Game: Anathema

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ackmondual — 2008-05-29T03:07:18+00:00

factory fresh with card decks still sealed

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ackmondual — 2008-05-29T02:34:06+00:00

scan of sides of box

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ackmondual — 2008-05-29T02:13:39+00:00

box back. This one has a UPC bar code

Thread: Re: Some Ambiguities

sbszine — 2008-04-30T08:08:10+00:00

Aldaron wrote:
And another:

(5) Can a card taken with "Swap" be part of a build? If so, what happens to the build (is it dismantled, reduced) and are there restrictions on where the replacement card can go? I assume cards in builds cannot be swapped.
We play that swapping a build is okay, providing the swapper can capture the resulting build with a card in hand. Same as starting or adding to a build.

Thread: Re: Taking a classic card game and adding a theme

dlowle — 2008-03-14T00:28:19+00:00

stormseeker75 wrote:
There have been more than a few posts here on the Geek saying that the artwork is either offensive, disturbing, or otherwise unacceptable.

I'd wager that those finding this artwork offensive and disturbing would, in another age, be bringing kindling to the events depicted.

Thread: Re: Taking a classic card game and adding a theme

stormseeker75 — 2008-03-12T20:10:53+00:00

Oh really? Thats entirely possible. My dad taught me back in the day, so I very well may have forgot that rule.

Thread: Re: Taking a classic card game and adding a theme

tempus42 — 2008-03-12T19:42:44+00:00

Nice review, thanks. I'm a fan of Casino too, but I was only taught how to play relatively recently as an adult. Just as a point of interest, the version of Casino that my friend taught me (with a regular deck of cards) *did* count 1 point for a sweep, just like Anathema apparently does. So sweeps are a standard part of at least some versions of Casino....

Thread: Taking a classic card game and adding a theme

stormseeker75 — 2008-03-12T16:56:48+00:00

I grew up playing Casino with my father. He played with his mother when he was young so the tradition got passed down through the family. I can vividly remember sitting at the kitchen table on hot summer nights playing cards with the old man, learning the subtle strategies, and generally getting wrecked every time. When I first saw Anathema, I thought it looked perfect. Its basically the same game, but they've added a couple twists. This sounded great as I'd recently taught my fiance how to play Casino, so naturally I acquired a copy. But did I end up with the game I was hoping for, or just a hollow representation of a childhood memory?

Rules

If you're familiar with the rules of Casino, you'll already know how to play Anathema. For those of you unfamiliar with Casino, you can read the rules here.

Anathema makes some changes to Casino because it uses its own deck instead of relying on a standard deck of playing cards. Like the Casino, there are 4 suits, but the suits have changed and are now symbols. Spades is the key suit for scoring in Casino but it has been changed to Familiars which is a picture of a cat. Additionally, there are no face cards or aces as the suits go from 1 to 13.

Anathema also adds a new type of scoring called "sweeps". When players take cards, they put them face down in a pile. If a player clears the table, he puts the captured cards face down and the capturing card face up. At the end of the round, players score points for each sweep they've made.

Components

When you first look at the box for Anathema, you think "They can't possibly fit 52 cards AND a rulebook in there!". But they can, and they have.

The rulebook is layed out really well. If you've never played Casino before, you'll have no problem picking it up from the rulebook. While there are no diagrams or illustrations, the wording is excellent at describing how everything should go.

I really hate boxes that have cards side by side, especially when the box opens on the end instead of being a 2-part box. Anathema opens on the end with side by side cards, and therefore I hate the box. I really hate it.

The cards are the only real game component here. Unfortunately, APE missed the boat because the cards are too thin. These cards are significantly thinner than standard playing cards and they feel a bit flimsy. They have an eggshell coating, but the stock is so thin that I don't think the coating will do much to protect the cards from damage. I don't see these cards holding up real well, especially compared to normal playing cards.

There have been more than a few posts here on the Geek saying that the artwork is either offensive, disturbing, or otherwise unacceptable.

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In these few examples, the only thing about the artwork I can see that anyone may interpret as disturbing or offensive is the wolf that appears to have a lot of blood around it. I suppose some overly sensitive folks may feel the picture of people dancing around a fire evokes Satanic thoughts as well. Compared to a lot of other games, Anathema is G rated. There's nothing here thats offensive. I actually really like most of the work because I really enjoy Drew Tucker's watercolors. The flavor text is also terrific because its actually taken from historical documents relating to the Salem Witch Trials. If nothing else, this game serves as a history lesson on a dark period in the early history of this country.

Gameplay

Again, anyone thats played Casino will have no problem playing Anathema. The gameplay is almost identical. For those of you that don't know Casino, both it and Anathema are fishing games. What this means is that there is a pool of cards on the table. Players attempt to capture these cards by playing cards from their hand. For example, an 8 can capture any 8s on the table. An 8 can also capture any cards that add up to 8 such as a 5 and a 3. Players try to capture as many cards as possible and at the end of the round, they score points for the most cards captured and the most Familiars(spades). There are also several other cards that are worth points on their own, thus making them more valuable to capture. Play continues until one player scores 21 points

If you're playing the Basic Game of Anathema, the only difference will be the point cards and the face cards. Instead of having Aces, Anathema uses its 1 cards the same way by putting a large "1" in the text area. This signifies that these cards are worth 1 point, just like the aces in a normal deck of Casino. Also, the 2 of Spades has been changed to the 2 of Familiars and branded with the same "1". The 10 of Diamonds is now just a 10 card with a value of "2" in the text area.

One of the biggest differences between the 2 games is the absence of face cards from Anathema. This is great because it really frees up gameplay. In Casino, face cards can only take other face cards. This is very limiting because you can often get stuck with face cards that are useless. Since Anathema uses cards that go up to 13 instead, this allows a lot more flexibility. You will be able to take more cards thanks to the increased numbers. If successfully use the 12 or 13 cards, you'll frequently end up getting sweeps which also add to your points at the end of the round. I'm a really big fan of this change and I think its one of the key reasons that Anathema is an improvement over Casino.

In addition to different cards, Anathema also introduces special abilities. Certain cards have information in their text area that indicates what happens. For instance, a card might say "7 Familiar: Peek". This means if you take the 7 Familiar card with this one, you get to Peek at your opponents hand. In addition to Peek, the other abilities are Steal and Swap. This new rule set makes the game a bit more intersting by rewarding players for creatively using their cards to capture others.

The Steal ability makes the game intersting because it can really mess up card counting. Since the ability is done randomly, players don't have any control over what is taken, but its never a bad thing to take cards from your opponent. You never know when that one card can make a lot of difference.

Peek is interesting because it gives you exact knowledge of what's in your opponent's hand. This information is invaluable because you will knwo exactly what your opponents can capture, so you can work around what they have in their hand. Unfortunately, each hand only starts with 4 cards, so this ability loses power very quickly. If you don't hit it on the first card, its not nearly as useful as the Steal ability.

Swap is really interesting, but like Peek, its only really valuable at the beginning of the hand. If you can swap cards, you will have more control over what you can capture. This advantage can be completely negated by your opponent's hand, but its still a nice ability.

Gameplay goes pretty fast because while you usually have some options, there won't be an overwhelming amount of choice. You pretty much need to react to whats going at the current time so you can't do a whole lot of planning either.

Theme

I applaud APE for trying to attach a theme to this classic card game, but its completely unneccessary. The cards end up looking more like a Collector's Edition set of playing cards than anything. The theme has nothing at all to do with the game, so if you're expecting some corellation, look elsewhere. I love the art and the flavor text, but its an odd combination to say the least.

Compare it to...

Casino. If you've read this far, you should know by now.

Overall

If you're a fan of Casino, and you want something to spice it up just a bit, I highly recommend you try out Anathema. The gameplay is different enough to make it a different game, yet it will feel familiar enough that you should have no problem picking it up. You can get Anathema for about $7.00 which makes it a bit more expensive than a good deck of cards, but the price is worth it if you like this kind of game.

I rate Anathema a 6/10. While I have great memories of Casino, I don't like it enough to play it very often. I don't find the choices to be good enough to warrant a lot of play, but its fun so I like it on occassion. I would rank Anathema lower, but it gets points for its brilliant artwork and presentation. While the marriage of theme and gameplay is non-existant, I still like the way its layed out.

Overall, I'd say that you can do a lot worse if you're looking for a filler game. Anathema takes a proven card game and gives it a unique twist with some updated rules and a very unique presentation. If you want a game that has quick gameplay and great visual appeal, then Anathema is a great choice.

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potza4 — 2007-12-20T09:46:03+00:00

Anathema card examples

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potza4 — 2007-12-20T09:45:22+00:00

Anathema front of box

Thread: Re: User Review

sevorges — 2007-11-07T02:41:06+00:00

I agree the theme is unsuited to this game. It is a simple card game with a them that doesn't graft with a numbers game. I actually bought the game for the artwork as the artist "Drew Tucker" created my favourite images on Magic cards. I can't help but feel this game was "created" (plaguarised?) merely as a vehicle for the art without any real thought on suitablilty. The art style reminds me of Lunch Money but LM is a take that game with some nastiness which makes the theme perfect. The art in Anathema would be far better suited to that style of game. A similar game with a not too disimilar theme is Frog Juice but as it is more childish it works perfectly.

Thread: Re: Some Ambiguities

Aldaron — 2007-06-26T21:15:15+00:00

And another:

(5) Can a card taken with "Swap" be part of a build? If so, what happens to the build (is it dismantled, reduced) and are there restrictions on where the replacement card can go? I assume cards in builds cannot be swapped.

Thread: Some Ambiguities

Aldaron — 2007-06-21T14:39:36+00:00

Do I have this right:

(1) If play returns to a player who built on his previous turn, the only restriction on his play is that he can't trail. He could add to the build, start another build, or capture (anything). That's how I read the rules, and is how Casino is played, but all the other posts here have it otherwise*.

(2) The dealer never changes.

(3) Builds can only be captured with a card of their specified rank. There are no additional restrictions on capturing builds. I.e, when you capture a build, you can capture other cards on the table as usual, but you cannot combine cards with the build to change its rank.

(4) When you convert a single build to a multiple build the new build's rank must he at least as great as the value of the single build. (The rules show this in an example, and then state that it must be strictly greater).

* They say the player must capture the build: http://www.boardgamegeek.com/article/1565515#1565515

Thread: Re: Session Report

Aldaron — 2007-06-21T03:52:09+00:00

gschloesser wrote:
If play returns to him and no other player has played a card matching the value of the build, this player MUST play that card and capture the cards in the build.
Is that true? It looks to me like the rules just say he can't trail — and that's how Casino is played.

Thread: Anathema: Game Review

gschloesser — 2006-08-17T21:04:31+00:00

Designed by: Ray Mulford & Kevin Brusky
Released by: APE Games
2 - 4 Players, 30 - 45 minutes
Review by: Greg J. Schloesser

About one and one-half years ago, I had the pleasure of play-testing this Ray Mulford / Kevin Brusky design. At the time, since the game was still in the developmental stages, I couldn?t say much about the game or the experience. Now, however, the game has been released, and I had the opportunity to play it in its finished state.

Anathema is based heavily on the traditional card game Casino (sometimes spelled "Cassino"); in fact, it is almost entirely derived from it. Strangely, another game released last year -- Eye of Horus from Playroom Games -- is also based on the same game. Up until the release of these games, though, I had never even heard of Casino.

This does bring up a subject that is being debated on various gaming discussion forums; i.e., producing games that are essentially derivatives of public domain games. I personally have no problems with this, but would prefer that this is clearly specified on the box and advertising literature. If a re-themed public domain game can reach a wider audience, then I think this is commendable.

Back to the game. Anathema uses a theme based on the chaos and paranoia that surrounded the witch trials of 17th century Salem, Massachusetts. Anathema is comprised of a 52-deck of playing cards. Like a regular deck of cards, there are four suits, each containing values of 1 - 13. Instead of the traditional club, spades, hearts and diamonds, the suits are in keeping with the theme: spells, witches, villages and familiars.

Each card depicts disturbing, yet interesting artwork, evoking the eeriness of this troubled period. In addition to the value and suit, there is also flavor text on each card. This text is lifted directly from actual court records and historical notes. Although having no bearing on game play, the text is interesting to read. Other cards have victory point values of '1 or '2' listed on them, while others have special powers, which are indicated by various symbols. These are only used in the advanced game.

Much of the description that follows was lifted from my full review of Eye of Horus. The games are very, very similar, so there was no use "reinventing the wheel", so to speak. Of course, I've altered it to note the differences and to compare the two games.

To begin the game, each player is dealt four cards, with four more cards dealt face-up to the table. The remainder of the deck is set aside, but will be used in subsequent hands until it is depleted.

Game play is quite simple. On a player's turn, he MUST play one (and ONLY one) card from his hand. The idea is to match a card that is face-up in the pool, or play a numerical card whose value is equal to the sum of the values of several (or all) of the cards in the pool. For example, if you play an "8" and the cards in the pool are a 2, 4, 6 and 9, you can capture the 6 and the 2 (6 + 2 = 8). You take the captured card(s) and the card you played and set them aside in a stack in front of you. Some of these cards will score points at the end of a complete hand of play.

If you play a card that matches either a single card or the sum of several cards, you can take both the single card AND the multiple cards. This makes the play of a high-valued card very valuable in capturing several low-valued cards.

If a player cannot capture any cards, the card he played is simply added to the cards on the table.

Another option a player has on his turn is to begin a "build". A card may be played onto one or more of the cards already on the table. The cumulative total of these cards is announced. In order to perform this move, the player MUST have a card in his hand that will match the value of this build. If play returns to him and no other player has played a card matching the value of the build, this player MUST play that card and capture the cards in the build. Of course, all other players also have the opportunity to play a matching card and capture the build before the player who originated the build has the chance to do so. Further, they can also add a card to the build, thereby changing its value. Thus, while offering a modicum of strategy to a game otherwise dominated by luck, it is also fraught with risk.

When playing a card that captures ALL of the cards on the table, leaving it empty, the player will score a 1-point bonus in addition to any points the cards may individually score at the conclusion of the round. This is known as a "sweep". Thus, one must be very careful when taking cards if it leaves only one card remaining on the table, as this increases the chances that the next player will possess a card that allows him to clear the table.

Play continues with each player playing one card until all players have depleted their hand of four cards. Four new cards are then dealt to each player, but no new cards are dealt to the table. This entire process continues until the deck of cards is depleted. On the final round of a hand, any cards remaining on the table after all players have depleted their hand of cards are awarded to the last player to have captured a card or cards from the table.

At that point, players inspect the stack of cards they captured during the hand and tally their scores. The player with the most cards scores 3 points. The rules are silent as to how the points are distributed if more than one player ties for the most cards. Since the rules indicated that the player with the "most" cards receives these points, we ruled that if two or more players tie for the most cards, then, technically, no ONE player has the most cards, so no one earns these points.

Players then earn points as follows:

Player with the most familiar cards: 1 point

Each "sweep": 1 point

Each other card with points: 1 or 2 points, as indicated on the cards

If no one player has scored 21 points, the cards are shuffled and re-dealt, with further rounds being played until someone reaches or exceeds the point limit and achieves victory.

The advanced game introduces capture rewards and multiple builds. As mentioned, several cards have special powers associated with them. When these cards are used to capture the specific card listed upon it, the player will be granted the power to swap, peek or steal. Peeking allows the player to look at the cards held by another player. Swapping allows the player to randomly take a card from an opponent?s hand, replacing it with one of his own cards. Stealing is the most powerful, allowing the player to randomly take a card from the opponent?s capture pile. None of these powers is truly strong, however, and the odds of being able to capture the required card seems to be very small. Truthfully, this just doesn't add much to the game and is actually more cumbersome than useful.

Multiple builds toss in a bit of mathematics. Builds may be formed which are based on a particular value. The build must then consist of cards of that value, and/or a combination of cards which add to that value. This offers another possibility, but it more difficult to form than regular builds without a corresponding decrease in danger.

With only four cards in your hand to begin a round, one's options are limited and grow more limited as the number of cards you hold decrease with each play. The objective is clear: grab scoring cards when you can and try to grab the most cards so you can earn the 3-point bonus. Try to not leave just one card on the table, as this will provide a good opportunity for the next player to match it and sweep the table. Likewise, leaving two or three cards that can total to ten or less is also a danger as the next player could manage to claim them all with just one high-valued card. Builds provide some options, but also carry the risk of having those cards scooped by an opponent before you have the opportunity to grab them.

So how does the game compare with its sister, Eye of Horus? Anathema did maintain Casino's "build" mechanism. This does add some more strategy to an otherwise luck-driven game. That's a plus. However, the scoring is much more restrictive here than in Eye of Horus. In Horus, cards in three of the thirteen suits, plus two additional cards, earn points when captured. Only one suit earns points, with six other individual cards granting 1 or 2 points. Further, points are earned in larger quantities in Eye of Horus, with 30 point being earned for having the most cards and 10 points for each sweep. Even though the game is played to a higher total (121 points), the large amount of points earned means that a typical game will play to completion in 2 or 3 turns. The meager amount of points earned in a typical Anathema hand means that a game will usually last 5 or more turns. That?s just a bit too long. We opt to play 4 hands in a game of Anathema as opposed to playing to 21 points.

My view of the game is very similar to that which I stated in my Eye of Horus review. The strategy pool here is not very deep. Still, the game is entertaining and reasonably fun to play. Certainly it is light, airy (perhaps even "fluff") and heavily dependent upon luck, but I don't mind that if the game itself doesn't pretend to be something more than it is and it is fun to play. I don't think this would be one you would pull out as an entree with a group of hard-core gamers, but as a late night filler or in a family environment, it could well likely be a pleasant diversion. There is a potential problem with Anathema in the family environment, however, and that is the choice of theme and artwork on the cards. Although the theme of the Salem witch trials might be inappropriate for young children, it is the artwork that concerns me more. Some of it is disturbing, with a blurry, "Blair Witch Project" feel. It is a bit too graphic for younger audiences. Thus, the environment in which the game should have the most appeal -- the family -- might not be appropriate due to the choice of theme and artwork. I must admit that these artistic choices for what is a light game leaves me perplexed.

Thread: Re: Quick Comments

Prestonisnormal — 2005-05-05T04:01:37+00:00

No, we shouldn't dismiss them because most of them advertise themselves as a rummy game. Fair enough. Anathema does nothing of the sort. You think your getting a clever Witch theme game.

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drasher25 — 2004-10-15T14:15:55+00:00

Thread: Re:User Review

queenofcards — 2004-08-07T18:23:55+00:00

TomVasel (#33032), This is Joan Wendland from Blood & Cardstock Games. I have a copy of Anathema and I'd just like to say your review seems to be dead on. I can tune the graphics out but my husband is so disturbed by them he's talking about printing a house copy onto plaincards so we can play without seeing them. He loves the game play but can't stand the imagery. He felt a little wussy about it but I was able to quote your review to him and make him feel better that others responded the same way. Keep up the good work - Joan

Thread: User Review

TomVasel — 2004-04-14T15:58:45+00:00

When I was younger, I read up a bit on the Salem witch trials, and was profoundly affected by the stories. I had a hard time believing that such events actually happened, as they seemed too fantastic. And this fascination has carried through, and I find a certain amount of interest in this theme. I never really thought that it would make a good game theme, except maybe a role-playing type horror game, so I was rather interested when I heard of Anathema (Advance Primate Entertainment, 2003 – Kevin Brusky with Ray Mulford), a card game featuring the trials in Salem. “Anathema” is often a word I hurl at opponents in various games, but is it itself a good game?

Anathema is a strange bird, indeed. The mechanics of the card game are pretty good, and I can see them appealing very much to those who like traditional card games. And despite a few component irritants, I think APE games has succeeded on this level, except one major flaw – and that is the theme, and more specifically – the artwork. The theme has nothing to do with the game, nothing new to card games of this sort – as they rarely lend themselves to themes. Yet very few people who are attracted by the theme and the artwork will like the game play, and most people who are big fans of traditional card games will be daunted or repulsed by the same. I liked the game, but really don’t know how often I’ll pull it out, as there will usually be somebody in the group who will either not like the theme, or not like the mechanics. It’s an unhappy union.

Anathema has a basic and advanced game, and I’ll start by explaining some of the mechanics of the former. A deck of fifty-two cards, consisting of four suits (spell, witch, village, and familiar) – each numbered 1 through 13, is shuffled. Five of the cards (the 1 spell, 1 witch, 1 village, 1 familiar, and the 2 village) have point values of “1”, while the thirteen of witches has a point value of “2”. One player is chosen as the dealer (last person to curse) and deals four cards to each player and four face-up in the middle of the table, two at a time. The player to the left of the dealer goes first, and then play continues clockwise around the table.

On a turn, a player has three different options. First of all, they can “capture” one or more of the face-up cards. They do this by playing a card from their hand that equals the value of a card on the table, or sum of cards. For example, an “8” can be played to capture a face-up “8”, or a “6” and a “2”, or (if possible), all three! If the cards captured are the last cards currently face-up on the table, the capturing is considered a “sweep”. All cards captured and played are placed in a face-down “capture” pile in front of the player. If a sweep occurred, the player places one card face-up to denote this fact.

A player can also make a “build”. They can do this by putting a card from their hand face-up with another card(s) on the table, adding to the total worth of the cards. A player can only do this, however, if they have another card in their hand that can capture the build. If a player can’t build or capture (or doesn’t want to), their third option is to “trail” a card. This means basically putting another card in play face-up on the table. One cannot trail a card if a “build” they formed on a previous turn is still on the table – they must add to it or capture it.

When the players have played all their cards, four more cards are dealt to each player, and play continues until all the cards in the deck have been played. At this point, players total their scores. Every card they have captured with a point value is added up, along with one point for every sweep they took. The player with the most cards gets three points, and the player with the most cards from the Familiar suit gets one point. The points are added up, and if any player has twenty-one or more points (and the most), they win the game. Otherwise, the cards are shuffled, and another round occurs.

The advanced rules add some changes to the game. They included multiple builds (which are a little more complicated), and capture rewards. Several cards have another number and suit on them with a reward listed. If that card captures the specific card listed on it, the player can follow through with the award, which is either a steal (taking a card at random from another player’s capture pile), a swap (switching a card from his hand with one on the table), or a peek (looking at another player’s hand). The advanced rules also provide for partner play.

Some comments on the game…

1.) Components: First of all, I want to say that the card quality is exceptional – especially considering how small of a company APE Games is. The cards are easy to distinguish, and the different abilities and text on the cards are not hard to read. My minor quibbles are these: the familiar suit, which is more important than the others, really isn’t distinguishable, and it takes several games to remember which it is. Secondly, and much more annoying to me is the box. The box is a flat box, which allows for bigger artwork, I guess, but requires cutting the deck in half, and sliding each half in the box with the rulebook on top. This is a real pain – and I wish that they had followed the design of the much nicer box for Big Top (their other card game).

2.) Artwork: I wasn’t sure how the mechanics would fit the theme (and they don’t), but how the artwork fits in with the theme is anyone’s guess. Some may find the artwork fascinating; I find it rather disturbing. All the people look quite grotesque, there are strangely weird symbols, blood, nudity, werewolves, etc. I don’t quite remember the Salem witch trials being quite like that, even in the wilder incarnations. The artwork is most certainly not for children, and will probably offend many adults. Now, I know that this artwork is quite common in horror RPGs and like games, but for a family card game, this seems quite unusual. None of those to whom I showed the game showed any great affinity to the game, and one player refused to ever play it again – based on artwork alone.

3.) Rules: The rules are written quite well. There are many, many examples – and thanks to these examples, I was easily able to learn the game. Because the game uses four new suits, and has a lot of unnecessary text on the cards, it does take a little to learn. The rules recommend playing one basic game before trying the advanced, and I agree whole-heartedly. The game isn’t that hard, but it’s not quite intuitive.

4.) Casino: Apparently the game is a reworking of a public-domain game Casino, one of which I’ve never played. Because of this, however, I feel quite confident that those who enjoy traditional card games will like this one a lot – as it is fairly good, unless they don’t like the theme/artwork.

5.) Strategy: I was very impressed by the decisions I had each turn. Should I add to a build, making it rather profitable for me, but taking the chance that another player might scoop it up? Should I capture a card, knowing that it only leaves one card on the table, making a sweep easier for the next player? Which cards should I capture when? People who can count cards will do much better, as they will know which cards have been played, etc. Because it’s not your traditional deck, however, it does take a little longer to get into the swing of things.

6.) Fun Factor: The theme really didn’t make the game fun, but the mechanics were quite interesting – and I enjoyed them a lot! In fact, if the theme was different (or at least the artwork), I think that this would become one of my favorite games.

So as to whether or not I recommend the game that would depend on you. If you don’t like horror or dark, foreboding artwork, then this game is certainly not for you. If you don’t like traditional card games, then again, this is not the romp into Gothic horror that you may be seeking. If, however, you are a cross between the two, and like both horror and traditional card games, then this may be a great game for you. The game is very, very fun, and re-themed, would be a fantastic family game. As it stands now, however, it will just be an interesting game that I pull out only on rare occasions with certain people.

Tom Vasel

Thread: Short review

msaari — 2004-03-23T14:53:01+00:00

Anathema is interesting game for me, mostly because of it's art. Drew Tucker is one of my favourite artists and Anathema offers a deck full of his art! What a catch! The game is actually less interesting. It's a very slightly changed version of traditional card game Casino. The game's a bit luck-heavy, but makes for good light-weight entertainment. Anathema is at it's best when played with just two players. Played that way it's actually quite good. With more players, it's less interesting.

Whether or not someone should buy it, depends on several issues. After all, it's just a standard deck of cards with new (absolutely gorgeous) art and some game-specific information. You could well play Casino with a standard deck of cards. The experience won't be the same, but the game is just as good.

Then again, if you haven't heard of Casino before, it's certainly worth checking out. At least I've found I play commercial card games much more than standard deck cards - having a specific deck makes me consider the games more often. If you are different and actually play lots of standard deck games, Anathema won't be a good choice for you.

Last, if you're a Drew Tucker fan, you should already own the game.

Thread: Re:Quick Comments

disclamer — 2004-01-29T17:03:35+00:00

Prestonisnormal (#26583),

Maybe we should also dismiss the hundreds of games which are just Rummy with different pictures.

Thread: Re:Quick Comments

mlvanbie — 2004-01-28T22:01:14+00:00

Prestonisnormal (#26583),

There are a fair number of card games in the database. In some cases they are themed versions of well-known games (The Great Dalmutti, for example). Having games in the database just means that there are reviews and session reports that tell you that this game is just a Casino variant. The game description is also quite clear.

Is it an improvement tweak a game that could have been played with a regular deck so that it requires five or six suits? With one Sticheln or Rage deck you can play most games that require special decks.

In this case the special deck may be useful as it has symbols to identify special rules for the advanced game that irregular players of Casino Caliente would forget.

Eye of Horus is also a version of Casino.

Thread: Re:Quick Comments

tempus42 — 2004-01-28T19:43:37+00:00

Prestonisnormal (#26583),
I don't see any problem with including this game in the database, but I think I have to agree with your disappointment. I put Anathema on my want list back when it was first announced because of the art and the theme. In the early announcements, there was no mention at all that the game was just a variant of Casino. Now, I really enjoy playing Casino; it's one of my favorite 2-player card games. But when I picked up the game in the store and saw that that's all it was, I put it back down without buying it. And it's *very* rare that I ever take a game *off* my want list. Clearly it's a beautiful deck of cards, but I don't need to spend money to play Casino with a tacked-on theme. I was really wishing for an original game.

On another subject, does anyone know what the attraction is between Casino and witches? I believe the game Frog Juice (also with a witch theme) is very, very similar to Casino as well. Interesting...

Thread: Quick Comments

Prestonisnormal — 2004-01-28T19:10:57+00:00

Other then the artwork, why is this even considered on gaming sites. It is nothing more then a deck of cards with nice paintings. should we review all 52 Card decks with nice art. I was SO diassapointed that I wasted ten bucks on this game, excuse me, cards.

Thread: Session Report

gschloesser — 2004-01-28T19:09:30+00:00

About one and one-half years ago, I had the pleasure of play-testing this Ray Mulford / Kevin Brusky design. At the time, since the game was still in the developmental stages, I couldn’t say much about the game or the experience. Now, however, the game has been released, and I had the opportunity to play it in its finished state.

Anathema is based heavily on the traditional card game Casino (sometimes spelled “Cassino”) … in fact, it is almost entirely derived from it. Strangely, another game released last year – Eye of Horus from Playroom Games -- is also based on the same game. Up until the release of these games, though, I had never even heard of Casino.

This does bring up a subject that is being debated on various gaming discussion forums; i.e., producing games that are essentially derivatives of public domain games. I personally have no problems with this, but would prefer that this is clearly specified on the box and advertising literature. If a re-themed public domain game can reach a wider audience, then I think this is commendable.

Back to the game. Anathema uses a theme based on the chaos and paranoia that surrounded the witch trials of 17th century Salem, Massachusetts. Anathema is comprised of a 52-deck of playing cards. Like a regular deck of cards, there are four suits, each containing values of 1 – 13. Instead of the traditional club, spades, hearts and diamonds, the suits are in keeping with the theme: spells, witches, villages and familiars.

Each card depicts disturbing, yet interesting artwork, evoking the eeriness of this troubled period. In addition to the value and suit, there is also “flavor” text on each card. This text is lifted directly from actual court records and historical notes. Although having no bearing on game play, the text is interesting to read. Other cards have victory point values of ‘1’ or ‘2’ listed on them, while others have special powers, which are indicated by various symbols. These are only used in the “advanced” game.

Much of the description that follows was lifted from my full review of Eye of Horus. The games are very, very similar, so there was no use “reinventing the wheel”, so to speak. Of course, I’ve altered it to note the differences and to compare the two games.

To begin the game, each player is dealt four cards, with four more cards dealt face-up to the table. The remainder of the deck is set aside, but will be used in subsequent hands until it is depleted.

Game play is quite simple. On a player’s turn, he MUST play one (and ONLY one) card from his hand. The idea is to match a card that is face-up in the pool, or play a numerical card whose value is equal to the sum of the values of several (or all) of the cards in the pool. For example, if you play an ‘8’ and the cards in the pool are a 2, 4, 6 and 9, you can capture the 6 and the 2 (6 + 2 = 8). You take the captured card(s) and the card you played and set them aside in a stack in front of you. Some of these cards will score points at the end of a complete hand of play.

If you play a card that matches either a single card or the sum of several cards, you can take both the single card AND the multiple cards. This makes the play of a high-valued card very valuable in capturing several low-valued cards.

If a player cannot capture any cards, the card he played is simply added to the cards on the table.

Another option a player has on his turn is to begin a “build”. A card may be played onto one or more of the cards already on the table. The cumulative total of these cards is announced. In order to perform this move, the player MUST have a card in his hand that will match the value of this build. If play returns to him and no other player has played a card matching the value of the build, this player MUST play that card and capture the cards in the build. Of course, all other players also have the opportunity to play a matching card and capture the build before the player who originated the build has the chance to do so. Further, they can also add a card to the build, thereby changing its value. Thus, while offering a modicum of strategy to a game otherwise dominated by luck, it is also fraught with risk.

When playing a card that captures ALL of the cards on the table, leaving it empty, the player will score a 1-point bonus in addition to any points the cards may individually score at the conclusion of the round. This is known as a “sweep”. Thus, one must be very careful when taking cards if it leaves only one card remaining on the table, as this increases the chances that the next player will possess a card that allows him to clear the table.

Play continues with each player playing one card until all players have depleted their hand of four cards. Four new cards are then dealt to each player, but no new cards are dealt to the table. This entire process continues until the deck of cards is depleted. On the final round of a hand, any cards remaining on the table after all players have depleted their hand of cards are awarded to the last player to have captured a card or cards from the table.

At that point, players inspect the stack of cards they captured during the hand and tally their scores. The player with the most cards scores 3 points. The rules are silent as to how the points are distributed if more than one player ties for the most cards. Since the rules indicated that the player with the “most” cards receives these points, we ruled that if two or more players tie for the most cards, then, technically, no ONE player has the most cards, so no one earns these points.

Players then earn points as follows:

Player with the most familiar cards: 1 point
Each “sweep”: 1 point
Each other card with points: 1 or 2 points, as indicated on the cards

If no one player has scored 21 points, the cards are shuffled and re-dealt, with further rounds being played until someone reaches or exceeds the point limit and achieves victory.

The advanced game introduces capture rewards and multiple builds. As mentioned, several cards have special powers associated with them. When these cards are used to capture the specific card listed upon it, the player will be granted the power to swap, peek or steal. Peeking allows the player to look at the cards held by another player. Swapping allows the player to randomly take a card from an opponent’s hand, replacing it with one of his own cards. Stealing is the most powerful, allowing the player to randomly take a card from the opponent’s capture pile. None of these powers is truly strong, however, and the odds of being able to capture the required card seems to be very small. Truthfully, this just doesn’t add much to the game and is actually more cumbersome than useful.

Multiple builds toss in a bit of mathematics. Builds may be formed which are based on a particular value. The build must then consist of cards of that value, and/or a combination of cards which add to that value. This offers another possibility, but it more difficult to form than regular builds without a corresponding decrease in danger.

With only four cards in your hand to begin a round, one’s options are limited and grow more limited as the number of cards you hold decrease with each play. The objective is clear: grab scoring cards when you can and try to grab the most cards so you can earn the 3-point bonus. Try to not leave just one card on the table, as this will provide a good opportunity for the next player to match it and sweep the table. Likewise, leaving two or three cards that can total to ten or less is also a danger as the next player could manage to claim them all with just one high-valued card. Builds provide some options, but also carry the risk of having those cards scooped by an opponent before you have the opportunity to grab them.

So how does the game compare with its sister, Eye of Horus? Anathema did maintain Casino’s ‘build’ mechanism. This does add some more strategy to an otherwise luck-driven game. That’s a plus. However, the scoring is much more restrictive here than in Eye of Horus. In Horus, cards in three of the thirteen suits, plus two additional cards, earn points when captured. Only one suit earns points, with six other individual cards granting 1 or 2 points. Further, points are earned in larger quantities in Eye of Horus, with 30 point being earned for having the most cards and 10 points for each sweep. Even though the game is played to a higher total (121 points), the large amount of points earned means that a typical game will play to completion in 2 or 3 turns. The meager amount of points earned in a typical Anathema hand means that a game will usually last 5 or more turns. That’s just a bit too long. We opt to play 4 hands in a game of Anathema as opposed to playing to 21 points.

My view of the game is very similar to that which I stated in my Eye of Horus review. The strategy pool here is not very deep. Still, the game is entertaining and reasonably fun to play. Certainly it is light, airy (perhaps even ‘fluff’) and heavily dependent upon luck, but I don’t mind that if the game itself doesn’t pretend to be something more than it is and it is fun to play. I don’t think this would be one you would pull out as an entrée with a group of hard-core gamers, but as a late night filler or in a family environment, it could well likely be a pleasant diversion. There is a potential problem with Anathema in the family environment, however, and that is the choice of theme and artwork on the cards. Although the theme of the Salem witch trials might be inappropriate for young children, it is the artwork that concerns me more. Some of it is disturbing, with a blurry, “Blair Witch Project” feel. It is a bit too graphic for younger audiences. Thus, the environment in which the game should have the most appeal – the family – might not be appropriate due to the choice of theme and artwork. I must admit that these artistic choices for what is a light game leaves me perplexed.

Michael dominated the first round, capturing the most cards and five points worth of victory point cards. Although Jim had collected a sizeable amount of cards, too, none of the cards proved worthwhile and he scored a miserable zero points.

We held Michael at bay in the second round, but lost sight of Jason. Jason scored 9 points to edge out Michael for the lead. I scored a respectable six points and was still in contention.

The third round saw things tighten further, as Michael, Jason and I were all within 2 points of each other. Even Jim had closed the gap, scoring six points during the round.

The final round saw the points fairly evenly divided. Michael scored just enough, however, to capture the victory.

Round-by-round scores:

Round 1: Michael 8, Jason 1, Greg 1, Jim 0
Round 2: Jason 9, Michael 8, Greg 7, Jim 1
Round 3: Michael 12, Jason 11, Greg 10, Jim 7
Round 4: Michael 15, Jason 13, Greg 10, Jim 9

Ratings: Jason 8, Michael 7, Greg 5.5, Jim 5.5

Thread: User Review

disclamer — 2004-01-27T17:42:56+00:00

I have been looking forward to this game ever since I saw it on Aldie's Games for Halloween Geeklist, both for its Salem Witch Trials theme and the creepy-beautiful artwork from Drew Tucker. I have to say I am not disappointed.

Being the visceral creature that I am, I'll first examine the things that drew me to the game.

Theme: The Salem Witch Trials Although I'm not a Goth-boy or a Pagan or even overly fond of the movie The Craft, I am fascinated by the uncanny power of superstition. Anathema at first glance appears to fit the bill. The box copy begins with a Nathaniel Hawthorne quote which, in context, neatly defines the word anathema. This is followed by a two-line thematic hook and a quick summary of the game. However, after reading the rules and playing a few hands, the theme appears essentially cursory. Aside from renaming the standard suits and adding some vaguely spell-like Capture Rewards in the Advanced Game, there is little real impact on game play. The cards have flavor text quoted directly from actual historical records and trial accounts, which does convey in a unique way the peculiar madness of the period.

Graphic Design The game is nicely packaged, its box featuring suitably creepy chalk drawings of two of the four new suit symbols (the back originally had the other two, but needed design changes to accomodate the ISBN and bar code) and uncredited cover art of a Blair Witch-y Wickerman in thorns. I'd like the box to be a little bigger and sturdier. It is just large enough to slide in two halves of the 52 card deck side-by-side with the rule book. The cards feature 26 new illustrations by the fantastic Drew Tucker, a long time favorite of many. The plastic coated cards are of high quality and should stand up to years of casual play. The game information on the cards is not as easily readable from a distance as I would like, but is easy to get used to after a few plays. The Capture equations on the cards are simple and logical.

Finally, I'll cut into the meatier portions.

Game Design Being unfamiliar with the classic card game Casino, I set about learning Anathema from scratch. The rule book is one of the best written I have ever read. Though the simple nature of the game is certainly a factor, I was able to play after a single read-through of the rules. From the Introduction to the Advanced Game, each new rule is clearly illustrated by text examples (17 in all). If the rules are not clear enough for you, there is a wonderful Flash Demo at APE Games' website: http://www.apegames.com/anathema_demo.html I think this is a terrific idea, and publishers would be wise to consider making them available for new games.

Game play, for those not familiar with Anathema or Casino, is relatively simple. The Object is to capture cards from the table using cards from your hand, by matching numbers. A 10 in your hand can capture a 10 on the table or a 3 and a 7, or any number of cards that add up to 10. It could capture a 3, 7 and a 10, if all are on the table. Each round, players are dealt four cards with four cards (on the first turn) dealt face up in the center of the table. On your turn you must play a card from your hand, either to capture a card from the table, to create a build to capture later, or to trail a card you cannot currently use. When all four cards have been played, each player gets four more and so on, until the deck is exhausted. In the Advanced Game, most cards give you a reward for capturing a specific other card. For example, if you use the 11 of Witches to capture 11 of Spells. you may Steal a random card from an opponent's Capture pile. Other rewards include Peek, which allows you to look at an opponents hand and Swap which you may use to swap a card from your hand with one on the table. Players score for most cards, most Familiars (a suit), for each sweep (clearing all cards from the table), and for certain numbered cards worth 1 or 2 points. There are 11 points available in each round, not including sweeps, and you play to 21. Anathema is a simple game with some subtle strategy. One might compare it with Cribbage.

All in all, I find I really like this game. Although the theme is inessential to game play, I love the artwork and flavor text. The cards are high quality and sturdy, and will certainly grace my game table for years to come.

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2003-06-23T12:36:52+00:00

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2003-06-23T12:36:49+00:00

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2003-06-23T12:30:23+00:00