Vagrantsong - An Introduction

 Vagrantsong - An Introduction

Art isn't always what sells me on a game, but honestly, it was a big component of what convinced me I wanted this game beyond the buzz I was reading and hearing before its release.

Game Specs

• Advertised Player Count: 2-4
• *Actual* Player Count: I think this really could work at any player count from 2-4 based on what I've played so far. Thanks for keeping it real, Wyrd Miniatures!
• Playing Time: 45-120 minutes.
• Feels like they're telling the truth about this playing time! Once players get past learning the game, it moves pretty well and while there's certainly the possibility of analysis paralysis, I don't think this game design lends itself to that. In fact, it can sometimes feel as though I didn't do *enough* on my turn and I must've missed something! More on that later.
• Age: 14+
• Premise: You and a couple of other folks hop onto a train called the Silver Ferryman as it rumbles on by, but it isn't long before you realize it's a ghost train! This is a cooperative game in which players take turns battling ghost bosses in each of this game's scenarios. Players spend their coins to take actions each turn and often roll dice to resolve tests.

Let me start by saying that I think the components are absolutely beautiful. Opening this game and organizing the components for a first play was extremely enjoyable. Not so much the peeling of the protective film off of the little characters, but I'm really glad they were so well protected because they look outstanding! As you can see in the pictures above, the game's footprint isn't big at all, despite it basically being a campaign game.

I haven't played any further than the first mission, but it seems straightforward enough. I'm sure that as one faces more ghosts at once, things get a little more complex. Each of the ghosts has two sets of abilities, depending on its "mood." As such, players can anticipate what they'll do next to a degree, but it can still be a decent amount to track. Gameplay itself is fairly simple, so I don't think the learning curve is too steep. That said, after playing the first mission, I did feel a little...I don't know, I'm not sure how to describe it. Not disinterested. Definitely not that. I really do want to play this game! But I think some of the urgency went out of it for me. There's a lot of game I haven't seen yet, but none of the mechanics thrilled me or made me excited to play it more or share it with other people. What has me excited about sharing it with others is how cool the components are and the story itself. So while I'm glad I've got the game and I'm looking forward to playing it, I'm just not dying to get it off the shelf. I'm in no rush; I'll get to it when it works out.

Honestly, playing any sort of campaign games is tough for me right now given how much I've got going on. So I've got to really want it in order to start it. I just don't want Vagrantsong badly enough to go out of my way to start it sooner rather than later. Especially since it's not going anywhere.

Bottom Line: I like it overall. The components are all really nice, I dig the art, and I think the gameplay is fairly intuitive and interesting. The differences between the ghosts and their abilities, as well as the way the game handles their shifting tactics in-game, are fun to explore and experience. That said, I don't know that I love it. It was fun to play and I'm looking forward to getting it out again with some folks who I think would enjoy it. But I've got a backlog of campaign games to play right now and that definitely affects my enthusiasm for it despite how nice it looks (it really does!) and the fact that there seems to be less book-keeping than a game like Sleeping Gods or Oath. Which I appreciate. I do think there's a solid place in the zeitgeist for this game for folks who are interested in playing out a campaign game but aren't necessarily interested in being so invested that they're willing to slog through Gloomhaven or puzzle through Sleeping Gods. But I wouldn't call Vagrantsong a "must-own" for the majority of game collections.