Black Clover: Star Festival

I do not know the Black Clover manga, and I cannot quite explain why I bought Star Festival. But hidden squad placement has had a hold on me since Mechanisburgo, so there I was with a team of magic knights, chasing glory at an annual magic festival. It happens to better people than me.

Each player takes their own squad around the available locations, adds a modest amount to their deck, and prepares for quests. The appealing bit is that your team is not simply laid out in full view: its placement keeps something concealed, asking you to guess where the pressure will turn up.

Then come the quests, the dice, and the polite scrapping. You may need to show that your crew has been assembled more effectively, the dice may have their own ideas, and character powers let you interfere with other players. On paper, this is where the little betrayals ought to begin. In practice, you are often just getting on with your own business.

It reminded me of the very good Argent: the Consortium, only with everything made lighter and quicker. That is not a criticism; there is a real idea here, and the central hook is good enough that you want to watch it work. The powers that meddle with opponents simply feel as though they needed one more pass: more bite, more reason to look across the table.

As it stands, Black Clover: Star Festival can rather easily become dice solitaire in nice costumes.