Dead of Winter: A Crossroads Game

Giochi da Tavolo Horror Fantascienza

2-5 players

120 min

2014

Game Description

Prepare for an unprecedented survival experience with Dead of Winter: A Crossroads Game, the inaugural title of Plaid Hat Games' acclaimed "Crossroads" series. In a devastated world where humanity is decimated by flesh-hungry monsters, you and your group of 2-5 players will find yourselves leading a small and vulnerable colony of survivors. Each player commands a faction of unique characters, all grappling with the harsh reality of a freezing winter and an impending apocalypse. This board game, published in 2014, will immerse you in a constant struggle for survival, amidst external threats and internal tensions.

Dead of Winter stands out as an innovative meta-cooperative psychological survival game. Although all participants work together to achieve a common victory objective, personal success also requires the completion of a secret individual objective. These objectives can range from harmless quirks to dangerous obsessions, from the desire to sabotage the main mission to the darkest of revenges against the colony itself. This dynamic creates a palpable tension, where trust is a scarce resource and every decision can turn the tide for the group or lead to the downfall of an individual.

The game experience is profoundly narrative and immersive, offering an adventure that only board games can convey. You will have to make difficult and thematic decisions, often balancing the good of the colony with your personal interest. Finding food and supplies, resolving unexpected crises, and maintaining morale are just some of the challenges you will face, as your survivors battle not only against the cold and monsters, but also against their own inner demons. The game also includes a fully cooperative variant for those who wish to focus solely on the group's objective, eliminating personal goals.

Game Information:

Players: 2-5
Duration: Approximately 120 minutes
Year of Publication: 2014
Publisher: Plaid Hat Games

Players: 2-5

Duration: 120 min

Publisher: Plaid Hat Games

Anno 2014

Rules - Dead of Winter: A Crossroads Game

Dead of Winter: A Crossroads Game is a meta-cooperative psychological survival board game for 2-5 players. Set in a colony of survivors during a harsh, zombie-infested post-apocalyptic winter, the game challenges participants to work together towards a common goal, while each also having a secret personal objective. These individual objectives can range from harmless whims to dangerous obsessions, even to sabotaging the main mission, creating a constant tension between cooperation and self-interest.

During the game, players manage a faction of survivors, exploring various locations to gather food and vital resources, combat external threats, and resolve crises afflicting the colony. Decisions are often difficult and thematic, with a significant impact on the colony's morale and the characters' survival. A distinctive element are the Crossroads cards, narrative events that are triggered based on players' actions, presenting moral dilemmas and unexpected consequences.

The ultimate goal is to achieve the common victory condition and, simultaneously, complete one's secret objective. This means a game can conclude with all players winning, some winning and others losing, or all losing. There is also a fully cooperative variant without personal objectives, focused solely on the survival of the group and the colony.