Overview

Released: 2021

Designer: Cole Wehrle

Version Publisher: Leder Games

Oath is a 1-6 player game (3-5 on BGG) where players fight for and against the current regime in a landscape that changes based on player decisions. Not quite legacy, decisions in Oath lead to changes in the next game and potentially many future games, but no components are destroyed or permanently altered and can therefore be reset back to the base game at any time. Do players like the direction of the kingdom or will they usurp the current leadership and build something new?

My Thoughts

Oath is a lifestyle game. As a single play game, Oath is.... good. I definitely had an enjoyable time playing and if this was the only time I was going to play, it probably still would sit as a "good" experience.

But that isn't the point of Oath. The point is to play again, then again, then again. To continue playing and see what the next game brings to the kingdom. In our playthrough, we realized that one player was likely to be able to win and we might not be able to stop then. From that point in the game until the actual end, players were more concerned with how they could favorably shape the kingdom for future sessions.

If you like the sound of thinking not just turns ahead but literal games ahead about how your decisions will shape future games, you should try Oath.


Hits and Misses

+ The idea behind each turn was relatively simple: "gain resources", "conquer territory", or "set a plan in motion". In practice though, turns were always dynamic and even one thing out of balance could create a number of interesting decisions.

+ Sometimes you get knocked out of contention for the win and aren't likely to declare victory this session, yet are still interested in shaping the kingdom which should keep players engaged.