Shadows over Camelot, by Days of Wonder is a co-operative game in which the players (mostly) are working together to defeat the game. In this case the Knights of the Round Table against the various forces combining to destroy Camelot.
In each turn a player may do one of several things: Stay at the round table and collect cards which they will be able to use once outside; Work towards defeating or holding back one of the several enemies of Camelot: Picts, Saxons, Siege engines, or the Black Knight; or work towards one of several Quests: Find the Holy Grail, Excalibur, Lancelot’s Armour. Players may join forces or battle any of these alone, and some have special abilities that make the choice a little easier.
The twist in Shadows over Camelot is that one or more of the players are Traitors to Camelot. Secretly working against the other players to ensure Quests fail, and Enemies are successful. In order for a good game it is imperative that those playing the Traitors know how to do their job well. The game can be hard enough to beat even knowing who the Traitors are however.
Design 5/5: There are really no complaints about the design of the game, everything fits the theme very well and the contrast between the light and dark elements is clear.
Components 4.5/5: Great components that are very usable. The player cards are a good size, the game pieces fit the theme very well. My only complaint would be the painted components are extra. As you can see in the pictures above I painted all the components of the game, by default it’s all grey plastic.
Fun 4/5: A very fun game if you’re with the right people and the Traitor is doing their job well. There is enough to do that you don’t feel too much like you’re playing just against the game. It can be a bit boring on the Holy Grail quest however, which can drag through most of the game with a lot of back and forth. I hate getting stuck on the Grail.
Replayability 3.5/5: It’s not a game I would bring out all the time; the overall structure of the game doesn’t change from play-to-play very much. This means repeated playings will feel different but be structured the same, and that can wear on you. It’s also a game that requires at least 5 players to be interesting.
Overall: 17/20
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