Chronicles of Avel - A Solo Review
Image: Rebel Studio
INTRODUCTION
There is a famous line from Antoine de Saint-Exupéry’s beloved novel The Little Prince that always strikes a cord within me every time I read it:
“All grown-ups were once children… but only a few of them remember it”.
Undoubtedly, it is the case that as we grow older and get a better understanding of how the world works we also tend to a certain degree to lose that childlike innocence and perhaps more importantly the power of imagination. But every once in a while, the opportunity to reconnect with one’s inner child presents itself like the spark of a firefly flickering in the summer night. For me, one such instance occurred the instance I removed the box lid of Chronicles of Avel and stared in marvel onto this veritable treasure-trove of daring adventures in a faraway realm. Join me as we venture forth into the kingdom of Avel. After all, don’t you know it’s dangerous to go alone?
Full disclosure: A review copy of Chronicles of Avel along with the expansion Adventurer’s Toolkit was kindly provided by publisher Rebel Studio.
COMPONENTS
If there was any doubt as to whether or not board games should be perceived as works of art, Chronicles of Avel proves that the former notion reigns supreme because my goodness this is an exquisite piece of modern game design when taking component quality and overall aesthetics into consideration. There are plenty of pretty games to be had but Chronicles of Avel manages to combine beauty with functionality, making it a shining example of how to marry the two resulting in a highly enjoyable solo board game experience. Take for example the notion of managing your inventory.
Photo: Fredrik Schulz
Because each player board is dual-layered, each section essentially creates a physical enclosure that can only house a set number of tokens. In the case of how much your hero can carry throughout their journey, this is limited by how well you can arrange the contents of your backpack to fit as many items and coins as possible within the actual physical confinement on your player board. If you are unable to accommodate an item then you have to either forego it entirely or discard another to make space in your satchel of holdings, simple as that and yet these tiny flourishes make for a game that looks and feels way more sophisticated than it has any right to be especially when considering that some might tout Chronicles of Avel as a quote-unquote “kids game” which would be a huge and unfair disservice as far as I am concerned. Similarly, I find the artwork penned by Bartłomiej Kordowski to be aggressively charming, presenting a world filled with wonder painted in bright colours and with an attention to detail. Overall, from an aesthetic point-of-view Chronicles of Avel is nothing short of a triumph that serves to illustrate that board games can and should be perceived as works of art, literally and figuratively.
GAMEPLAY
“Gilead, you must warn the queen! Prepare yourselves, for when the Beast of the Black Moon comes, it’ll immediately begin to march towards the castle! And if the Healing Jewel is destroyed...”
From a solo board gamer’s perspective, Chronicles of Avel is an absolute joy in the sense that there is but a single alteration to the core rules which states that on your turn you get to perform four actions instead of two. Apart from this very minor difference, every single aspect of the multiplayer experience remains intact when playing the game solo which as a side-note is the sort of game design that I tend to gravitate towards when given the choice. As for the actual game, anyone who has ever played a Zelda game will instantly feel right at home with Chronicle of Avel’s premise which features the young protagonist who ventures forth into a magical realm with the intent of slaying the dreaded beast and restoring peace to the kingdom. The game does an admirable job of setting the stage by having a dedicated booklet featuring a surprisingly engaging prologue as well as a bestiary describing the creatures that roam the lands. Again, it’s these touches and flourishes that make Chronicles of Avel such an enticing proposition and one that sparks your imagination and curiosity to explore this game system further.
But I am getting ahead of myself. Throughout thirteen or more rounds, you will be travelling through the realm of Avel by uncovering new areas to explore whilst battling foul creatures and monsters that plague these once peaceful and enchanted locations. By doing so you will be able to not only acquire but also upgrade your equipment and weapons, gather potions that will heal you should you find yourself at the brink of death or provide an additional edge during combat, or set traps and build fortifications to protect the castle which serves as a final bastion of hope. During your turn, you have the option of performing one out of four available main actions. Movement allows you to discover a new location which translates into revealing one of the facedown map tiles and then populating it with monsters should there be lairs present. What’s nice is that even though you enter into enemy territory, the game never enforces combat as you can share a space with a monster without suffering punishing consequences for accidentally stumbling into a lair that you are unprepared for. Another aspect of movement that bears mentioning is that Chronicles of Avel features a surprising amount of variability, as each map configuration is randomly determined in setup by seeding the quote-unquote board facedown. Furthermore, the game comes with a wide selection of different map configurations which alters the difficulty by having the Beast spawn closer or further from the castle. It may not be revolutionary but it nevertheless provides Chronicles of Avel with an injection of variety from game to game.
Photo: Fredrik Schulz
Another key aspect of the gameplay experience is battling monsters and beasts that roam the countryside. Combat is structured around a tier-based dice system, where the colour of a die denotes a particular aspect that is more favoured in terms of the face values. For example, the orange die features more sword symbols making them ideal for aggression whereas the blue die features more shield icons as a defensive weapon of choice. You start the game with two green, basic dice that are always available during combat but they will only get you so far especially when facing the larger monsters that can soak, and deal, a lot more damage than their puny brethren. Fortunately, there are several ways to both acquire and upgrade your weapon and equipment the most dominant strategy being targeting weaker monsters that reward pulling an item token from the loot bag. There are also monsters and even map tiles which grant you the opportunity to flip a token from its basic side to the advanced equivalent, thus granting you a more powerful die or modifier which can potentially turn the tide of battle in your favour when facing fierce opposition. What’s interesting about the combat system in Chronicles of Avel is the way it ties in with managing your inventory. Your hero can only equip a single weapon, shield, or helmet. This becomes a delicious conundrum, as you are forced to decide which “fighting style” to focus on. Do you favour the axe which adds an orange die to your arsenal or how about the sword which allows you to reroll dice during combat? It’s an aspect that provides enough tactical decision space without becoming cumbersome, nothing is stopping you from simply gunning for the weapon or armour that strike your fancy.
Essentially, Chronicles of Avel can be perceived as a racing game where you are trying to gear up, literally and figuratively, to prepare yourself for the inevitable arrival of the dreaded arch-nemesis. Once the round marker reaches the end of what is known as the moon track, a shard from the ominously named Black Moon hits Avel with full force thus bringing forth the arrival of the Beast; a monstrosity of inhuman proportions who has but a single purpose in life and that is to slowly but steadily march towards the castle. Should the Beast, or any of the remaining minions on the board for that matter, manage to breach the castle defences the game is immediately lost. This “doomsday clock” game mechanism creates a real sense of tension, as you are trying to not only level up your hero but also rid the board of monsters as sufficiently as possible or run the risk of the Beast amassing an insurmountable horde of minions to launch an all-out attack on the castle. It is exceptionally tempting to explore every single map tile in the hopes of acquiring just one more potion to cram into your backpack or to amass enough coin to be able to afford a trap that will potentially slow down the rampaging Beast as it lumbers towards the last bastion. But because the game is essentially operating on a timer counting down for each passing round, playing Chronicles of Avel solitaire is an incredibly brisk experience which makes it an ideal alternative for those times you want a solo game fix but maybe lack the mental fortitude for something more complex in terms of rules overhead or playtime.
Photo: Fredrik Schulz
FINAL THOUGHTS
As I reach the end of this review, I find myself in awe at what publisher Rebel Studio has accomplished with Chronicles of Avel. If I had to describe my experience with the game using a single word it would be cathartic, as each piece that constitutes the overall game design comes together in such a satisfying way it is almost difficult to accurately put into words. It’s not that the mechanisms per se are particularly novel, nor is the story even remotely ground-breaking. And yet, solo playing Chronicles of Avel has proven to be some of my most enjoyable and rewarding board game experiences in a long while in no small part due to the stellar production values and how each mechanism interlocks with one another with the precision of a Switzerland made wristwatch. If you are looking for a game to play with children or just want to reconnect with your own inner child, I wholeheartedly recommend taking a closer look at Chronicles of Avel!
