Today we'll be looking at the rules for the game Batt'l Kha'os. That wasn't it's original title however. Before the game was published it was known as Fangs and Swords and was just a thread on BoardGameGeek with the game being available for print and play. This is a cool opportunity to see a game evolve from start to finish, so check it out! The game has you placing tiles to control magic towers as either Knights or Orcs. You can learn more about Batt'l Kha'os here.
In the heat of battle though, you'll need the rulebook as your guide! Susan and I have put on some heavy armor and will charge into this rulebook with our review! If you want to see the rulebook for yourself, you can find a PDF for it here. Let's get started!
In the heat of battle though, you'll need the rulebook as your guide! Susan and I have put on some heavy armor and will charge into this rulebook with our review! If you want to see the rulebook for yourself, you can find a PDF for it here. Let's get started!
Organization and Layout: To start, I liked using the front page to show off the components. This allowed me to once I opened to the first page to know I would only be dealing with rules from that point on. The rulebook starts with the basic game at the front and keeps the advanced game in the back so as not to confuse players by mashing how the rules work for both of them together, another strong point. You could easily read this rulebook to learn while playing your first game plus it has an attractive layout. A stellar job!
Clarity: The rules were in no way confusing and perfectly clear.
Graphics: There were a plethora of wonderful examples of scoring and gameplay that were incredibly helpful. Right next to every description of a kind of power token or special tile you could see the relevant pictures making it easy to learn and remember. I always knew how a certain section scored perfectly as well. This rulebook is a fantastic example of how to use graphics in a rulebook for their maximum effect.
Depth: Every edge case is covered nicely, plus they are in the relevant section for where they would come up when playing the game and reading the rules!
Writing: This has the feel of professionalism you look for when reading a rulebook. I didn't find any kind of extra fluff anywhere and there were no grammatical errors or typos of any kind to be found.
Clarity: The rules were in no way confusing and perfectly clear.
Graphics: There were a plethora of wonderful examples of scoring and gameplay that were incredibly helpful. Right next to every description of a kind of power token or special tile you could see the relevant pictures making it easy to learn and remember. I always knew how a certain section scored perfectly as well. This rulebook is a fantastic example of how to use graphics in a rulebook for their maximum effect.
Depth: Every edge case is covered nicely, plus they are in the relevant section for where they would come up when playing the game and reading the rules!
Writing: This has the feel of professionalism you look for when reading a rulebook. I didn't find any kind of extra fluff anywhere and there were no grammatical errors or typos of any kind to be found.
While I sharpen Susan's battle axe, let's see how he rates the rulebook! On the Susan Rating Scale this rulebook gets:
Susan's Explanation: From start to finish this is a perfectly executed rulebook. It's easy to find anything you are looking for, there are tons of great pictures example, the writing is superb, and the rulebook covers everything you could ever need. I couldn't be happier then to make this rulebook:
Susan's Explanation: From start to finish this is a perfectly executed rulebook. It's easy to find anything you are looking for, there are tons of great pictures example, the writing is superb, and the rulebook covers everything you could ever need. I couldn't be happier then to make this rulebook:
There you have it! Be sure to check out the game as it evolved as well, I was considering a Before and After article for this but the thread does such a cool job. Thanks for reading and feel free to battle it out in the comments below. Until next time: Every Game Deserves A Good Rulebook.