Unbroken Review

Image: Altema Games

INTRODUCTION

Unless you have been living under a rock for the past year, which given the psychological pressure we are all experiencing as a consequence of the COVID-19 pandemic is a desire that I can sympathise with, chances are you have heard of a little solitaire game known as Unbroken designed by Artem Safarov and published by Golden Bell Games. To make an exceptionally long and rather arduous story relatively short, the subsequent fulfilment of the Kickstarter project evolved into something that could arguably be described as “a bit of a mess” if one were feeling charitable. Despite the fact that the crowdfunding campaign ended over two years ago, to this day there are still numerous people who are left in the dark as to whether or not their copy of the game will ever materialise let alone be delivered. As someone who was fortunate enough to acquire a copy of the game through a local online retailer, believe me when I say that my heart goes out to all of you who are still patiently awaiting a resolution and closure to this ongoing tragedy.

That being said, I personally do not have a dog in this fight. Regardless of its pedigree, this written review will focus solely on the merits of Unbroken as a solitaire game experience rather than the questionable business ethics and practices of those responsible for this crowdfunded project.

COMPONENTS

In terms of aesthetics and table presence, the game makes a great first impression. The world of Unbroken is not a joyous one, where the realms of men have been laid to waste by forces of incomprehensible darkness and malice. The illustrations do a wonderful job of conveying the feeling of dread and despair which permeates the narrative of the game, especially the artwork for the monsters. Initially I was somewhat sceptical in regard to the oversized monster cards but having played the game I am actually really glad that the publisher opted for a larger size cards, as it allows the artwork of the beasts to be the star of the show like the shrieking fungus Milhen, spore of Murrga or Rosalind the Wererat. The two main boards used to track in-game resources are made of dual-layered thick cardboard, they are both functional and visually pleasing with the various symbols resembling etched wood décor depicted on the tracks. Even the included die is custom made, with bright white slash markings denoting the face values which makes for a stark contrast to the inky black colour of the die.  

THE SOLO MODE

“Venturing into this darkness was folly and you knew it. You went anyway, the promise of riches and glory seducing you and your companions. A hardened band of adventurers — or so you thought. The collapsed tunnel left you trapped. The monsters were ready, waiting. It was not a battle; it was a massacre. You were wounded, severely enough that your assailants did not bother with a killing blow. They murdered your friends and took your possessions, but they did not kill you. Big mistake.

Teeth clenched, you patch up your wounds as best you can. A desire for revenge is smoldering inside you. There will be a price for the blood they spilled. You will make them pay. You have nothing left to lose as you struggle to free yourself from this cursed place. You stand up — wounded, lost, desperate. Your spirit, however, is unbroken.”

Mae´el the rogue, wounded but unbroken. Photo: Fredrik Schulz

In Unbroken you find yourself as the sole survivor of an expedition party, left for dead in the dimly lit catacombs of the netherworld. Armed with nothing more than your bare, bloodied hands and a thirst for vengeance you set out on a personal quest to avenge your fallen comrades by slaying the monsters that lurk in the shadows. In order to survive this ordeal and claw your way out of the abyss you will need to prepare yourself both physically and spiritually or else run the risk of succumbing to the Dark. At its core, Unbroken is a game about managing resources whilst simultaneously striking a balance between taking calculated risks or throwing caution to the wind. Each of the four rounds is structured as a two-part act, culminating in a potential showdown with one of the beasts that butchered your comrades. I say potential, because the game will occasionally present you with the option of sneaking past the beast, thus avoiding any actual confrontation altogether. But there is no escaping the road that leads up to the skirmish, rather the question becomes how to make the most use of your limited resources in order to turn the tables to your favour.

At the start of the round, depending on which level you are currently at and also as a result of Skill or Condition cards you will have a certain amount of time to spend. This represents your adventurer exploring the catacombs looking for food, resources and also resting in order to regain your strength and willpower. There are two categories of resources you need to manage that intersect with one another through actions performed or card effects. The first is resources like wood or metal which are needed to craft and upgrade better and more powerful weapons. Then there is the more “spiritual” commodity known as Effort which symbolises your character’s fighting spirit, their determination to soldier on through the darkness against these insurmountable odds. In fact, out of all the available commodities to keep literal and figurative track of Effort is by far the most consequential. Crafting the most powerful, awe-inspiring axe the kingdom has ever seen will do you no good if there is no energy left to actually swing it at your opponent.

Weapons can be upgraded to more powerful versions by spending resources and time. Photo: Fredrik Schulz

In order to stand a fighting chance against the monster that awaits at the end of the level you will need to gather and convert resources. One such way is to perform what is known as a General action, these allow you to convert weaker level Effort into fewer but more powerful versions, crafting or upgrading your weapon or converting Effort into Cunning which is a resource used for specific encounters and situations. There is also the option to Scout which allows you to reveal which monster card you will be facing. Although this reconnaissance action costs precious time it is a key component in formulating your strategy for the current round. Some monsters have armour which often require Cunning to penetrate, others are physically vulnerable but are in possession of wildly powerful spells and abilities. Knowing beforehand what you are up against allows you to focus on the specific resources needed and not go about stumbling in the dark aimlessly. The second way which your character will prepare themselves is by having an Encounter. These cards represent opportunities for the lone adventurer to trade for goods, search the catacombs for additional resources or even meditating in order to regain their courage and strength.

In addition of having an inherent time cost associated with the card, each Encounter also presents you with the option of trading one piece of commodity for another. Perhaps a goblin merchant offers you metal needed to craft a knife in exchange for a shiny trinket. Or you discover a deserted campsite, allowing you to rest in the comfort of the warm fire by converting small Effort into a stronger version. If you lack any of the necessary resources needed or if they simply do not suit your current strategy you then have the option of resting which grants you an amount of small Effort equal to the time cost of one out of the drawn Encounter cards. This mechanism of using time as a way to regenerate what essentially acts as your health alleviates the luck of the draw, ensuring that this phase is not a total waste of time no pun intended should the cards turn out to be not in your favour.

The Encounter cards presents the player with opportunities to trade and convert resources at the cost of time. Photo: Fredrik Schulz

Once you feel ready, or if the time runs out as a result of overspending on Encounter cards, you are then faced with the “boss monster” at the end of the level and this is one of the best aspects of Unbroken. There are 24 available beasts to choose from, six for each of the four tiers i.e. levels of the game. Each monster cards depicts the creature’s health and potential armour value, the combat actions it may perform on its turn and also the rewards for slaying the beast. These range from gaining various amount of Effort, resources, time, and also the ability to gain a new Skill card which grants you with ongoing or situational effects. Remember earlier in the review when I mentioned that combat is not always necessary? Nearly every monster in tier I through III has an associated Trickery stat, by paying the indicated resources usually in the form of a combination of Cunning and additional commodities you are than able to sneak by undetected from the beast. The downside to this approach is the fact that you miss out on the juicy end-of-battle rewards printed at the bottom of the monster cards. Other times depending on your current available resources and Effort the stealthy option is more viable, again adding to this delicious choice of risk versus reward that permeates the overall design of Unbroken.

“There are thing that go bump in the night…” Each monster has unique characteristics, making the combat in Unbroken exciting and challenging. Photo: Fredrik Schulz

If you decide to stand your ground and face the monster head on, then the game enters the Combat phase. Every beast differs widely from one another in terms of their strengths, weaknesses and special skills and abilities. For example, the mighty Cave Bear will deliver one final blow after being defeated potentially taking your head off in the process. Or the Dark Elf Kantarina who immediately at the start of combat curses you with the Amnesia card rendering all of your skill cards ineffective throughout the current Combat phase. The fact that every single monster has these characteristics makes combat such an interesting experience, as you are forced to constantly evaluate and reconsider your strategy for surviving depending on what type of beast that awaits at the end of the level. Unfortunately, monsters are not the only enemies on this perilous journey of yours as there is also the risk of starving to death. Each level has an associated, increasing Food Requirement cost that needs to be fulfilled in order to proceed. For every piece of food consumed your character is granted the amount of one small Effort, symbolising regaining strength to continue on their lonely quest. However, if you are unable to meet the food requirements for the current level either as a result of insufficient resources or a deliberate act on your behalf you instead start to lose increasing amount of Effort. For the first piece of food you did not eat one unit of Effort is lost, for the second piece two Effort et cetera. Therefore, it is quite possible to emerge victorious from the actual battle only to succumb to the darkness as your character starves to death. Nobody said Unbroken was an easy game…

This will happen. A lot. Photo: Fredrik Schulz

FINAL THOUGHTS

It is a crying shame that Unbroken is plagued by one of the most shambolic Kickstarter fulfilments in recent memory (do not think for a second that I have forgotten about you Siege of the Citadel), an ongoing story spanning over several years in the making which is being defined by anger and frustration within the board game community. Nowhere is this more apparent than on Board Game Geek, where Unbroken has been review-bombed into the depths of the abyss with its current score of 5.7 at the time of writing this article. And I understand to a certain extent, even though I do not agree, why people are using the scoring system as a way to vent their frustration and disappointment to the Kickstarter project rather than the actual game itself.

Because once you peel away all the layers of drama that surrounds Unbroken, what appears is a really solid piece of solo board game design. After my initial playthrough I thought the game was “fine”, a design that boiled down to milling the card deck and being a bit too dependent on luck. But for each subsequent play more and more of the intricate nuances started to appear, making Unbroken a really interesting and engaging game of risk and resource management.