Blood stains the ground as warriors clash in the fighting pits, each armed with the skills, weapons, and bravery needed to survive. However, no matter how prepared the warriors are, only one will make it out. Combat is fast, furious, and brutal. So it’s fitting that the game I’m talking about is Brutal from Italian artist (and game designer) Gipi. Currently funding on Ulule (the first European crowdfunding site), Brutal has been snatched up by CoolMiniOrNot for distribution stateside and already has a tie in with the upcoming Zombicide: Black Plague. For more about the game and the trailer, check after the break.
Brutal is a hand management game for 2-4 people where players take on the identity of one of several different warriors, playing different weapons, armor, and items from their hands in hopes of killing the other fighters. Defeating the other combatants is all about removing cards from their hands to get them to draw damage cards. The different warriors all have varying hand sizes and other abilities, making them unique forces to be dealt with in the pits. There are several game variants, including one-on-one, two-on-one, two-on-two, or free-for-all (just like any good gladiator fight).
As I mentioned at the top, Brutal has a tie-in to Zombicide: Black Plague (currently funding on Kickstarter) by way of a Special Guest artist box, featuring four different fighters from the card game with Survivor ID cards and miniatures.
If you’re a fan of shows like Spartacus, Rome, or some of the more recent episodes of Game of Thrones, you’ll want to keep an eye on this game.