Apocalypse Keys it's a role-playing game investigative fantasy come on dark tones. The title was published in 2022 in the original language by Evil Hat Productions in collaboration with Sword Queen Gamesand is brought to the edition for our country last November by Grumpy Bear. As we will find out further in our review, Apocalypse Keys deals themes that could result disturbing and unsuitable for a sensitive audienceas the body horror and the cannibalismtherefore security tools have been prepared within the manual, such as stoplightwhich should be consulted before starting a session.
The end is near
The fragile world of Apocalypse Keys it is close to ruin. There are horrors to the boundaries of reality, trying to find a way in to bring pain and devastation. The ancients portals of Judgment connect this world to other realities, and if Heralds of the apocalypse should they succeed in opening a sufficient number of these thresholds, the world will end, and its inhabitants will be at their mercy.
THE players I am “Omen” class agents from the DIVISION: An organization that fights occult threats, classifies supernatural phenomena, and investigates the impending apocalypse. Omen-class agents are an elite force composed of monsters very powerful, each characterized by unique abilities, As well as those who hold the destiny of hope – or ruin – of humanity in their hands. Have great powers however it's not always a good thing: Falling into temptation and abusing these abilities brings Omen-class monsters closer to the darkness within their hearts, leading them to become new Heralds of the Apocalypse. In short, a double-edged sword in all respects.
The monsters of the DIVISION
The Monsters of Apocalypse Keys they are inspired by Marvel comics Hellboy and similar horror fantasy, such as the series Penny Dreadful. Every creature desires acceptance from mankind, who however reciprocates this expectation with distrust and contempt. The illustrations in comic styleof the manual are full of color and present depicting scenes moments of reflection And grotesque creatures. The monsters, played by the players, are divided and categorized into booklets. The booklets available are: the Summoned, the Anomaly, the Lost, the Shadow, the Survivor, the Fallen and the Hungry.
The Summoned he is a violent monster called from another world. The power of him is direct, aggressive and demanding. The themes that represent it are violence, aversion to fate, the desire to be loved and to love in turn.
The Anomaly it is a creature desperatefrom the overwhelming powerAnd uncontrollable, whose only desire is to share his burden. The incredible power of this booklet offers themes of collateral damage, alienation, and toxic relationships born of the desire for acceptance.
The Lost One is one psionic able to read hearts and minds of those around him, yet he is incapable of remembering his own past. The power of him, extremely inquisitive and empatheticbinds the lost to themes of mental manipulation, paternalism and the presumption of knowing what is best for someone else.
The shadow it's a monster from cold and rational mind who defied death and oblivion. The power of her is enlightening, intellectual and ephemeral. His themes are associated with death and the price of knowledge.
The Survivor it is a monster originally from another world or reality, left the last of his kind. The power of him is thoughtful, painful and hopeful. Associated with themes of suffering such as loss, guilt and genocide.
The Fallen it is a being fascinatingonce recognized as divine creature. The power of him is intoxicating, broken and deceptive. The themes of the fallen man are arrogance and the destructive desire to recover what he has lost.
The Hungry it's a ravenous monster consumed by his own hunger. The power of him is intimate, transformative And heartbreaking. It brings themes such as body horror, corruption and the desperate need for emotional relationships.
The guardian of the thresholds and the keys
The game system Of Apocalypse Keys is a variant of Powered by the Apocalypsein which the guardian of the thresholds (the narrator) proposes a mystery and the players perform some moves to resolve it, fueling the narrative. The success of these is defined by the launch of two D6which will be added to the number of darkness tokens used (from 1 to maximum 3), all results lower than 8 are failures, while, greater than 10 they are “catastrophic” or costly successes. The results from 8 to 10 I am controlled successes or critical successes.
The markers darkness are obtained by performing actions related to nature of the booklet chosen, for example when the hungry man feeds he gains from 2 to 4 tokens by ticking one condition related to hunger. The conditions in Apocalypse Keys replace the normal convention of health pointsmodifying the classic dynamics of fighting, as the conditions are related to specific themes of the narrativesuch as lust or anger.
There solving a mystery involves players in collecting clues called “keys“, which must be linked to the facts relating to the case (relates) to be able to use the move “open the portal of judgment” and solve the mystery.
The failure in Apocalypse Keys represents the monsters' inability to control the darkness inherent in their hearts, inevitably bringing them closer to the Heralds. In game terms, failing a move, unraveling a mystery, or falling into temptation and using powers related to darkness can result in the accumulation of Ruin points.
After reaching five points Ruin you get a advancement Ruin which, narratively, forces the player to describe the events of the prophecy linked to his future fall. Each Ruin advancement resets the accumulated points and advances the transition phases towards the state of Herald. Reached nine advancements the monster becomes a Herald of the Apocalypse e is removed from the groupthis event represents the end of the character, who can only return later as antagonist.
United against the end
Apocalypse Keys proposes an adventure into the psyche of humanity's last heroes, monsters characterized by trauma and complex dynamics. The extremely detailed manual contains all the elements necessary to create a campaign, but also some pre-generated adventures. The game system is solid, based on the variant of a tried and tested system, combined with a narrative that moves thanks to the players, but starting from a situation described by the narrator. Overall Apocalypse Keys it's excellent fantasy horror with investigative elementswhich however could be unsuitable for a sensitive audience due to the themes covered, while lovers of psychological horror will find a product suitable for them.
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