There’s Gold with CMON’s Gods of Egypt

It’s not Ankh-expected that CMON’s Gods of Egypt is exceeding expectations amongst board gamers to be a Kickstarter success. That said, just what miniatures enthusiasts and wargamers can expect is finally revealed. This crowdfunding campaign began a week ago and hit six times the amount (at the time of writing) required to get this game into production! They are very close to unlocking all the stretch goals, and this is particularly exciting for me, it’s cheaper to buy this game than to collect the giant-sized knock-offs from a local Arabian shop to display. The difference between those touristy items and the product here is that I can play with them!

Here, the story is simple: Play an Egyptian god or goddess hoping to stay strong–worshipped by the devout as they provide the only means for survival as monotheism crawls closer. Only can survive whilst the others will fall.

 

Cards are drawn and to determine outcomes dice are rolled. Like Cthulhu Wars, gaining territory and followers are required to raise your power. In what makes this game unique is that the more players involved, eventually they will unite in a syncretic fashion to become one divinity. This game design is faithful to how the divinities were worshipped in Ancient Egypt, and this is one game that will be exciting to play!

The mechanics are explained in this video:

 

Not announced previously is an expansion kit–a must buy! It includes a Kickstarter Exclusive of 3D cat tokens and udjat eyes. Five new factions–Set, Hathor, Bastet, Horus and Thoth–make up this collection. Additional supplements include a play-mat for those not wanting the cardboard included in the main set. And third is an art book for those wanting to admire the beauty of Adrian Smith’s work as he drew them before being translated into models by Studio McVey for game use.

This game will most likely see all the exclusives unlocked. Everyone will get the rabbit Unut, the ghostly Medjed, the beetle Khepri (the best looking and painted piece of them all on the Kickstarter page), the creator god Ptah, the vulture goddess Nekhbet, cobra goddess Wadjet, war god Bes and many more beasts! The fact Unut and Medied are lesser known deities make this game a standout for folklore experts! Most of these figures are protectors of their respective regions than warriors. Though Ptah is more of a creator divinity, it’s not to say he sees all and must therefore protect all.

In what I hope to see added in the coming week are the addition of one more deity, like Sobek, and customized dice to use in this game. The video does not explain if they are needed. Most board games use them to some degree to determine random outcomes instead of the devotion of the power of each god. Coffins, monoliths and pyramids are also staples of this world, but what about the Apis Bull? Curiously missing is a representation of how Upper and Lower Egypt got unified–an important symbol. Whether this factors into the game depends on how the end of days gets realized. Anyone who knows their Ancient Egyptian history will know Akhenaten nearly wiped out the polytheistic religion by bringing Amun to the fore.

To back this Kickstarter, please visit CMON’s Kickstarter page here.