Obsidia

Obsidia has the peculiar confidence of an independent production that got made because somebody gave the odd idea room to breathe. Its spare, dark look gives the underworld necropolis a proper stage; then it fills that stage with spells, skeletons, and thoroughly bad intentions.

At heart, it mixes tile-laying with the duelling energy of Mage Wars. The cities of the necropolis gradually spread across the table, and everyone is trying to take them; each new piece of city changes where the next fight can erupt.

Then the spells arrive, along with violence by the shovel-load. Players hit each other, spoil plans, and let units run wildly beyond control; you will watch a humble skeleton turn into Freddy Krueger and carve through ten or fifteen of somebody else’s little people, and the correct response is laughter rather than a rules consultation. The drafting variant gives you even more reason to come back for another round of nastiness. Who is going to stop him now?

This is not for solemn strategists, nor for players who require every unit to behave. It is strongly thematic, fairly quick, and made for groups who enjoy watching a plan collapse in spectacular fashion. Obsidia is a dark, gloriously grubby little gem that deserves to be allowed off the leash.