Many epic fantasy tales tell of brave heroes, malicious villains or wise kings. Evil gets defeated, borders change shape, some people even end up marrying a princess. These types of stories tend to claim that good always wins and those who do good deeds, get rewarded.
Everyone forgets about people, who actually benefit the most from these adventures. I’m talking about weapon shop owners, armor peddlers and that creepy potion vendor with a squeaky voice. Every peril to the nearby locales earns them heavy sacks of shiny, round coins, without the risk of getting eaten by a giant wereturtle.
Bargain Quest, a tabletop game that recently launched its second Kickstarter campaign, lets you finally experience a less dangerous (but without doubt more profitable) side of the classic fantasy stories.
Second Campaign From the Talented Duo
Bargain Quest is the creation of Jonathan Ying and his sister Victoria Ying. Jonathan worked on many great tabletop games like Doom, Star Wars: Imperial Assault and Warhammer 40k. Victoria’s portfolio is equally impressive. She was a visual developer on many recent Disney productions like Tangled or Frozen. They launched their first campaign for Bargain Quest back in March 2017 and now they’re back with another. This time backers can get their hands on the updated version of original game, as well as the brand new “Black Market” expansion.
Dungeons and Discounts
Bargain Quest is played in a group of 2 to 6 people. Each player establishes his or her item shop and tries to attract nearby adventures. Brave heroes, after getting armed with your wares, will try to defeat monsters lurking around the town.
Every session has players randomly select 3 enemies, that will have to be vanquished. These affect gameplay in many ways. Bandit Queen can for example steal money owned by the shops, while Wicked Witch destroys items.
If the heroes succeed, the vendor who sold them what they wore gets rewarded with stars (think Michelin). Final score is determined by summing the stars (worth 1 point each) with points made from money (every 10 gold awards 1 point).
Tricks of the Trade
After drafting item cards, players pick one to place on their window display. This spot is a vital mechanic to the game and fits the theme really well. The more attractive the item, the more adventurers will be lured by it. The catch is that it cannot be sold, and works only as a client magnet.
Every item is created for certain types of heroes. Warrior will be in need of heavy plate armor, while magician may prefer a cute black kitten companion. Items also have appeal values, determining how much your clients want them. Most also come with stats, valuable in their battles with villians. Heroes visiting your place have a certain pool of money. You can keep selling them items from your hand as long as they can afford them.
Next: heroes fight the monsters, and get bonuses from randomly drawn adventure cards. If enemies get wounded or killed, the adventurers gain even more gold to spend at your place. At the end of the round you can power up your shop with upgrades and new employees.
Geeknson Board Game Table | QUESTOWER Ads Sytsem
Black Market
The Black Market is the newest addition to the game, and the main reason for a second Kickstarter campaign. The expansion comes with fresh, more varied heroes, shady employees (like henchmen or loan sharks), additional monsters and of course many new item cards. Most of these are themed after not-so-legal business practices and deals made under the counter. Using new upgrades costs you reputation, instead of money. They add some risk to the gameplay, but at the same time grant access to new and exciting mechanics.
The Kickstarter campaign is doing great so far. It’s currently sitting at $213,652, so almost 4 times more than the first edition. With 11 days left until the end, Bargain Quest has high chances of becoming one of the top pledged titles of the month.
