“Challenge of the Amazons” is a team-based strategy game for families and kids age 10+. The game is, of course, based on the popular DC Comics character Wonder Woman.
Overview
Players are tasked with defending Themyscria, an island nation. Participants assume the role of Amazonian leaders banding together against the forces of Ares, Cheeta, and Circe.
The game features a unique mechanic that allows players to take on different roles in battle as they choose from among four distinct strategies. Players can also use special powers to help them overcome their opponents’ defenses.
- Fun play experience – Wonder Woman: Challenge of the s is a cooperative strategy game for families and kids age 10+. Work together with your fellow s to defend your island against the onslaught of Ares, Circe or The Cheetah.
- What you get – Wonder Woman: Challenge of the s comes with 5 miniatures, 60 Hero cards, 5 Hero mats, 1 Sword of Hephaestus, 4 Blessing tokens, 8 Relic cards, 8 Relic tokens, 3 Enemy mats, 3 Enemy movers, 90 Enemy cards, 1 Game board, 10 Reference cards, 2 Tracker tokens, 20 Multiplier tokens, 72 Marker cubes and 1 Rulebook.
- Easy to understand instructions – High quality, easy-to-understand instructions make it easy to start playing right away.
Look and Feel
Designed by Prospero Hall, this game has a colorful art style reminiscent of classic comic book illustrations. The hero miniatures look great and have plenty of detail. They’re easy to handle and move around the playing area. The island board looks nice and comes with a lot of terrain pieces.
Gameplay
Players begin by selecting one of two factions and then choosing one of five available characters of Amazon warriors. The player then selects a villain from the three options, which will impact the gameplay.
First, the antagonist (as controlled by the players) takes their turn, revealing random cards from the villain deck, which are then resolved.
Then, each player must select a hero card from their faction’s deck and place it face down on the table. After all, players have placed their hero cards, the game begins.
As the game progresses, the players reveal more heroes. Each player has to decide whether he or she wants to play a hero who helps the other players defeat the enemy or harms the others. Some heroes are neutral; some may even harm the player if played incorrectly.
By playing cards with the same ability and sharing a location, two people can combine their actions.
“Wonder Woman: Challenge of the Amazons” continues until one of two things occurs. As soon as the island’s health reaches zero, Themyscira is lost, and the heroes fail. If the health of the villain is completely diminished, the team wins.
When you play as Ares, your goal is to destroy all of the enemy’s heroes before they do the same to you. You do so by using your strength points to attack your opponent’s heroes. If you manage to destroy all of your opponent’s heroes, you win!
When you play as Diana, your goal is to protect your allies while defeating the opposing team. To accomplish this, you must place friendly heroes near each other on the battlefield. This will allow them to share their abilities, such as healing or damage reduction.
Pros
This game is a great introduction to cooperative board games for children ages ten and up. It’s very easy to learn how to play but challenging enough to keep the young ones interested. “Challenge of the Amazons” promotes collaboration, resource sharing, and teamwork.
Action-oriented mechanics make it exciting to play. I like that there are multiple ways to win, and the fact that you’re not required to play every round makes it easier to get out of your comfort zone. The fact that relics grant special abilities adds another layer of nuance to the game.
Cons
There were a few minor issues with the game. One was that the rules could be confusing at times. For example, the rulebook states that when you draw a card, you need to put it back into the deck before drawing another card.
However, the rulebook does not specify where the deck should go after you’ve drawn a card. So, sometimes I would put my new card back into the deck, only to realize that I had already drawn a card from the deck. This happened several times during the first couple of rounds.
Another issue was that the board game didn’t come with any dice. The game recommends using standard six-sided dice, but I found that these weren’t necessary since the game doesn’t require any skillful rolling.
I wish there were more villains than just three. However, the game does offer replay value because you get to try out new characters.
Some players may not enjoy “Wonder Woman: Challenge of the Amazons” as much as others who are seeking complex games with strong connections between theme and mechanic.
Verdict
Overall, I would recommend this title to anyone looking for a fun, cooperative experience. “Wonder Woman: Challenge of the Amazons” itself isn’t too difficult, but it’s definitely challenging enough to make for a fun family game night.
