Golden Bell Studios Unbroken: a Solo Game of Survival and Revenge , Black

This is probably the greatest physical solo game experience I have ever had. This game is easy to learn, complex enough to keep your interest after several playthroughs, highly strategic, and a nail-biter in terms of intensity.If I had to offer any criticism, it would be the way the flavor text is presented. The flavor text adds a lot to this game. Instead of just overcoming an obstacle, you can look back on you adventure with memories such as 'Wow, I pried open a rusty bear trap and fashioned a knife from the spikes!" The issue is, the flavor text on every card is extensive and very small, whereas the mechanics (icons) are very large. This encourages the player to just glance at the icons and draw another card, rather than actually straining to read the interesting text revolving around each situation.Another issue might be the reliance on random chance--no matter how good your strategy is, a few bad card draws can ruin it. I personally don't see this as an issue because just about every game out there has some element of chance, and not knowing what you might find next only adds to your need to manage resources.I like close games where you can't guarantee you're going to win every time, even when you already know how to play really well. This game captures that perfectly. If you're looking to sail through with minimal effort or don't react well to frustration, this game is not for you!Overall, I feel that designing this game specifically FOR one player is what really makes it shine. Too many games out there have 'solo mode' tacked on as a variant, either with rules that don't fit well into that dynamic, or are straight up cop-outs like 'just take all the other player's turns yourself'! You really feel the dismal lonliness in this game, and it adds that much better to the theme.Anyway, good show, I love it. And for those who are wondering, yes, the retail version comes with all the original kickstarter add-ons. I'm told this had something to do with a fiasco in the way the game was distributed that has given people a very negative view of the publisher, but I encourage you not to let this drama prevent you from supporting this game. None of what happened was the developer's fault--at the very least they deserve recognition for the achievement of this game (plus hey, you get all the add-ons).

Altema games has delivered something special with Unbroken.A harsh single-player game of dungeon survival, its mixture of resource management and steep diffculty may romance the many fans of Dark Souls or Darkest Dungeon, two best-selling video game series that I feel draws the closest comparisons. Not many board games come to mind that capture the brand of intense, nail-biting gameplay that draws upon twin feelings of vengeance and hopelessness. Setup is so fast and almost effortless that after a few games, it'll be second nature. It's abstract take on dungeon crawling greatly reduces the randomness seen in many board games, making every player choice more deliberate and defined. Death comes quickly in almost every playthrough, more often through a difficult decision between Encounter cards than the random attack of a monster.Magically, Unbroken makes this experience fun.Incidentally, Unbroken may be the perfect companion game for our current lives in solitude. The unintentional timing of this release couldn't be more perfect. The death of your traveling companions, the struggle for survival, the tinge of despair, all resonate stronger today than when I imagine this game was concetptualized. You are alone, both inside the game and, as Unbroken was designed as a solo adventure, through the metagame. Survive, fight, escape. Fail, rinse, repeat. Every decision is yours and yours alone.Physically, the Unbroken game assets themselves are beautiful, with a few nitpicks. Unboxing it was a treat. Everything is lovingly placed inside the small box. Under the well-made rules manual, there was something I hadn't expected: a two-sided poster that I don't remember seeing mentioned in other reviews. One side has a collection of the heroes and "boss" monsters from the game. The other is a detailed hand-drawn dungeon map, with notations from whatever unfortunate soul trapped therein. It is a welcome touch.The lush, dark artwork is presented on fairly thin cardstock; I would have liked to see them thicker, but we'll see how they hold up to the many games I plan to play through. The small Altema fox token is a personal favorite, as is the felt Unbroken drawstring bag included to hold the pieces in. After a few games, however, I found myself not needing the flowchat that the fox token was included for, so he now remains inside the asset bag, sadly alone and unseen. The double "display" boards (a Kickstarter stretch goal) use wooden sliders and are cleverly implmented, although my boards had a fair bit of flash around the edges and in the tracks that had to be trimmed out. Nothing major to complain about, mind you, but simply things to be aware of.Also tucked away is an achievement sheet, something else I haven't heard about. A quick look tells me that I'll be in the dungeon for quite some time if I plan to tick off all of the boxes. Some are much easier than others, and it gives Unbroken more goals outside of simple escape. The included score sheet pad also teases victory, if you can survive; you made it out, but how much better, how much more efficiently can you do it next time?In the end, I recommend Unbroken for fans of horror games, solo play, and difficult games in general, in any medium. It's fun in a way few games are, and for many unique reasons. I haven't won a game yet, through many playthroughs, but I know that when I do, that vicroty will be glorious.

Husband really enjoyed

This game should not be this good or fun. Too be honest with you I didn’t think while buying this game I was going to enjoy it this much! If you are looking for a single player sit down for 30 min and play a quick battle game this is seriously it.It’s quick and easy to set up and you can get to playing in 5 min if that. Go through build the character you choose to play as up with different weapons maybe get luck and get some armor and work you way into battling the end level boss before pushing forward.Seriously if you want a good sit down and have some fun card game this is it. Do yourself a favor and spend the 30 bucks or whatever it is. You will get your money back the first night of game play.