An interesting detail is that even the rules of the game are introduced in this way. There is no rulebook, you just take your first card and begin to play. That’s definitely by far my fastest introduction in a new game so far!

Up to now, there are three different titles of Cartaventura. All of them let you experience the story of a historical person. But, as said, you make your own decisions. So, the story has multiple endings, one of these is the real outcome of the story, the others possible other endings. Some even lead to death, which was often not an unlikely ending in history, of course.

I played the variant Cartaventura – Oklahoma that takes place in the year 1854, the time right before the American civil war. In the game you play the role of Bass Reeves, a 23 year old black slave who escapes his master and must now find a way to live his own life. You can imagine that this was not easy at this time, and as a result, there are many perils and challenges to face. All the more as Bass’ master, George Steele Reeves, is chasing him, his revolver always at hand.

Click on image to enlarge!

I must say that I really enjoyed to play the game. I mean, it’s not very complex and there are not really hard decisions to make. But it’s great to experience an episode of history in this narrative and entertaining way. Of course, 70 cards do not guarantee life-long re-playability. But Cartaventura uses a simple, but effective mechanism to change the options you will face between two games: all cards have two sides. And during the game you are often asked to turn a card and follow the instructions on the backside. The card is then discarded. During clean-up, not all cards are flipped back again. As a result, you face the backside first during your next game, and this again can alter the game. So, if you want to find all available options it will take you some time.

Cartaventura can be played by a group, it is the ideal solo game for me. In a group you just decide together which way you go or which option you choose. But of course, you can do so by your own too. It’s a nice game to play everywhere you go. You don’t need much room for this, even a small table in a train will be enough. Together with the compact box, it is a great game to take along. And once you are fed up with the game or have found out all available endings, you can still give it away to a friend who also wants to learn more about the historical person.