Beowulf: A Board Game

Beowulf: A Board Game is a dynamic tabletop strategy game for 3-6 players, adapted from one of the oldest and most celebrated works of European literature.

The game uses the Anglo-Saxon epic poem as a point of entry into a vast interpretation of the Viking Age. As the legend of Beowulf's life and death unfolds on the game's board, players will trade cards, scheme and raid one another to grow their own kingdom's influence and power. After the death of Beowulf at the fangs of a dragon, the game moves forward in time, as players scramble to preserve the brave legacies of their kingdoms in the face of a quickly changing religious landscape and the relentless tides of history.

The game uses two decks, the WYRD Deck and the DAED Deck. At the beginning of the game each player is dealt a handful of DAED cards - these represent powers, abilities and resources of your individual kingdom. On each turn, a player draws a card from the WYRD Deck, which is composed of monsters, events, hardships, and instances drawn from the source text and the greater Viking Age. The player must either face the consequences, or reap the benefits of these cards, and can use their DAED cards to repel or augment the effect of the WYRD Deck. In addition, players can attempt to raid one another for their DAED cards. Successfully defeating a Monster drawn from the WYRD Deck nets you a Trophy - in the form of some grisly piece of the felled creature - which acts as a counter for your Kingdom's greatness.

All the while, each draw of the WYRD Deck moves Beowulf further along his life path on the game board, with each stop dramatically affecting the stakes of the WYRD Deck. After Beowulf's death, the winner is determined by the player with the most Trophies amassed.