It's time once again to put down the controller and move to the dining room for some Tabletop Co-Op. This month, we're donning our tights and capes for some card slinging fun. Grab some super friends and form the ultimate team to take on the opponents of truth, justice, and the American way. Unless you're Canadian, or Japanese, or.. well, maybe everyone should just fight for truth and justice. Sling some cards, co-op style, in Sentinels of the Multiverse.
Sentinels of the Multiverse was published last year by Greater Than Games, and is that company's first product. It combines several things I very much enjoy: co-op, superheroes, and card games. If there were ever a game that was designed just for me, Sentinels of the Multiverse would be it. (At least, until that Transformers/Skylanders hybrid comes to fruition.) The game is easy to understand, oozes with four-color flavor, and gives players a tremendous feeling of teamwork in the face of unbeatable odds.
The rulebook is surprisingly thin, presenting the basics of gameplay, including setup, turn order, and a very useful glossary. A good chunk of the pagecount is dedicated to background information on the heroes, which are all original. The characters are familiar yet unique, and include the defensive powerhouse Legacy, battle-armored Bunker, speedster Tachyon, and the playgirl-by-day, heroine-by-night known as the Wraith. Ten different heroes are available, each with their own character card and hero deck for players to use.
Player turns are quite simple, and move quickly. You begin with a hand of cards, and can play one to begin your hero's turn. Some of these cards have an immediate effect, others are ongoing and remain in play. Second, your hero can use one power; the default hero card has one power, while other cards you put in play might offer you more options. Finally, you draw a card, then play passes to the next hero. These short turns keep the pace going along at a good clip, which is appropriate for a comic book battle.