This morning I learned how to play Beowulf the Legend boardgame. Mechanically, it smoothly combines three main elements: a bidding game, elements of a push-your-luck game, and traditional token progress / narrative track for movement. I was struck how well I thought the mechanics matched the theme and plot of the classic Anglo-Saxon epic.
Beowulf is one of my favorite literary works. I've taught it a few times, and I've always had some students who expressed their admiration for it. When I told friends and acquaintances that I was going to play the demo, I was shocked at how few had any familiarity with it.
Rather than recommend reading the original, I have suggested instead that they watch the movie 13th Warrior or its source novel Eaters of the Dead by Michael Crichton. The novel is a continuation of in the telling of an actual manuscript fragment written by the Arab emissary Ahmad Ibn Fadlan which recount his travels among the Northmen in the tenth century.
In the continuation, he comes into contact with Buliwyf )(Beowulf) and his retinue as they prepare to voyage by sea to the kingdom of Hrothgar, to free Hurot (Heorot) and his people from the depredations of the monster Wendol (Grendel), his mother, and the glow-wyrm (dragon) -- all of which have naturalistic explanations for them.
Grade: For 13th Warrior and Eaters of the Dead, a solid A. For the boardgame, based on my limited play, I'd probably give it a B, but with the understanding that I might elevate it after I've had more extensive experience playing the game.
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