Ironrise

Played a beta version during GenCon, very thematic heroes vs. villains fun against one of the designers. Our hero team was able to obtain an early lead by completing a quest where the villains weren't able to put up a good fight, but we then lost the lead as I found out the hard way that the gunslinger is very good at putting permanent holes in people. The chip wager mechanic influenced by cards is a neat way to introduce an unknown ability to succeed in your task.

My favorite thing about Ironrise is a team's ability to come back from a poor situation if the right cards and synergy between character abilities are utilized. Even if one side is up you're usually not out of the game until almost practically the very end, at least in the beta testing that I've done through the various versions of the rules. I dig the setting and writing quite a bit and character abilities are mostly pretty well balanced, though picking the right ones to play for the best experience is highly dependent on having the appropriate roles being used between teammates, something that's hopefully been addressed since my first playthrough.

I loved playing Ironrise. The game is complex yet accessible, challenging yet excellently balanced for players of all skill levels -- the last time I played, one action made the difference between victory and defeat. The betting mechanics make for an especially engaging and unique gaming experience, and the depth of the world the game lives in makes clear how much thought went into its creation -- and how much fun a person could have exploring it. Highly recommended for anyone who's got an hour or two for a wild adventure.

Fun game! A unique betting-style of 'combat' added a lot of excitement to the game.

I've been playing this game for the last few years, and while it's gone through a few changes in that time, (all incredible improvements), it has remained an incredibly fun to play game. I absolutely can not WAIT to be able to own my very own copy.