This review was originally posted at www.lifeingames.com
In Heroes Wanted, by <PERSON> and <PERSON>, 1-5 players take on the role of crimefighters competing to earn an open roster spot on the local superhero team, The Champions of Zeta City. Fortunately, there just happens to be a villain running loose in the streets for the heroes to test their mettle! By battling the villain, his legion of minions, and sometimes each other, the heroes will gain fame, with the most famous hero winning the game! Do you have what it takes to join The Champions of Zeta City? There is only one way to find out!
Every game of Heroes Wanted begins with the players selecting which scenario to play. This dictates the board, initial set-up, the villain’s evil scheme, and what special pieces may be required.
Next, the players select what heroes they will be playing. This is done by taking three “Hero A” cards or what amounts to the top half of superhero portraits and choosing one. Players then take three “Hero B” cards or what amounts to the bottom half of a superhero portrait and choose one. They then combine the two to create a unique hero with the name beginning with the “B” card and ending with the “A” card. A few of the awesome possibilities are:
After creating their hero, players are then dealt out a random quirk which they will act out during the game. The quirks are optional, but given the comical flavor of Heroes Wanted, they are really helpful at getting players into the mood! If the quirks are used, failure to act out your hero’s psychological issues will reduce your final score. However, who would miss out on the opportunity to act out things like: narcissistic pose, being obsessed with teamwork, or saying and awkward catchphrase? Players then receive a standard action deck and additional cards determined by their type of hero. The four types of heroes are:
Cosmic: These heroes may use injuries to their advantage.
Mutant: These heroes have multiple powers.
Tech: These heroes have technology based powers.
Vigilantes: These heroes are able to press their luck with dice due to their dedication and high risk philosophy.
Following the creation of the heroes, the villain is determined in similar fashion by choosing one “A” villain card and one “B” villain card and adding the two together. Some examples of possible villains are:
Once the villain has been determined, players roll a die to pick a first hero and the game begins with turn order progressing in a clockwise order.
Game Play:
The game plays out over a number of turns, with each turn consisting of a hero phase and a villain phase. 17
During the Hero phase, each player resolves their actions one at a time beginning with the first hero. A player’s turn consists of playing and resolving one of the actions cards in his hand or choosing to rest and regain all of his action cards. These actions include things like: move, strike, block, and damage etc… When resolving the card the player completes the action as directed and checks to see if his actions have triggered any other effects such as: a superpower, special ability, another action card, a headline bonus effect, or a change to turn order etc… Once a player has resolved all effects related to his action his turn is complete and the other players repeat this process in order one at a time.
After the heroes have completed their actions the villain takes his turn which is programmed by the game mechanics and differs from scenario to scenario. The villain’s marker is advanced down the threat track and any effect that is shown on the space is resolved. Then, in clockwise order beginning with the first hero, the minions and villain attack each player. The villain’s damage is determined by his cards, and the damage from the minions is based on the number and level adjacent to the hero. Once the total is determined, the player must defend by discarding action cards from his hand with a value greater than or equal to the total amount of damage if able, or be knocked out and forced to take a wound. Once all players have defended, the villain phase ends and a new turn begins with the first hero.
* Note, it is possible for heroes to attack each other during the action phase or even as a result of a triggered ability. All instances where a hero would be damaged are defended in the same fashion as the villain’s attack. Likewise, if the defending hero is unable to prevent enough damage he is knocked out and the attacker gains four fame.
The game continues turn after turn until the villain is defeated or the predetermined number of rounds expire. In either instance, an endgame scoring phase takes place where players are rewarded with additional fame based upon the instructions on the board in use and the player with the most fame is declared the winner! 17