(Photo credit to Triton Noir, Facebook)
In 2019 the Kickstarter began; the goal was met in one hour and now in 2021, the wait is over and this long-awaited game is here! Triton Noir in cooperation with Ubisoft has brought the experience of the Assassin’s Creed video game to the table. Assassin’s Creed Brotherhood of Venice is a 1-4 cooperative board game where players are Assassins in 16th century Venice Italy and are building their Brotherhood to stave off the machinations of the Templar order. The story is an original campaign that is rich in detail and mystery; as the game unfolds more secrets are revealed in a multi-adventure experience.
There’s not much that can be shown as the campaign is broken into “memories” stored in concealed envelopes; only to be opened when instructed. The basic gameplay is quite simple for such an extensive game. On a player’s turn, they take a number of actions based on their experience level. A turn consists of 4 phases; the event phase, the assassin phase, the enemies phase, and the end of turn phase.
In the event phase, the players turn over an event card and follow the instructions. In the assassin phase, players take actions like moving, fighting, and interacting with items. One very important note, this is not a typical dungeon crawl game, players want to use stealth to defeat their enemies. Assassins use the shadows and distractions such as crowds, smoke, and rooftops to avoid alarming guards to complete their mission. They want to hide bodies to avoid alerting their enemies of their presence as outright confrontation is dangerous and deadly. The assassin’s arsenal of tools is extensive, with the hidden blade as their primary weapon of choice. It provides an instant kill providing the assassin is hidden while performing it. As players increase in skill and abilities, they will become masters of their craft.
After the players have taken their actions, the enemies activate based on some simple AI rules in the game. The end of the round determines if the memory has been synced or continues with another turn.
Much like the video game, there are fast points of travel, rewards for full synchronization (completion of all memory objectives), revealed hidden objects when using eagle vision, and the amazing “leaps of faith” from the towers. The designers did not just throw the elements together, there was purposeful attention to incorporate these mechanics into the gameplay.
Players start the game as an Assassin apprentice, learning how to play in the 4 tutorial missions. Players can read the entire rulebook but the game is designed to teach the game as the story progresses; much like Gloomhaven Jaws of the Lion. Each memory has specific objectives to complete and is detailed in the envelope as well as any additional equipment and rewards.
The production quality is phenomenal; the miniatures are detailed and well made, the cards are high quality. The game is filled with unique original art, even the inserts easily hold all of the components beautifully. This is a labor where details were taken into account and created a fully immersive experience in the world of Assassin’s Creed.
Fans of the franchise may want this even though it is one of the most expensive retail games ($239.00) the product is very well worth it; 3 trays of detailed miniatures, all of the cards, dice, nap tiles, and player boards; everything is included in this giant box that’s even larger than Gloomhaven! Boardgamers who are fans of Assassin’s Creed and gamers who want a dungeon crawl with a twist will find it a rewarding experience.
As a day one backer, it is one of the most detailed beautiful, and exciting games I have supported. and is It is currently available on the Triton Noir website.
Written by Ed Carter
Hi, I’m Lynn, and I Make.
Props, Cosplay, Scale Models, Home Projects, and just about anything else that involves me Making.
A positive podcast about video games. Chris and Ashley go over the video games we love. Updated biweekly.
Chris and Lynn
Evan Conroy
Ron Peterson
Join our Patreon family