Wonder Woman: Challenge of the Amazon by Ravensburger
Price: ~$35.00
Players: 1 to 4
Playtime: 45-60 minutes
Perfect for: Families and groups who have affinity for the DC heroine and enjoy cooperative strategic movement & action games.
Wonder Woman: Challenge of the Amazons is a game of defending the island nation of Themyscria! Home to greatest female warriors within the DC Comics universe, the land has often been a prize coveted by the most ruthless of villains including Ares, Cheetah, and Circe. As an invasion mounts, players assume the roles of Amazonian leaders banding together using their resources and abilities strategically to ward off the attack and keep the people safe.
To begin Wonder Woman: Challenge of the Amazons one to five players choose their characters and receive a corresponding miniature and game board. A villain is then selected from the three available options, and the option chosen will influence the gameplay. The first round begins with the antagonist (as controlled by the players) taking their turn, which typically means they reveal random cards from the villain deck, which are then resolved. Players, in turn, draw from a communal hero deck with some cards face up to the team, and others hidden. The heroes can then openly discuss a strategy as the abilities on cards may encourage possible plans. For example, some cards give players the ability to move, attack, or call for reinforcements. And if two individuals end up playing cards with the same ability while sharing a location, they can combine the power of their action. Players select three options which are played and activated in a preset order.
Gameplay continues in Wonder Woman: Challenge of the Amazons until one of two things happens. If the health track of the island should ever be reduced to zero, the heroes fail and Themyscira is lost. However, if the villain’s health should be completed diminished, the team wins.
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What works in Wonder Woman: Challenge of the Amazons is the solid cooperative mechanic that necessitates teamwork, resource-sharing, and strategic collaboration. The card selection and action-taking mechanic keeps the proceedings interesting—teams come up with a plan, but then enter a silent phase where they evaluate new options previously not known, and then choose the three cards they are going to play, but without further consultation. This means that even the best-intended strategy may go awry due to a presumed action not being available, or a new option presenting itself that could offer a net positive. Furthermore, Wonder Woman: Challenge of the Amazons offers enough variation on top of this mechanic to keep the proceedings fresh game to game by way of relics that grant special abilities to players, and differing villain tactics depending on the chosen enemy.
Players seeking complex games with strong bonds between theme and mechanic may not enjoy Wonder Woman: Challenge of the Amazons as much as others. While the cooperative angle does indeed facilitate team engagement, and it feels refreshing to have an all-female hero-centric title, the joining of these two elements may not be as aligned as some may hope. Finally, while Wonder Woman: Challenge of the Amazons employs a scalable level of challenge, as players become attuned to the basic strategy against a villain, winning becomes more and more based on luck than skill.
Wonder Woman: Challenge of the Amazons is a good entry-level cooperative title. It certainly works as an introduction to collaboration, and the basics of programming game—ones where players must preplan a few actions given available options. It might not be as heavy for seasoned players, but newcomers will likely enjoy the ride.
Recommended if you like: Horrified, DC Comics Deck-Building Game, Pandemic
Final Grade: B+
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