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Oath: Chronicles of Empire and Exile

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Oath: Chronicles of Empire and Exile is a 2021 board game with asymmetric gameplay and legacy elements designed by Cole Wehrle, illustrated by Kyle Ferrin, and published by Leder Games. In Oath, players compete to become the Chancellor, and the events of each game influence the events of the games that follow. Upon its release, Oath received positive reviews, and an expansion for the game is in development.[1] The game is part of an increase in the release of games that are based on a scenario or have a campaign structure,[2] and is focused on fantasy politics and crisis.[3]

Oath
Chronicles of Empire and Exile
DesignersCole Wehrle
IllustratorsKyle Ferrin
PublishersLeder Games
Publication2021; 3 years ago (2021)
Players1-6
Playing time45-150 minutes
ChanceMedium
Age range10+

Gameplay

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In Oath, 1-6 players compete in an asymmetric game, taking upon the role of individuals who are trying to rule a fantasy land. One Chancellor player begins with significant control over eight Sites which are divided between three regions: the Cradle, the Provinces and the Hinterland.[4] The other players start with an Exile character that can eventually become a Citizen.[5] Everyone has the same major actions; they may search the deck, muster troops, trade favor and secrets (the two main currencies in the game), recover relics, campaign militarily against enemies, and travel across the board. Through the use of Denizen cards that can be picked up throughout the game, players are given access to unique powers. For games with only one or two players, the game includes an automated version of the Chancellor, the Clockwork Prince.

Victory can be earned in several ways. The Chancellor, if they continue to fulfil their Oathkeeper goal throughout the game, may roll a dice three times from turn five until turn eight, increasing their chances to win each turn. Vision cards can be picked up by Exiles which also enable victory goals, and an Exile may also attempt to usurp the Chancellor by completing the game's main goal. If the Chancellor wins but a Citizen has fulfilled certain conditions, the Citizen may win instead. Often, the game will end with a losing player forced to be a kingmaker for the other players, often decided through informal deal making and metagaming.[3]

Development

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The game was in development since 2018.[6] Wehrle sought in the production of Oath to place narrative value as a priority, and to remove any predetermined scenarios so that every element of the game could be altered.[7] His experience of second hand board games during childhood, such as Squad Leader and other Avalon Hill board games as well as HeroQuest and Chancellorsville, led him to want to design a board game that had a "more resonant echo"; he wanted each box to have a tangible history without the player destroying parts of it, as was the norm in many legacy games.[3] Other inspirations for Wehrle in terms of Oath included Imperium, Barbarian, Kingdom and Empire, and Blood Royale, a role-playing game.[3]

In 2022, Wehrle announced that Leder Games was designing an expansion for Oath.[8]

Kickstarter

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A Kickstarter campaign for the game was launched in January 2020 to fund its production, with a single pledge level of $90.[9] Backers who pledged this amount received a journal to chronicle their sessions as well as metal favor coins and resin secret tokens, which were sold separately to the public upon the game's full release.[10] It met its funding goal of $50,000 quickly.[9]

Reception

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Oath received generally positive reviews.[4] Dicebreaker wrote of its "small, thoughtful details" and "evocative world and deep strategy".[11] Tabletop Gaming compared Ferrin's artwork for the game to The Dark Crystal, calling it "evocative and characterful."[12] Polygon described the game as "an elaborate role-playing game wearing the clothes of a complex strategy title",[4] and later praised the game for its neoprene game board.[13] In 2021, Gamereactor complimented its production and design, but also wrote of the game's steep learning curve and niche target audience.[14] IGN listed the game as one of the best strategy board games in 2022.[15]

Awards

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See also

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References

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  1. ^ Meehan, Alex (28 April 2022). "Oath is getting its first board game expansion - at some point". Dicebreaker. Retrieved 14 August 2022.
  2. ^ Engelstein, Geoffrey; Shalev, Isaac (2 March 2022). Building Blocks of Tabletop Game Design: An Encyclopedia of Mechanisms. United States: CRC Press. ISBN 978-1-000-53924-0.
  3. ^ a b c d Eggett, Christopher John (13 May 2021). "Oath: An Interview with Cole Wehrle". Tabletop Gaming. Retrieved 9 October 2022.
  4. ^ a b c Hall, Charlie (24 September 2021). "Oath, one of the year's best new board games, is not what it first appears to be". Polygon. Retrieved 29 August 2022.
  5. ^ Miller, Matt (16 July 2021). "Oath Is One Of The Strangest (And Best) Board Games Of The Year". Game Informer. Archived from the original on July 16, 2021. Retrieved 14 September 2022.
  6. ^ St. Anthony, Neal (2020-02-23). "Patrick Leder, who lost a St. Paul IT job, has become a board-game industry luminary". Star Tribune. Retrieved 2023-08-28.
  7. ^ Sasso, Mabelle (22 October 2019). "Homeworld Revelations: Modiphius produrrà il gioco di ruolo basato sul videogioco | Cultura Pop". Tom's Hardware (in Italian). Retrieved 5 October 2022.
  8. ^ Meehan, Alex (8 December 2022). "First Oath board game expansion will give losers a fighting chance". Dicebreaker. Retrieved 20 August 2023.
  9. ^ a b Hoffer, Christian (14 January 2020). "Oath Could Be 2021's First Big Board Game". ComicBook.com. Retrieved 5 October 2022.
  10. ^ "Leder Games brings Cole Wehrle's Oath: Chronicles of Empire and Exile to Kickstarter". Dice Tower News. 18 January 2020. Retrieved 5 October 2022.
  11. ^ Jarvis, Matt (2 June 2021). "Oath: Chronicles of Empire & Exile board game review". Dicebreaker. Retrieved 29 August 2022.
  12. ^ "Oath: Chronicles of Empire & Exile Review". Tabletop Gaming. 22 June 2021. Retrieved 9 October 2022.
  13. ^ Hall, Charlie (23 September 2022). "There are two clear contenders for the best board game of 2022". Polygon. Retrieved 3 October 2022.
  14. ^ Lamartine, Andre (29 July 2021). "Krönikor om imperier, exil och skam". www.gamereactor.se (in Swedish). Retrieved 5 October 2022.
  15. ^ Thrower, Matt (13 April 2022). "The Best Strategy Board Games (2022)". IGN. Retrieved 29 August 2022.
  16. ^ "Golden Geek Winners Announced for 2021 – Radlands, Arnak, and Sleeping Gods amongst the winners". Tabletop Gaming. 3 May 2022. Retrieved 29 August 2022.
  17. ^ Jolin, Dan (22 June 2021). "Oath: Chronicles of Empire & Exile Review". Tabletop Gaming. Retrieved 29 August 2022.
  18. ^ "Dice Tower Award Nominees 2021". Dice Tower News. 12 April 2021. Retrieved 5 October 2022.
  19. ^ Watkins, Gary (13 March 2022). "2022 SXSW Gaming Awards Winners Announced". SXSW. Retrieved 15 September 2022.
  20. ^ Carter, Chase (12 April 2022). "Lost Ruins of Arnak and Cascadia clinch wins at 2022 American Tabletop Awards". Dicebreaker. Retrieved 15 September 2022.
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