I really wanted to get back to this page to write a review because this book is solid.
I've returned to Incarnis several times now. It promises a lot but it really does work! The system does have some wonky details that I have struggled to get my head around but whenever I have tried this game it has created a dramatic mythical saga out of our collective minds, and after an evening of dramatic twists and turns we've ended up with fantastic stories that really feels like they could originate from a story of a polytheistic pantheon.
The book is very demanding and the game owner probably needs to read it very thoroughly when playing it. I read it many times before our first game, and the very first turn took a very long time. But then it just clicked, the system just gave way and existed beneath us and the story progressed and people in the world acted and adventured and were tested to their core as the gods met and clashed and loved and feared and dreamed of perfection - and as true polytheistic deities, they failed despite their infallibility.
You should not expect to win, you only win if your story was good, and if so you all win because your evening was just that good. Dont expect to play this and have any capacities of "system analysis will enable me to win" because that will make you miserable - the game is NOT competitive. The system is a story guide that allows you to scale up your ability to change the world in a fantastic way. Its not a "game system" like a d&d but for gods. Its a one evening event to play incarnis and you will probably end up with a pretty epic story in that time. Dont be sad if your champion gets mauled by the monster just because another player said so, just roll with it. Sometimes the hero needs a reminder just who's boss, or maybe it was not his story, if was the story of the Sword of The Hero as it was passed down through the centuries, to be picked up aeons later by a boy who (you all retrospectively had to agree) turned out to be THE HERO of your collective story.
The story of the god who craved the marriage of a demigods daughter and she was hidden in glass forest from him. The story included heroes fighting over her destiny but in the end she needed to go to the Labyrith of Insanity to release the magic in order to stop the god of storms from devouring everything. It was a story of defiance and beauty.
The story of the City That Cried, a city of beautiful ideas and the spark of creation, that made technology and giants and steam punk'y monstrosities but as The Spark was bound to Laughter and Laughter was bound to a hostile god, the city of man developed a culture of ceremonious laughter, as creation was drained from their lives and inspiration was lost as it was institutionalised. The world never recovered and it was a story of loss and sorrow.
Games good. Buy it. Read it a million times and then please play it.
It's great to hear from you again Esben. Max and I fondly remember you checking in on the game's progression during development. It gives me so much joy to know Incarnis has enriched your storytelling. May the gods be with you!
I tried playing Incarnis solo and it worked pretty well. I created three characters/tensions and played three scenes, one for each pair. The included tables were helpful to randomize characters and landmarks.
I have two questions:
What is the card layout for landmarks? Are mundane landmarks just landmarks without domains?
Does the magical creature’s dwelling landmark behave as a landmark or creature? When the gods interact with the creature, should I be creating a new card?
I've copied the reply to your question from the kickstarter comments below. I think you added a question on creating a new card here. The creature card represents the creature itself, so you can treat it as such. When the gods interact with it, you may change it to reflect any transformation it has undergone, as you would with any other creation.
Copy-paste of Kickstarter reply: ----------------------------------------------------------
Incarnis was not designed with solo play as a core focus, but it is something we want to encourage and support, so any feedback in this regard is much appreciated. The module Feuding Pantheons on page 34-35 includes automa which we think can be dropped into a solo game nicely to add some agency outside of your own control.
You are exactly right about the landmarks. In Incarnis, Domains are what make things mythical. So a 'mundane' city has a form (this could simply be 'city'), but does not have a domain yet. As you say, it can receive a domain during play and become something mythical. A Sky city, an underwater city or even a new god.
Fabled creatures are first and foremost creatures rather than places. During playtesting, we received feedback that it was confusing to call a creature a landmark, so we phrased this as a creature dwelling. Either way, the intention is simply that you create fabled creatures and give them a place in your play area. Feel free to move and change your creature around as your fiction demands!
We hope you have fun with the game. Please feel free to message us if you have any more questions or feedback.
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I really wanted to get back to this page to write a review because this book is solid.
I've returned to Incarnis several times now. It promises a lot but it really does work! The system does have some wonky details that I have struggled to get my head around but whenever I have tried this game it has created a dramatic mythical saga out of our collective minds, and after an evening of dramatic twists and turns we've ended up with fantastic stories that really feels like they could originate from a story of a polytheistic pantheon.
The book is very demanding and the game owner probably needs to read it very thoroughly when playing it. I read it many times before our first game, and the very first turn took a very long time. But then it just clicked, the system just gave way and existed beneath us and the story progressed and people in the world acted and adventured and were tested to their core as the gods met and clashed and loved and feared and dreamed of perfection - and as true polytheistic deities, they failed despite their infallibility.
You should not expect to win, you only win if your story was good, and if so you all win because your evening was just that good. Dont expect to play this and have any capacities of "system analysis will enable me to win" because that will make you miserable - the game is NOT competitive. The system is a story guide that allows you to scale up your ability to change the world in a fantastic way. Its not a "game system" like a d&d but for gods. Its a one evening event to play incarnis and you will probably end up with a pretty epic story in that time. Dont be sad if your champion gets mauled by the monster just because another player said so, just roll with it. Sometimes the hero needs a reminder just who's boss, or maybe it was not his story, if was the story of the Sword of The Hero as it was passed down through the centuries, to be picked up aeons later by a boy who (you all retrospectively had to agree) turned out to be THE HERO of your collective story.
The story of the god who craved the marriage of a demigods daughter and she was hidden in glass forest from him. The story included heroes fighting over her destiny but in the end she needed to go to the Labyrith of Insanity to release the magic in order to stop the god of storms from devouring everything. It was a story of defiance and beauty.
The story of the City That Cried, a city of beautiful ideas and the spark of creation, that made technology and giants and steam punk'y monstrosities but as The Spark was bound to Laughter and Laughter was bound to a hostile god, the city of man developed a culture of ceremonious laughter, as creation was drained from their lives and inspiration was lost as it was institutionalised. The world never recovered and it was a story of loss and sorrow.
Games good. Buy it. Read it a million times and then please play it.
It's great to hear from you again Esben. Max and I fondly remember you checking in on the game's progression during development. It gives me so much joy to know Incarnis has enriched your storytelling. May the gods be with you!
I tried playing Incarnis solo and it worked pretty well. I created three characters/tensions and played three scenes, one for each pair. The included tables were helpful to randomize characters and landmarks.
I have two questions:
Hi ajstamm,
I've copied the reply to your question from the kickstarter comments below. I think you added a question on creating a new card here. The creature card represents the creature itself, so you can treat it as such. When the gods interact with it, you may change it to reflect any transformation it has undergone, as you would with any other creation.
Copy-paste of Kickstarter reply:
----------------------------------------------------------
Incarnis was not designed with solo play as a core focus, but it is something we want to encourage and support, so any feedback in this regard is much appreciated. The module Feuding Pantheons on page 34-35 includes automa which we think can be dropped into a solo game nicely to add some agency outside of your own control.
You are exactly right about the landmarks. In Incarnis, Domains are what make things mythical. So a 'mundane' city has a form (this could simply be 'city'), but does not have a domain yet. As you say, it can receive a domain during play and become something mythical. A Sky city, an underwater city or even a new god.
Fabled creatures are first and foremost creatures rather than places. During playtesting, we received feedback that it was confusing to call a creature a landmark, so we phrased this as a creature dwelling. Either way, the intention is simply that you create fabled creatures and give them a place in your play area. Feel free to move and change your creature around as your fiction demands!
We hope you have fun with the game. Please feel free to message us if you have any more questions or feedback.