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Monday, February 28, 2011

Witch of Salem


Mayfair Games—Michael Rieneck


I’ve been buying several co-operative games of late. Mainly because Miles, my 7-year-old son, gets so incredibly angry when things don’t go his way. You can never play any “mean” cards on him, because he absolutely freak out. So we’ve been playing Forbidden Island (no monsters), Castle Panic (too easy) and Ghost Stories (played too much) a lot after the New Year. We also have Arkham Horror (too long), Castle Ravenloft (too much reading), and Space Hulk: Death Angel (too abstract and too much reading). But Castle Panic and Ghost Stories were the only games that really interested him. They were simple to learn and understand and require no reading (he’s just learning to read Swedish).


So I bought Witch of Salem to see if that would also work for Miles. Well, after playing it with my older son, Marek and solo, I felt it was just too hard. But not hard in a good way like Ghost Stories. I seems that the only way you can win is to have both perfect strategy and perfectly good luck. If you fail on one of these two points you will lose the game.


The game also is rather boring, despite its theme. All the characters are the same (except their picture). The locations are all the same (except for item costs). Neither characters nor locations have special abilities to set them apart. Since I’m an RPG/miniatures/thematic gamer, theme is very important. Both Marek and I thought the game was quite dull.


The game, however, is gorgeously produced. The theme is one that we love. It’s just that the game rules don’t bring out the theme. In essence this is a boring Eurostyle game that is mostly multiplayer solitaire. The only co-op aspect of the the rules, as written, are trading items if you are in the same location and requiring one person to banish the big guy while someone else seals the last portal.


I decided to change the rules to see if the great components could be salvaged. The two rules set are listed below and can be combined.


Ghost Stories version

Play with the original rules, but add character and location abilities.


Choose 1 of the 2 possible character powers before the game starts.


Orange

The Church is my Sanctuary: Pick up all played location cards after moving to the Church and put them back into your hand. You must play a different location card next turn.

The Witch Listens to Me: After the Witch of Salem moves due to an Event card, you may move the Witch of Salem 1 location forward or back.


Green

I Am Blessed: You never roll the Loss Die.

Knowledge is Power: You may reroll the Loss Die (you must accept the 2nd roll). You may carry 4 items and 1 artifact.


Yellow

Family Heirloom: At the beginning of the game. Choose 1 item token. Place it next to you picture. You can never lose, use or discard this token. It does not take up one of your slots. But it counts when you try to defeat creatures, shadows and the ancient one.

Good Credit Rating: You can get 2 items per turn (slot rules and item costs still apply).


Blue

Expert Shopper: You can trade 2 items and use 2 items per turn.

Frugal: You can use items and artifacts twice before discarding them. After the first use, turn the token sideways. Discard after the second use.


Locations:

Step 3.5 (between Monsters and Using Items) You may ask the townsfolk of Arkham to help you by invoking the power of the location.


Sanatorium: Discard a Potion to restore an insane character. Place their figure in the Sanatorium. They have their full hand of cards (but most play different location next turn) and 3 Sanity.

Arkham News: Discard a Glasses token to flip over a portal token that you have previously examined. If it is unsealed when a Witch is activated, the token is shuffled with the rest and placed upside down again.

Witch House: Lose 1 Sanity to move the Necron marker back 1 space.

Hotel: Move the Necron marker up 1 space to place the Witch of Salem anywhere.

Cemetery: Discard a Knife to move one monster to another open location.

Church: Discard a Necronomicon to become blessed. You cannot lose items due to the Loss Die in the next round.


Lower Difficulty Levels

This version adds easier difficulty levels that make the game winnable by minimize the luck factor.


Innocent:

1. Shuffle the Necron card with 4 other creature cards. Shuffle the remaining creature cards. Place the 5 cards with the Necron card at the bottom of the other creatures.

2. You may use a glasses token at Miskatonic University to examine one of the Portal Tokens in the box.

3. If you have the items to defeat the creature or shadow in your location in step 3, do not roll the loss die. Then discard the creature.

4. If you defeat a shadow, roll the Bonus die (looks just like the Loss Die, maybe your package didn't come with both ). Apply the positive result of the die roll. If you gain an item, you may choose who receives the item.

5. Reveal the portal after sealing it. If it is a wall, you lose the game.

6. Do not place new monsters into locations with a sealed portal. Instead place the creature in the next open and non-sealed location. If there are no more open locations, the follow the rules for when all 6 locations are full.


Psychological Weakling:

1. Shuffle the Necron card with 7 other creature cards. Shuffle the remaining creature cards. Place the 8 cards with the Necron card at the bottom of the other creatures.

2. If you have the items to defeat the creature or shadow in your location in step 3, do not roll the loss die. Then discard the creature.

3. If you defeat a shadow, roll the Bonus die (looks just like the Loss Die, maybe your package didn't come with both ). Apply the positive result of the die roll. If you gain an item, you may choose who receives the item.

4. Do not place new monsters into locations with a sealed portal. Instead place the creature in the next open and non-sealed location. If there are no more open locations, the follow the rules for when all 6 locations are full.


Normal Sanity:

1. Shuffle the Necron card with 11 other creature cards. Shuffle the remaining creature cards. Place the 12 cards with the Necron card at the bottom of the other creatures.

2. If you have the items to defeat the creature or shadow in your location in step 3, do not roll the loss die. Then discard the creature.

3. If you defeat a shadow, roll the Bonus die (looks just like the Loss Die, maybe your package didn't come with both ). Apply the positive result of the die roll. If you gain an item, you may choose who receives the item.


Nervous Wreck:

1. If you have the items to defeat the creature or shadow in your location in step 3, do not roll the loss die. Then discard the creature.


Bound for the Sanitarium:

The rules as written.


We’ve won using Ghost Stories (plus the rule that allows you to defeat a creature before rolling the lose die), Innocent, and Psychological Weakling. I lost today play a 2-player solo on Normal Sanity, because one of the investigators went insane. With the new rules, this game is much more fun. I still like Ghost Stories better, but it’s hard to make a better co-op than Ghost Stories.