Commissioned Board Game – The Early Church Needs You!

May 1st, 2020 Ken Searle Reviews 0 comments

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Let me start out by saying that I think Commissioned is one of the best themed-base bible board games I have played. That board map makes it feel like you are in ancient times. Playing as the Apostles makes it feel like you are in the midst of ‘Acts of the Apostles’ and helping the early Church.

I want a theme-based game to draw me into a believable experience and Commissioned does that well.

Replayability

Replay-ability is very good in Commissioned. There are various Scenario/Mission cards to get you started whether you want to start out with a similar path as the Apostles or try out other variations. I could see playing each variation several times.

We liked that each Apostle had a special ability. It adds to the strategy of who to pick for each mission scenario.

Cooperative.

This is a cooperative game so you are all in it together. This works well for our group where there are different levels of gaming experience. People who never win at strong strategic games feel just as much as the group as the gaming experts.

I really like this quality. We lost our first game but had fun helping each other try to reach the finish in time.

You can get Commissioned on Amazon by clicking here.

Difficulty

Like the early Church, you face persecution (in the form of trial cards) each turn. This makes things difficult. If you are not a fan of overcoming obstacles this may be a slight negative for you, but since it fits with the theme, expect it as a challenge to overcome. This game makes you think and strategize as a team.

Game Master Setup

I recommend at least 1 experienced player helping other first time players. If you are the designated game master and don’t have someone to teach you in person, you will likely need to watch some YouTube videos and do 1-2 self-test games to get good at the various mechanics.

I actually recommend watching the official video first (below), then use the manual as a reference.

This is the official ‘How To Play’ video from Chara Games

Some setup mistakes to avoid…. (as I already made them)

Don’t shuffle all your cards up before learning what they do. Each Apostle (Player) has some of their own cards that don’t get mixed with others but are given to a specific player at the start of the game.
Pay attention to how many cards each player receives each round and plays each turn. If you are off by one, you could be playing an un-winnable game.
The combo cards in the ‘Trial‘ deck will be included in each game regardless of the difficulty. They are not an optional 3rd medium level of difficulty. Your only choice is to either exclude the martyr (difficult) cards or exclude the (disciple) easy cards.

I set up the board and decks before people arrive to save them 10 minutes.

The game’s learning curve is mostly on the game master. If you master the game mechanics, your players will not get stuck and can enjoy the theme-based experience.

This is not a game you can open for the first time with no experience when your group arrives but can be worth the effort if you prepare well.

If you have light gamers used to games like Yahtzee and Monopoly, be prepared to help them throughout the game (if they need it).

Individual Player Deck Play

Without a background in Collectible Card Games (CCG) I found learning the individual player deck mechanics rather difficult from the manual alone. However, watching the official How To Play video from Chara games made that easier.

Even though my group struggled a bit with the card mechanics we liked that each Apostle had a special ability and that we could choose from among those abilities each turn, keeping everyone engaged.

I think the individual decks add to the individual character of each Apostle which adds to the theme.

Art Work

I liked the artwork in this game. I think the game map really sets the tone that you are in ancient times.

Home Rule Variations (To make it easier)

If you have gotten beaten several times and your frustration is bordering on not wanting to play this game again, then here are a couple of things you can do to make it a little easier.

Don’t use the message die for first-timers. This is mentioned in the Chara rules, but re-mentioning it here. I don’t use the die unless I see we need a bigger challenge.
Only play a trial card after all players have gone instead of once per player. This will make it much easier in case you want to give the team an easy win. (You don’t have to tell them, let them enjoy it)
Ignore the Extinguish candles. It can be harsh losing the game over a random event. Keep it if people are enjoying the challenge.

Summary

Commissioned would be a solid addition to your Bible board game library. While it took me a little longer to learn as the game master, it was worth it. The quality of the game design combined with the theme gives a richer immersive experience than almost any other bible game. If you want a game in the period of the Apostles, this is a keeper!

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