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Quick Look: The Curse of the Snake Queen – A Solo Fantasy Gamebook
Author: Christopher Bünte
Editor: Julia Loewe
Designer: Kathrin Keienburg-Rees
Play-Tester: Christopher Willmann
Publisher: woohoomania
Year Published: Currently on Kickstarter for late-pledges (Link at the bottom of review)
The Curse of the Snake Queen is a dungeon adventure in which you have to fight snake creatures, solve puzzles and uncover an ancient secret. You will come across signs from the past and ultimately have to decide who you trust more – your employer or the monsters?
Review:
In the grand scheme of my often-busy gaming life, I am often flooded and bombarded with complex mechanics and world building adventures. For an example of how overwhelming this can be, see my recent review of Space Kraken, which in many ways put a damper on my spirit (even though it is a fantastic game and system!)
Consequently, it was not the presentation of an infinitely complex dungeon-crawling RPG system that drew me in to the prospect of reviewing The Curse of the Snake Queen, but rather the promise of simplicity.
Despite coming in a box, with a book, one pre-generated character sheet, maps, a pencil, two D6’s, a bookmark, and a miniature, the pictures of Christopher Bünte’s game that I happened upon whilst perusing the internet seemed to depict a relatively “tranquil” experience that harkened upon days of childhood past, with a light-hearted nod to my more worry-free school days in the world of Choose Your Own Adventure books.
Because at the heart of The Curse of the Snake Queen is its namesake narrative book that is its centerpiece.
Even though just a “meager” 60-ish pages of text, it deviates from the standard set by Choose-Your-Own Adventure books by introducing traditional fantasy and RPG elements of gaming, namely skill checks, leveling up, proficiencies, inventory management, combat and more. But all is done in such an unassuming fashion that it fails to bog down the mind with needless and facetious complexities, but rather lets the spirit roam and wander in a world that is not our own.
Without delving into spoiler territory , you will venture into a dungeon and (maybe) encounter a (surprise) Snake Queen, but will not at all feel overwhelmed in the process of doing so.
That is not to say there are no dangers in this “scant” adventure — I did manage to “die” early on, but part of the beauty of the game is that it is easy to reroll and redo again and again since there is not an overt focus on the over-accumulation of wealth and items. As it is, you probably will not obtain too much in a single play through…
But one benefit of this narrative game system by Bünte is that your adventure need not end upon completion : simply buy another narrative book to continue your journey with your existing character. No fuss, no muss.
Another reason for the appeal for me in trying out The Curse of the Snake Queen has to do with ease of access and entry into the world of RPG’s. It was perfect to introduce to my 4th grader without bogging her down, giving her a sense of what more “complex” RPGs may offer her in the future without diving headlong into the experience. It was sufficient enough to satisfy her curiosity without frustrating her to the point of quitting, which is something that easily could happen with a more convoluted system. And thankfully, my hunch was correct, this series from Woo Hoo games is perfect for introducing young gamers into RPGs.
All-in-all, chances are you will spend about 1.5 to 2 hours in completing the adventure. While this may not seem like a lot (nor would a say there is a terrible amount of replay value), the point to remember is that this game serves best as a portable diversion. If you have ever been waylaid at an airport, this would be perfect, and I imagine I will probably bring it again when traveling overseas. Or if you are looking for something to do while in a coffee shop one lazy afternoon, this series of games would again fit the bill.
In summary, I have just about all positives to say about the game. If I had one thing to nitpick, it would mostly be that I feel the game could benefit from having additional printouts for making your custom character, rather than utilizing the dedicated space for such within the book itself. This would facilitate playing the game over and over again with numerous friends and family you may wish to share the experience with without having to resort to an erasure!
The Curse of the Snake Queen is a ultimately a quaint but enjoyable blend of past and modern gaming trends. I definitely recommend this for the gamer on the go, or the parent wishing to instill the beginning lessons of RPG-ing to their young one(s)!
After reading Jazz’s review, if this sounds like a game for you at the time of this posting The Curse of the Snake Queen – A Solo Fantasy Gamebook is available to LATEPLEDGE on KICKSTARTER for between $14-$18USD. Check it out and back it HERE.
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Jazz Paladin- Reviewer
Jazz Paladin is an eccentric at heart — When he is not learning to make exotic new foods at home, such as Queso Fresco cheese and Oaxacan molé, he is busy collecting vintage saxophones, harps, and other music-related paraphernalia. An avid music enthusiast, when he is not pining over the latest board games that are yet-to-be-released, his is probably hard at work making jazzy renditions of classic/retro video game music tunes as Jazz Paladin on Spotify and other digital music services.