estimated reading time: 7 min
25. Mai 2023
What a fast, cooperative board game can do?
You roll dice and make decisions together, you immerse yourself in a story, experience humorous thrills and find yourself becoming an original character. All this with just a hint of background information and super simple mechanics. The colorful illustrations will transport you into the world of TDO in no time; a game that won’t let you stop experience it for any moment.
Even if someone meets a fate like Starlett did. But more about that in a moment. Because I brought you a treat and documented a test match with Gunnar and Johannes. One where we had to fight our way through branches and roots.
I’ve documented a TDO test game for you.
Choose your hero
9 unusual characters
A round TDO begins with the choice of heroes. Should it be a support character, like “Dr. Hanuman,” the floating healer who has always wanted to eradicate the world’s diseases? Or do you want to intercept damage with the last living panda and a genetically engineered chameleon? Or maybe you feel like a character like “DJ Kamo Flash” who goes after the Titans with kinetic gloves and an invisibility cloak? I mean, most of us have wanted to be invisible at one time or another, right?
Our team
Cpt Blade, RAM 32, Starlett Jo-Han Sen
In any case, I feel like “Cpt Blade”, who had already fought the first attacks of the Titans with her plasma swords. Gunnar takes on the philosophical demolition robot “RAM 32” and Johannes will give us a hand with the influencer “Starlett Jo-Han Sen”. Which we undoubtedly need against “TREEBACK”, the gigantic plant colossus.
And off we go
Tooth for tooth …
It immediately gets cozy as we all start snuggled together and find ourselves eye to eye with the Titan’s bright blue gaze. So we are ready to go. Now the dice are rolled every round. Namely, everyone on the team has at least one die, and the team leader has three, which gives him more room to operate because each die can be assigned to an action. Always in radio contact with our comrades, Starlett begins to support me extensively with her sponsors. I get sponsor cards to use in emergency situations.
Aaattack …
everything that is possible
So I feel fired up and go on the attack. I cut through the armor and land six damage. Starts out great, I think, but I was wrong. Because my punch only made TREEBACK angry and he counters with two reactions. These are cards that immediately trigger when a certain amount of damage is done on our turn.
Phew
This is really uncomfortable
Man sollte sich also gut überlegen, wann man zusticht, denn die Welt knistert und kracht und das Geäst um den Titanen verdichtet sich. Er schöpft Leben aus seiner Umgebung und baut Rüstung auf. Derweil hängt RAM 32 noch an der Ladestation und sammelt Energie. Die werden wir auch dringend brauchen können, um Sponsoren zu bezahlen oder unsere Talente zu stärken.
The Game
We roll the dice, discuss and …
Once our actions have been executed, it’s the Titan’s turn. Rootwork contracts, plants sprout, and he builds more armor around himself. Darn, that feels like chopping wood with a blunt sword. Only the chopped off splinters want to attack me.
Fortunately, I can hear RAM running through the branches. We keep in touch and discuss our tactics. Starlett wants to go all out right away and blasts off her Ultimate ability. If a die shows the appropriate number of eyes, it can be assigned to that ability and the characters’ individual talents can be used. Which means that Starlett’s influencer friends can send her secret data. Somehow she can anticipate the next two reactions from the Titan and stop one of them. At the same time, she knocks down the brush, removing three markers. Phew, finally I can see the sky again. And, unfortunately, how the Titan is not at all happy about Starlett’s forestry work. Spores buzz around and within a very short time his meshwork has spread further. At the same time, he starts moving.
When a titan moves
the entire world feels it …
The world shakes and crackles and suddenly RAM crashes into the ground next to me. The Titan must have run onto its field and thrown the robot behind it. Anyone else would have been bowled over. RAM, on the other hand, manages to inflict damage on the Titan in the process. Again, we all roll the dice together and discuss our tactics. Everyone is allowed to contribute something, which is also urgently needed in this predicament. Because we hit him and he immediately heals by helping himself to our life energy. As a result, the Titan lashes out and hits RAM. The metal creaks loudly, but my tubby friend is fine. Unfortunately, however, the Titan has a crush on Starlett. She still tries to escape, we hear her panting … then sadly nothing more. Fuck! RAM becomes frantic, he has not yet experienced losing comrades. Regrettably, I already know this heavy feeling and know that it has to go on. Which is why I’m grateful that Dr Hanuman quickly hovers in Starlett’s place and beams me straight to the Titan. I strike and the Titan builds armor instead.
Bugger!
Vengeance is
RAM 32
Meanwhile, RAM has plotted his revenge. Twice he manages to activate his Ultimate, simply burn through the Titan’s root armor, and destroys one side of the Titan. I take advantage of this distraction and manage to peel off the Titan’s armor. Slowly but surely we continue to beat the titan. Nevertheless, he tears down two TDO bases and approaches the last one at the end. Things are looking bad. Now we have to knock him flat or that’s the end of the world.
It’s getting tight
wayyy to tight
Everything around me is densely rooted. The other two don’t even see the Titan anymore, so I give RAM my coordinates. I need his Ultimate one last time. Hopefully he rolls the dice well. Well, look at that. The dice and a clever tactic save our butts at the last second. My massive metal friend comes to my side, shoots a hole in the branches, and I manage one last powerful stab right into the titan. Thanks to my sponsor cards, I was able to do enough damage. Before we can take a breath, however, the Titan tears down its surroundings with its last twitches. Completely finished, however, we all get away with a few abrasions. Except for Starlett, my dear. Thanks for your sacrifice!
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