Tabletop Spotlight: Blood Bound
The Vampire game of Deception and Deduction is out now from Fantasy Flight Games!
When I got a look at the mechanics of Blood Bound I knew FFG had a rock solid social game in the works. Now that it’s out, our friends at Dragon’s Lair Comics & Fantasy confirmed my initial hunch:
Now, we’ve covered the basics already. Blood Bound is a hidden role game when two teams of players is attempting to capture the opposing team’s most elder vampire. Everyone’s roles are decided by dealing out cards with a rank, two clues, and a hint at the bottom. Players reveal their “hint” to the player on their left and the game starts when the first place gets the dagger token and chooses to attack or to pass.
When a player takes an attack, they have to reveal a clue token OR their rank. When they reveal their clue, it’s just one more bit of information that the rest of the players will learn about them. When they reveal their rank, they can choose to also activate their special ability – these can vary greatly but all have useful effects. Some allow you to redirect damage, or heal others. Some allow you to attack right back.
If a player takes 4 damage, they are considered captured and are out of the game. If that player was the highest ranked member of their team, their team loses the game! As a player, your trying to figure out who is on your team and who the enemy elder is all the while trying to deceive the other team about your own identity.
Blood Bound was re-released by FFG and has updated art and some minor rules tweaks from the original – all of these were improvements in my opinion. The game is really well done from a production standpoint and it’s different from the other types of “hidden identity games” in the genera to keep it interesting. If you’re looking for a fun party game to add to your collection, this is a great option. It’s designed for 6-12 players so you’ll want to play with a larger group. I’ve got friends I wouldn’t consider “gamers” that would be interested in playing this one – it’s easy to learn and you’re really playing the other players vs the mechanics. It’s out now, so go check it out!
Blood Bound $19.95
For centuries, you and your kind have ruled the darkness, feeding wherever you chose and turning more and more humans to join your clans. But conflict became inevitable as the clans grew in number and broadened their territories, creating an atmosphere of festering mistrust and betrayal. The ensuing war destroyed countless immortals, and the clan leaders were forced into hiding. There are only remnants left, but the war is not over. You will not rest until you’ve destroyed your enemies forever.
In every game of Blood Bound, you and a few of your fellow players become a clan of vampires, working together to deduce the identity of your rival clan leader and capture him. Your adversaries—the other players—won’t be idle, however. They’re simultaneously working to identify and eliminate your clan’s leader. You must make your attacks carefully, but hunting in the dark is never as easy as it appears. In fact, you may not know your friends from your foes until it’s far too late.
It was the Vampire, in the Game Room, with the Knife! …wait, wrong game.
