imposing a limit on the rounds, and using a simpler method for small combats. SUMMARY Hopefully this capsule review will cause potential players to become actual players of THG. In thinking about this game I recall the title to Monty Python and the Flying Circus' first movie; "And Now for Something Completely Different". THG is indeed different, and not to everyone's taste. I love it, but then again I have never claimed to be normal (normal people are so boring). Finding a copy at your local hobby store might be a problem, at least in the United States. I can remember in the 1980's when Fundamentalists picketed hobby stores that sold 'satanic' games like DUNGEONS AND DRAGONS. I can just imagine the uproar a store stocking THG on the shelf would cause in The Bible Belt. Thankfully the Internet can solve any acquisition crisis a potential buyer might have. Relax, have fun, and enjoy being the 'Other Side" for an evening. THG is well worth the money for both its components and play value.