I was one of the players involved in "playtesting" the contents of this zine, and even so, I felt a constant sense of delight and surprise while reading it. Paleolithic Voyages is a card-carrying Free Kriegspiel (FKR) game, and an incredibly well-constructed and well-presented one at that.
If you have been burned previously by feeling FKR publications do not always provide "a full game", fear not. Paleolithic Voyages is very much a tested, complete and playable game. The FKR-typical expectations of proactive creativity from the Referee and the players are balanced with some choice rules and tables. And refreshingly, the subject matter is treated with a level of dignity usually not seen for "caveman times", and the game encourages a fuller, deeper, and more rounded idea of this time and its people without sacrificing the fantastical and wondrous entirely. Paleolithic Voyages is still firmly rooted in the adventure game tradition, but is unburdened by the dungeon-oriented and dragon-enthralled inheritance usually associated with the genre.
Expect surprises. Expect danger. Expect drama. But expect nothing short of succinct, evocative, and thoughtful gaming excellence.
|