Answering the Call of Kilforth Across the Ancient High Seas
Sail towards adventure across an archipelago filled with lore and an evil, lurking Ancient with the sagas of Call of Kilforth.
When Call of Kilforth: A Fantasy Quest Game arrived, I wondered if I might have leaned a little too heavily into this world. Although the series offers a trilogy of different experiences, the setting is the main difference. Still, who was I to turn down some high seas adventures in a world of pirates? This was sure to have some swash and bucklin’ ahead. Ha!
Game Overview
Game Name: Call of Kilforth: A Fantasy Quest Game
Publication Year: 2023
Designer: Tristan Hall
Artist: Uncredited
Publisher: Hall or Nothing Productions
Solo Mode: Included in the Base Game
From humble beginnings, a character sets out to fulfill a personal saga. Yet points of interest pop up to explore, and the overarching evil slowly plunges the land into gloom. There is a race against time to defeat the Ancient, all while discovering beautiful sights and following rumors!
First Play
July 29, 2024
Complexity
3
Latest Play
July 30, 2024
Expansions
1
Setup Time
15 Minutes
Lifetime Plays
2
Play Time
2 Hours & 30 Minutes
High Score
50
Game Area
44" x 28"
Low Score
0
Latent Kiner Telepath
During setup, I always love the step when I choose my character! A combination of a race and class provide unique statistics and abilities to use during gameplay.
Although I had a few options from the cards I drew, a Latent Kiner Telepath was the right decision for me!
I loved the unique abilities here, particularly Kine Sight to help scout ahead. If this game has taught me anything, it’s how dangerous running out to explore can be. Be careful!
However, this was my first time seeing the artwork, and there was something a little too perfect about some of it.
From Rimeshore Port
The archipelago took shape and I was excited about the new elements. Other ships could be found, offering targets to destroy or trade with based on their factions.
Resources populated locations, too, providing a new way to gather them up and trade them in for bonuses later on.
Everything looked lovely, of course, and I sat back to take stock of all the places I could go with Dessi, apparently nicknamed the Violet Bear. Thanks, naming randomizer!
It was a busy sort of play area, yet this is what I love about it… And why I use a bunch of standee bases for cards!
An Ancient Evil
Gameplay is very much about exploring and collecting keywords to advance a saga through its many chapters. However, an Ancient stirs and slowly adds terrible gloom.
At the beginning, this is something to be aware of without needing to focus on clearing plot cards. Just a lurking presence, constantly there but not a direct threat. Yet.
By the end, though, a final battle against the Ancient sets the stage for the last few days of planning. Very neat!
The Pontiff of Dread was the antagonist of this tale, and I was ready to send him back to the bottom of the seas!
Daily Exploration
If I managed to keep a log of everything I did on every day, I would have the longest post! Instead, I only stopped for a few photos as I narrated this adventure out loud to myself.
The first day resulted in the discovery of a rumored spell that felt quite fitting. But all that time splashing about in the ocean called upon a rainstorm when night fell.
Weather cards are persistent and range from harmless to rather terrible, regularly taking out actions and health.
Luckily, this was a nice way to start, as were the safe cards I found on my path. That would make it easy to go back!
Can You Have Too Much in a Game Series?
One of the more common questions about the Kilforth series of games is whether they’re all needed. The short answer is that it mostly comes down to the setting that feels like it will be the most exciting. Yet after playing this one, I stumbled into a conundrum where there are a lot of things I really love… But one glaring sort of setback to consider.
New ships and the galleon action options are fantastic! I loved sailing the open seas with those options, along with the resources. Those came in handy many times and felt a lot more thematic as I visited different locations.
This might sound very subjective, but one of the main draws of this series has been the artwork. It is phenomenal, and I’ve often uttered, “Wow!” out loud when I see a new card for the first time. Take a look at the first game in the series, Gloom of Kilforth, where every card is excellent. I mean that… I don’t remember seeing a single one I didn’t admire.
The previous entry, Shadows of Kilforth, has a mix of new artwork with a different style. I still like most of it, but some of the cards feel a little off. In this case, I have a few examples below of the sharp contrast in styles. Some characters look photorealistic with no skin texture and almost the same facial expression. I audibly groaned over some of these.
Artwork is always going to have differences of opinions. I think what threw me off with this one is how different the styles are. Some characters look like they’ve been painted, while others look like they’re based off of real photographs. Just not exactly for me, unfortunately, and I’ll now hesitate to add any more Kilforth games to my collection.
Saga Chapters and Art
Dessi’s saga was to destroy a bloodline, which seemed rather extreme, but there was clearly bad blood in the past! The first chapter was achieved fairly quickly.
The first spell helped her gain clout in a fishing village, where a freebooter held the key to her next steps.
But I had to pause here regarding the sharp contrast in the artwork. Some is as stunning as in the original game, such as the submariner. Locations can look like video games.
And then other characters have strangely perfect skin in an almost photorealistic sense that doesn’t mesh well.
Hiding in Plain Sight
As Dessi’s plans were revealed to the public, she had to switch tactics to offer up distractions. Of course she wasn’t doing anything but exploring these islands!
But I made sure she had plenty of decoys. She ransacked some ruins, which were near a dangerous enemy she defeated in battle… Even with very little battle power!
A visit to the cerulean pools was also quite pleasant, or an act to show she was about the safest person around. Ha!
All the while, her saga was advancing and gloom was closing in. But Dessi had herself a general plan…
Ferryman to Nowhere
Adventures took Dessi far and wide, but no one was more influential to her at one point than a ferryman ally. He was silent and shadowy, but knew of all the safe channels.
Other quests popped up that involved charting paths and discovering unknown areas, almost always due to the assistance of the ferryman. But he was utterly mysterious.
Naturally, a newly bestowed title brought Dessi to the forefront and helped her continue through her saga.
Also, another quick pause to say how jarring the Spring Bringer’s artwork is. That face just does not match!
Fair Winds Ahead
Many opportunities arose to explore the islands, but Dessi set her sights on the open ocean at many points. She met a navigator, and eventually earned a captaincy of her own!
I got lucky with the loot tokens at times, too, picking up a tall tale to use in place of a keyword. Very neat bonus!
The ships were also very cool, along with my own galleon. All of the new mechanics were excellent! I only lamented the stark contrast in the art styles that threw me off.
Let’s also just say that I finished this saga, but don’t want to spoil the end of it. It was a neat quest to get the totem!
The Winning Tableau
With plenty of helpful assets and other abilities, Dessi faced the Pontiff of Dread with a few days left. It was a fairly easy battle, owing to her carefully curated skills.
A spell and special construction created damage right from the start, and the dice were actually very helpful!
Dessi was hurt herself, yet had plenty of immediate healing to ensure she survived to the end. Evil was sent packing, and the land could breath a sigh of relief!
Becalmed seas provided a nice backdrop to this victory, and I thoroughly enjoyed my very lengthy narrative!
Busy Islands
I still like to prop up any cards with extra standee bases, which make it a lot easier for me to see the play area. This does make it look a little messy, yet I love it!
Not every location ends up with cards, either, and I try to arrange them so I can at least see part of each one.
Ships and resources cluttered up the locations just a bit, but not to the point that it was a problem. That time there were 6 obstacle tokens on a forest was more noticeable!
Again, I enjoyed my journey in this new setting with just a few tweaked rules. Just wish the artwork was consistent.
Session Overview
Play Number: 1
Expansion: Ventures Expansion Pack
Accessory: Call of Kilforth: Deluxe Upgrades
Solo Mode: Included in the Base Game
Play Details: Warrior Difficulty Level
Outcome: 50 (Win)
Most excellent! The final battle wasn’t particularly tricky, yet it took a lot to get there. A few of the saga chapters didn’t look like they would ever be completed, but Dessi found a way. Another delightful world to go adventuring in, especially for a taste of the high seas and ocean depths!
%
1 Play
Affordability
Price & Value
7
Functionality
Challenges & Mechanics
8
Originality
Design & Theme
7
Quality
Components & Rules
10
Reusability
Achievement & Enjoyment
7
Variability
Distinctness & Randomness
8
+ Pros (Positives)
- The world is wide open to explore, and it slowly gets populated with a variety of points to interest to discover.
- An evil Ancient provides a reason to be cautious at first, then shifts into the main enemy for a final showdown.
- Lots of variety exists in the cards, where focusing on just one deck means less than half of the cards will be used.
- New elements in this entry in the series add very little overhead with exciting options for actions and bonuses.
- Limited asset slots make for interesting decisions when gaining rewards, often through means other than combat.
- Each play progresses in a unique way with different characters and sagas who feel like they come to life.
– Cons (Negatives)
- There are different art styles that can be jarring at times, especially for a lot of the human character artwork.
- Lots of cards and tokens end up out in the play area, which can get quite messy and unruly at times.
- Gameplay can sometimes drag on or feel too easy with the very random and narrative focus on drawn cards.
- Collecting matching keywords requires building a story, which can be a challenge to step back from the mechanics.
Victory Conditions
Defeat the Ancient
- Overall Goal Progress 50%
Goals and Milestones
Win at least 1 game against the Pontiff of Dread.
Win at least 1 game against the Minister of Strife.
Continue the Conversation
Do you enjoy playing Call of Kilforth: A Fantasy Quest Game? What have been your most memorable adventures so far? I love this system for the way it develops stories, but I was just a little taken aback by the artwork that didn’t feel like it matched the overall Kilforth aesthetic. Still, more tales of pirates and ships are in store for me very soon!
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