YORKTON - Roll & Write print ‘ n play games by their nature can be hugely variable creations.
Some hardly seem worthy of the paper to print them on.
Others amaze with the visual presentation.
Lepra by designer Denis Kurdiukov and published by Nuka Zombee Games most certainly falls into the latter category.
Before even talking about the game play, the sheets you need to print have wonderful art and graphics if you opt for the colour option. That is a big plus as Lepra is a solo game so it’s a definite bonus if the game is visually appealing when you sit down for a session.
And Lepra will require a session or more to play. There is some definite detail here, so you aren’t turning this one for a quick ‘coffee break’ session. Pencil in an hour to head to the man cave or game room to explore a game where you take on the role of leader of a medieval town, facing a dire challenge: a terrifying outbreak of pestilence is sweeping through your people.
Lepra is a survival/resource management roll and write game, and you face the challenge alone.
So, from the publisher; In this roll-and-write game, you’ll navigate two pages filled with four thematic game areas and one town map grid. Strategically fill rows and columns of asymmetric action grids, record imported resources, mark off crates of used goods, and secure the four exotic ingredients needed to create the cure.
Race against time as the plague infects new houses every turn. Slow it down by setting quarantines, and ultimately defeat the pestilence by concocting the cure. But if the sickness spreads too far, death will be inevitable.
To gather the four essential ingredients, you’ll need to use your actions wisely and adapt to ever-changing circumstances. Each of the four game areas offers unique bonuses, risks, and possibilities, so careful planning is key.
Act quickly and make flexible decisions. Learn to prioritize resources, defend against outbreaks, and push toward cure research to save your town from the plague.
That all percolates down to a bunch of decisions to make to survive.
It’s not easy, but that was by design.
“I like hard games; the ones making you actually think, fail, adapt your strategy and fail again until you make it -- negative emotions, a sense of doom, tense buildup, and a bright boost of serotonin when you eventually win,” said Kurdiukov via an email interview.
“Players can expect a set of different emotions and experiences.
“The plague will never stop, so expect a never-ending sense of danger. You will struggle to survive, and yet, the village will perish a lot of times so frustration due to frequent fails is a part of this whole story.
“Players can learn by their own mistakes though, and this is when it clicks and the ultimate mission becomes a bit more clear, leading to a well deserved victory.”
Feeding the approach the game comes with a standard, and a ‘hard’ version if you want to ramp up the challenge.
Lepra also has ‘game boards’ which take the player to villages in China, Africa, and the Aztec nation, all with great art and a different in-game feel, meaning tons of replayability with this one.
“I am spending a lot of time making cool arts for my games, to make them stand out. But most important is that its mechanics simulate a feeling of real big problem to solve, and makes you believe you’re actually a medieval lord saving his town,” offered Kurdiukov.
Ultimately if you turn to PnP R ‘n W games for quick and easy game experiences, Lepra will not be it.
If you want some more immersive, varied and difficult, well then Lepra might be just the self-present you are looking for at this time of year.
