VAMPIRE: THE MASQUERADE – VENDETTA Review: Blurry Speed And Furry Strength For This Bloody Card Game – GameTyrant

Looking at it, and even playing it, you would think that Vendetta is a medium-weight game. Its really not. The depth and replay value of the game pull it into the realm of games like that, but its really quite simple once you start. Each player controls one of the Camarilla clans of ChicagoBrujah, Gangrel, Malkavian, Nosferatu, Toreador, Tremere, or Ventrue. The goal of the game is to accrue enough Influence in the city to take over at the end of the game, besting the other vampire clans that are out to seize Chicago.

There are three rounds during which players will play cards from their deck and allocate blood in order to amass power at one or more of the locations in the city. Once all players have placed their cards, the locations are resolved by activating powers in turn order and counting the total power that each player has built. The winner gets the biggest spoils, but those that come in second and third place still gain Influence, and maybe a Victim here or there. As the rounds progress, its important to build your Alliance of Victims and Allies (both Human and Vampire) in order to gain more Blood and Influence. Whoever manages their Alliance effectively and employs their clan-specific cards judiciously will come out on top.

Players draw new cards from their decks at the beginning of rounds and because they always play until they have one card left, then each round is bigger than the last, which increases the complexity and heightens the uncertainty as players have to weigh their options and deduce what their opponents will play, and where.

Face-up cards are visible to all players throughout the round, but facedown cards (which cost a Blood token) hide the intentions of the active player and make everyone pause as they consider this new complication. Another factor that raises doubt is the potential for players to Stay or Withdraw. Before a location is resolved, all players with cards there select one of those two options facedown. When its revealed, players who withdrew move all of their cards to the final locations (Princes Haven) and their deployed Blood back to their pool. It can give players a surprise advantage when moving additional cards into a spot that previously had little or none.

Additional ruleslike Draining, Frenzy, Diablerie, Location cards, and Relic cardsaffect the outcome of the game somewhat, but the basic rules are straightforward and you can quickly get a game in, whether in person or digitally through platforms like Tabletopia.

Vendetta fits into a category that is just starting to become a bigger feature on my shelves: games that feel light and approachable, play in under an hour, yet still retain enough complexity that it will appease me and any other more serious gamers who are joining the night while not scaring off friends and family that dont want a heavy strategy game. I just finished reviewing Escape the Dark Sector recently and it gave me the same vibes.

I enjoyed Alone, another game from Horrible Guild, but this is my favorite experience yet from the publisher. Im now interested in trying their other games that Ive missed so far because Vendetta bites hard and doesnt let go until someone has taken over Chicago. With seven different clans, who that will be is a question up to the savviest and most savage players who sit down at the table.

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VAMPIRE: THE MASQUERADE - VENDETTA Review: Blurry Speed And Furry Strength For This Bloody Card Game - GameTyrant

Reviewed and Recommended by Erik Baquero