Review -- THE TEN COMMANDMENTS

THE TEN COMMANDMENTS

If a good night of gaming has you sitting around a table debating a topic which can at times be a bit heavy, well The Ten Commandments might be for you.
The game seems to be targeted at a party group, accommodating three-to-eight players.
The game theme though is one which is both a bit heavy, and not necessarily everyone’s idea of a fun topic to discuss over a game.
The box explains the game.
“The Ten Commandments, the word of God ... they have served as a guide for humanity for thousands of years. Still, even the greatest works can stand to be updated from time to time! In the game of Ten Commandments, you provide those edits. Play as the militant Crusader, the loving Midwife, the pious Healer, or dozens of other factions, each struggling to create a new set of Ten Commandments in line with their own desires.
“Negotiate, cajole, and convince your fellow players to support the Commandments you favour. Each faction has a hidden agenda ... Can you predict what your opponents are striving for? Or will they best you in the quest to re-write the Ten Commandements?”
If religion is not your idea of something to tackle at a party, or boardgame night, this is one to pass on right now.
The game is designed by Dan Tibbles, Mike Selinker, and Teeuwynn Woodruff, and is a recent release coming out in 2009 from Bucephalus Games.
Like all games from Bucephalus Games, The Ten Commandments comes in a sturdy box, which is economical in size.
The game relies exclusively on cards, and player debate and negotiation, which is a departure from relying on dice luck. That said, debates can become rather tedious in a game environment rather quickly.
The theme and game design also limits the replay ability of the game, especially with the same group. Re-debating the same thing is simply boring.
This is a game which with the right group might have one time appeal, but that is not enough to suggest buying it.
-- CALVIN DANIELS
-- Review first appeared in Yorkton This Week newspaper May 12, 2010 - Yorkton, SK. Canada