By Odin’s Drinking Horn
Location: at home
Date Played: March 2021
Team size: we recommend 2-4
Duration: 4-5 hours
Price: $135
REA Reaction
The Runes of Odin felt like a complicated tabletop escape game… or a light alternate reality game (ARG). We were presented with a few beautiful artifacts, many documents, and just a little direction. From that point it was on us to read, analyze, and puzzle our way to answers.
This was a higher-commitment experience than most of the tabletop games that find their way into our dining room. It was well-executed. The story was extensive and engaging, and most of the puzzles were solid, with one standout and one that didn’t do anything for us.
Our biggest issues with this game were two-fold:
- The hint system was under-baked for how demanding the game was.
- The ratio of flavor to gameplay felt off. There was so much to read, touch, and look at, but if you took the true puzzle components and looked at them in isolation, they made up a small fraction of the game.
All of this culminated in a big mystery… which may be exactly what you’re looking for. The Runes of Odin wants you to pour a drink, sit back, and take your time with its world. If that’s what you’re looking for, then this is a great game. If spending 4+ hours reading and analyzing documents sounds like more than you’re looking for, then you’ll likely want to explore a different game. It really is a matter of time and taste.
Who is this for?
- Story seekers
- Puzzle lovers
- Artifact collectors
- Best for players with at least some experience
Why play?
- Collectible artifacts
- Extensive world-building
- Some strong puzzles
Story
Argonaut Exports dealt in ancient artifacts. When they’d happened upon an academic’s half-finished research into Odin, they’d asked us to see what we could discover about the Norse god.
