I adore strong themes in board games, especially when it blends with gameplay. I’ve always found it an underrated aspect of the tabletop. While rules are the backbone of any board game, much of the hook and enjoyment can also come from its themes. Just look at how Ultimate Werewolf plays on the paranoia of an old-timey village faced with the supernatural. So believe me when I say that this upcoming board game is dripping with sinful themes.
Seven Secret Sins is a fast-paced deduction game based around secret goals and rolls of the dice. Players draw from one of seven deadly sins, each with a thematically appropriate goal. It’s a numbers game, each sin vying for a specific value of dice to attain victory. However, other players can win by correctly identifying another player’s sin. Like many of the best board games, Seven Secret Sins thrives on chaos and backstabbings.
What makes the game stand out to me is how it uses dice as tools of deception. I’ve always found dice to be evil little objects, and that’s totally not because I always roll natural ones. Dice are a paradox in every game, providing structure in the form of guaranteed values, while adding chaos thanks to its randomness. The addition of math to the equation adds a layer of complexity that will give even the staunchest liars pause.
As I mentioned about themes, I love how the game weaves the goal of each sin into their respective traits. Pride is the only sin who requires an exact number. The sum of all dice must be exactly 21, and Pride must be the one who places the last dice to reach this number. It adds a layer of roleplay to the game. The haughtiness to not only want something exact, but to be the one responsible for such perfection.
You can support Seven Secret Sins on Kickstarter here.
If you’re looking for a game for two, then maybe the couples board games is the guide for you (and yours). For more tabletop funtimes, the Wargamer Discord has plenty of players to chat with.
Source: Wargamer
