Kalewala: Tale of Sampo
The game of Kalewala: Tale of Sampo puts players into two opposing teams controlling fascinating characters in an immersive narrative set on the epic of Kalevala, where they will venture from dismal Pohjola to desperate Tuonela, and all the way to the goal destination of Vainola. The sides are completely hidden from one another, amplified by the use of a large vertical player screen which holds the map and movement of magnetic playing pieces.
There are over 100 locations, with either a land, water, or a Trap-laid path leading to them, few of them being specific points of interest (e.g. interactive scenarios). One of the players will be tasked with the responsibility of bearing the Sampo, which will determine the outcome of the game. Others are either looking to distract and aid the Sampo-bearer or locate and defeat him, depending whether they are on the side of Vainola or Pohjola.
Thus, for Vainola the game revolves around clever outmaneuvering and sneaky deception, while the deduction based on factual but partial information (leading to risk assessment and well-timed challenges) are key to the side of Pohjola. There are varying ways to play besides this underlying plot line, but these are better left for players themselves to realize.
There are over 100 locations, with either a land, water, or a Trap-laid path leading to them, few of them being specific points of interest (e.g. interactive scenarios). One of the players will be tasked with the responsibility of bearing the Sampo, which will determine the outcome of the game. Others are either looking to distract and aid the Sampo-bearer or locate and defeat him, depending whether they are on the side of Vainola or Pohjola.
Thus, for Vainola the game revolves around clever outmaneuvering and sneaky deception, while the deduction based on factual but partial information (leading to risk assessment and well-timed challenges) are key to the side of Pohjola. There are varying ways to play besides this underlying plot line, but these are better left for players themselves to realize.
Game story
The most well-known story of Kalevala, the tale about the legendary artifact called Sampo, is imaginable by the players from the climax of the perilous journey back home. The other events of Kalevala are represented as flavorful Tale cards which are incrementally added to your games of Kalewala. This ties into the several trips to the Karelian region that Elias Lönnrot, the author of Kalevala, made in the early 19th century where he put together the oral narratives by closely listening to the songs of the locals when visiting them. Therein lies the wish to recreate these stories, not only through revisiting them by reading the runes or by immersed through the representations of the historical art in the cards, but throughout the possibilites of gameplay. The epicness of Kalevala calls for adding further depth to the game, so more Tale cards, fleshening of Tuonela, and the previous parts of the Tale of Sampo await to be explored by expanding the game for those seeking.
