Tabletop Game Review: Anna’s Roundtable (2020 Digital Version)

Anna’s Roundtable

Brother Ming Games

2 Players

Play Time: 45-60 Minutes

NOTE: We have updated this review with the 2022 Physical Edition of Anna’s Roundtable.  Click here to read the new and improved version!

I’m a huge Fire Emblem fan. It’s one of my favorite video game franchises, with wonderful characters and great strategic gameplay. The gameplay is perfect for the tabletop setting. That is why it is so it’s surprising that Nintendo hasn’t found the motivation to make an unplugged Fire Emblem game. Fortunately, the fan community is here to give us an experience that might be even better than what Nintendo could ever provide.

Anna’s Roundtable is a tactical strategy game. Players recruit fan-favorite Fire Emblem characters and duel it out. Players earn victory points by defeating their enemy’s units and capturing territories on the board. The player with the most victory points at the end of a game is the winner. Getting towards the final objective is simple enough. Still, the game requires players to use tactical thinking to take advantage of the units’ various strengths and weaknesses.

Brother Ming Games utilized a variety of iconic Fire Emblem mechanics to make Anna’s Roundtable feel as much of a Fire Emblem game as possible. Unit actions include attacking, assist skills, and specials. Fans will be delighted to see these Fire Emblem mechanics in action. The various actions aren’t the only Fire Emblem references either. Anna’s Roundtable embraces everything that makes Fire Emblem great. All the major movement and weapon types are here, and the game even utilizes the weapon triangle. The terrain tiles also affect the various movement types in different ways.

There is even a shop mechanic for players to use, manned by none other than Anna herself. Players will earn coins and can get some useful items to give their units some support. Iconic items and tactics such as vulneraries and reinforcements are purchasable through the shop. All this adds to the thematic presentation.

For bigger plays, the dragon veins from Fire Emblem Fates make an appearance. These are more significant actions but require some effort to use. Every KO’d unit and captured territory results in a player getting dragon vein crystals. Dragon veins allow for players to completely alter the terrain and unit positioning. Dragon veins are even used to deploy new units.

Like Brother Ming Games’ Persona 5 game, fully embracing the theme is what makes Anna’s Roundtable so special. The giant pool of units and faithful gameplay makes Anna’s Roundtable feel like a Fire Emblem title. The tiles all have a retro appearance to them. The various tokens and units breathe extra life into everything. It’s easy to feel a bit of nostalgia while playing Anna’s Roundtable.

The early builds of Anna’s Roundtable featured solid gameplay but lacked depth. Most of those issues are now remedied. The implementation of the shop and dragon veins adds many approaches to a turn. Still, Anna’s Roundtable is a tactical game that feels a touch too light for hardcore fans of the genre. Unless the hardcore player loves Fire Emblem, they will likely want to play something else. Still, the game is well balanced and can be enjoyed by those who aren’t familiar with the franchise.

One of the most appealing elements of Anna’s Roundtable is the art. Anna’s Roundtable is a massive community fan project and features art with over 100 artists. Tons of characters are being represented by tons of art styles that bring the characters to life. I’ll admit that I don’t care for some of the art, but this is inevitable with such a big project. For every card design that I don’t care for, there are twenty that I love. It’s a gorgeous project that shows tons of love and care from everyone involved.

Despite the lack of appeal for those who aren’t a part of the fandom, this is still a game created with tons of love and care. It’s faithful, enjoyable, and pretty casual too. All the gorgeous art brings the entire package together. This is a must-have for fans of the franchise.

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