Game: Patriot
Designer: Anthony Kirkham
Published: Wild Robot Games
Players: 3-6
Playtime: 1 Hour 30 Minutes-2 Hours
Play Type: Social Deduction
Synopsis:
Somebody wants to assassinate the president. Your job is to protect the president and ensure their safety. The assassin keeps sending in demands, your job is to meet them and ensure that the president is safe. The only problem? One of your fellow agents is the assassin. Your goal is to find and take care of that agent before they manage to kill the president.
Components:
At this point, the components available for this game are only from the prototype. I won’t spend a ton of time on this, but the art is great. The board is well laid out and easy to read. The art is vibrant and interesting. The rule book is creatively done, but sometimes can be disorienting when trying to find rules.
Here are the components a Kickstarter pledge will include:
Your name in the rule book, 24 Beacon Cards, 30 Scientific Discovery Cards, 21 Large Letters, 9 Riot Cards, 64 Brief Cards , 8 Super Brief Cards, 168 Influence Cards, The rule book, Game board, Game Box , 14 Character Cards ,18 Allegiance Cards, 1 D8 & 1 D4, Quick play guides, 14 Rioters, 14 Troops, 32 Science Markers, 21 Coins, 14 Characters
Overview:
Positives:
- Thematic
- New social deduction mechanics
- Enough randomization to keep players from easily figuring out who the traitor is
- High engagement
Negatives:
- Need 3 players to play
- Could be difficult for non-gamers to learn
Patriot provides an interesting twist on social deduction games. The theme fits perfectly for a social deduction game, and is clearly depicted throughout all the art on the game. While the game is a social deduction game, it is not as straightforward as many other party type social deduction games. There are a lot of layers of strategy behind determining who the traitor is. Plus, there is no guarantee of someone even being the killer, because there is a chance that the president himself holds that card, without knowing. This causes a high level of paranoia, because even though a player is not actively trying to sabotage the game the random factors could make it seem as though someone is a traitor. In this game you can never be sure who is out to get you, but careful attention may help you rule out who your top suspects are
In addition to the assassins main goal, agents also have their own individual goals to win. When all players are working towards their own goals, not all actions will be for the greater good. There is a lot going on in this game, and it is not as simple as most social deduction games. This may make it difficult for new players to follow. I would not suggest this as a first social deduction game. This game is more aimed at gamers who are familiar with modern board gaming, and who will not become frustrated with remembering the multiple phases of game play.
However, you like social deduction I would suggest this one. It has new mechanics that support more in depth game play than most social deduction games. It is thought provoking and forces players to be attentive to the game. This is not your usual he said, she said mob ruled game. There is strategy and careful consideration to each action. Tensions are high and focus will have to remain during each players turn. Patriot will be on Kickstarter today, May 1st. You can get the base pledge for 59$ US and shipping.
The Meeple Street 