I’m sure if you are reading this, you’ve imagined how it would feel to be a superhero. Sentinels of the Multiverse helps fulfill this dream in a cooperative comic book card game that pits you and your friends against a villian. The cool thing about Sentinels is the villian deck plays itself. Each person chooses one of 10 heroes they want to play and take the deck that corresponds to that hero. Then you decide which of the 4 villians you will take on. They have added a twist to the game where you are also fighting against or with (mostly against) an environment as well.
Gameplay
The game starts with the villian doing their beginning of the game effects and then playing a card from the top of their deck. They have one-shot cards (think sorceries), on-going (enchantments), and forms of minions (creatures). The villian’s turn ends and so begins the hero’s turns. A hero may (in this order) play a hero card, use any powers that they have in play, then draw a card to indicate the end of their turn. The hero turns are not shared so it goes one hero after another after another till all heroes have gone. The the environment turn comes after which you reveal and play the top card of the environment deck. Then goes the villian again and starts a new round.
The gameplay is simple but each hero, villian, and environment bring new things to the table. One hero focuses on lightning damage and aoe effects whereas another one buffs and protects his allies at the cost of his own health while a third manipulates everything on the board and can make other players or herself draw cards. Each hero has a very different feel and cards that set them apart from one another drastically. Each villian is different as well such as one is trying to smash the moon into the Earth while one is trying to overrun the Earth with his minions.
Experience
My group has tested out each of the different elements, but only touched a few of the many different combinations. We’ve played 2 and 3 player games with very mixed experiences. Both ways, the environments gave us the most challenge. The villians were well themed and were difficult but couldn’t compare. It was hard to setup and maintain control when in a 2 player game. The difficulty severely dropped with a 3rd person was added, although it could of been that we are all power gamers and planned out the turns.
Recommendation
I recommend this game highly. We have already put in quite a few hours and plan to put in much more. There is an expansion coming out soon as well called Rook City adding 2 more heroes, 4 more villians, and 2 more environments. It’s a fun game and good for pretty much anyone 8 and older, I couldn’t find a recommendation for ages. It’s a game that anyone who can grasp the concepts will enjoy. We fit it into a 500 card box that is easy to carry around and play anywhere. Have fun.
