Shards of Creation is a unique take on trick-taking card games that will make fans feel like they’ve stepped into the Cosmere.
Fans of Brandon Sanderson can enter the Cosmere and harness the primal forces with this trick-taking card game. In Shards of Creation, each shard brings a unique strategic ability into the game, and can fundamentally alter gameplay. So you’ll have to be strategic, smart, and flexible to mix shards, harness their power, and pave your path to victory.
| Quick Guide | ||
|---|---|---|
| Mechanics | Set Collection, Trick-Taking, Variable Set-Up | |
| Players | 2 – 4 Players, Age 12+ | |
| Playing Time | 30 Minutes | |
| Similar Games | The Crew: Mission Deep Space, Scout | |
| Publisher | Brotherwise Games |
Shards of Creation Overview
Shards of Creation is a trick-taking card game that lets players step into the world of Brandon Sanderson’s Cosmere. In this game, suits are represented by different shards of divinity – Autonomy, Cultivation, Devotion, Dominion, Honor, Odium, Preservation, and Ruin – and each has different abilities that will change the game and the strategies you’ll have to implement to succeed.
It takes a classic trick-taking approach to gameplay and changes it enough to feel like something truly unique and made for the Cosmere. And with rapid play style changes and abilities to master, it’s a game that makes players feel like they’ve successfully utilized the shards and have made a tangible change to the game’s outcome.
How To Play Shards of Creation
A game of Shards of Creation takes place over three rounds, and there are ten hands played per round. Then, games are won by the player who has collected the most points, where points are earned by completing sets of shards and by earning lots of shards of a single type in our pool.
At the start of the game, players choose how many and which shards will be in play. This is based on how many players there are. From there, each round of gameplay a new shard type is made trump; this activates its special ability which can include things like giving the winner of a trick a card to place in their scoring area, to adding additional cards to players hands, to sometimes having no extra abilities at all.
In game rounds, the first player chooses a card to play, and whatever shard they play is designated as the “lead” shard for that round. Players must then go around playing cards, and whoever has the strongest card in the lead shard wins the hand. If a card from the trump shard is played, the highest of that shard would win instead. At the end of ten rounds, players count up their points based on the outcome of their hands. The team with the most points wins the game.
Should I Buy This Game?
If you’re a fan of the Brandon Sanderson universe, this game is an obvious addition to your game shelf. It’s fun, fast-paced, and has a ton of replayability. Not only as a card game (which are fun to replay over and over, even if they are repetitive), but especially as a game where the shards and effects may be a little different every game. Plus, fans will have another way to feel connected to the source material and the Cosmere.
But what about for everyone else? Honestly, I think this is a solid game for people who aren’t as into Sanderson, too. It works well as a trick-taking game, doubly so with the added twist of the trump shards and their abilities. The art is beautiful, even if you don’t really get all of the references, and the rules are approachable and straight forward without assuming any real knowledge of the universe. And while lots of the games on our shelves are multi-hour commitments, sometimes it’s nice to have a few options that are reasonably short and fast-paced.
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Source: Bell of Lost Souls
