What do you get when you throw asymmetric games like Root, War of Whispers, Game of Thrones, the Dutch House of Representatives, dirty political scheming, gorgeous artwork and highly thematic insect stories into a blender, then stir in a generous pinch of sweetness and misery? A Pact like no other.
Background
Pact immediately reminded me, in the best possible way, of games like Root and Oath. That comparison is not entirely unfair, but I do want to stress that Pact is very much its own insect. So why did it make me think of them? They are all asymmetric and complex games in which players are not only playing with the pieces on the table, but also with each other’s psyche. All of them feature beautiful and distinctive artwork. All of them have titles made up of four letters.
Pact is a new game from the Dutch publisher Wulfhorn Games, which has built up a rather impressive catalogue over the past few years. You may know them from the Amsterdam Board Game Design series, with games that have since managed to reach quite a sizeable international audience. One of their widest-reaching titles so far may well be the small card game Canal Houses / Grachtenpanden by designer Zach Hoekstra. That same Hoekstra is also the mastermind behind this slippery and sly Pact of insects. Wulfhorn Games has joined forces with Restless Raven Games to offer players, in their own words, a world full of intrigue and influence to explore.
Theme & objective
Story-wise, Pact quickly transports players to a world where A Bug’s Life meets Game of Thrones. A sort of A Song of Lice & Fire Ants. Sorry, I’m not overly proud of that pun…
So what is Pact about? In the insect kingdom of Branchbourne, the dynasty of the Ermine families is beginning to crumble after the death of the previous queen. Following her mother’s death, Jenna Ermine VI desperately clings to whatever power she can still hold, while her nefarious aunt, Duchess Orich, spins her schemes from the shadows. Meanwhile, old ghosts from the kingdom’s early days rear their heads, as Matuk the revolutionary gathers support and Neith the Weaver tries to breathe new life into her ancient faith.
Players each crawl into the chitinous little jacket of one of the four factions, each with its own spikes, wings, weaknesses and clever tricks. Pact is therefore not a cosy insect picnic, but a political power struggle in which 3-4 players try to buzz, sting and scheme their way to the top of Branchbourne. Will you play as the established aristocracy or as a revolutionary outsider? In both cases, everything revolves around forming pacts with the kingdom’s power brokers: first you crawl your way into their antlers, antennae or webs, and then you still need to make sure that your chosen allies remain rich and powerful. Only then may you eventually stand triumphantly atop the proverbial dung heap. Each player also has unique abilities and effects that enter play through the event deck, making every game feel as though someone had hidden one more dagger, stinger or political dirty trick beneath their shell.
The four different asymmetric factions also have thematic edges woven into the gameplay.
Matuk starts with little support and influence; as a revolutionary force, he still needs to build it all up. His goal is therefore mainly to radicalise the people. As the current ruler, Jenna still has a fair amount of influence, but naturally that power is rather fragile… She scores points primarily by maintaining the status quo. Orich lurks in the background like a true master of whispers. Extra information can give her a major advantage. The player “controlling” Neith must win souls through tradition and religion.
Pact features four Pillars of Society. These Pillars all possess power and influence, and players must form pacts with these groups. In addition, the game includes a kind of courtiers or nobles whose support players can win through influence. In this way, players try to gain Legitimacy. If they have 13 or more points than the “weakest” player, they win through dominance. Otherwise, the player with the most of these points at the end of spring wins. The cold war between insects has to end sometime; it might as well end in spring, because by then the war is at least a little less cold. Players can also lose together, but that is probably something they would rather not find out firsthand…
Gameplay
At the start of the game, players set up the board and create stacks of cards for the different seasons. Each player has their own setup and their own game components to prepare.
Players will influence courtiers or nobles, manipulate the kingdom’s finances and move wealth around in a large-scale tug-of-war between insects.
At the beginning of a season, an event deck is assembled, from which face-up cards are then revealed. Players put together their “agenda”, which serves as a kind of set of mini-quests, and then take their turns. On their turn, players choose one of the face-up cards and carry it out. With actions, players can exert influence, move wealth and form pacts. Once all players have three season cards, that season ends and the Pillars take their turn based on, among other things, their wealth.
Final thoughts
Pact is a colourful game, both in theme and in the way its gameplay is developed. It demands attention from everyone at the table and, given the asymmetry, that attention is necessary. That same asymmetry also adds complexity, but at its core the game is fairly simple and streamlined once players have found their footing. After that, the player intrigue takes over, followed by plenty of unexpected twists.
