Challengers! (2022)

“Challengers! is the fast auto-dueling board game of my dreams. Putting together different deck combinations and watching them fight is riveting and I can’t wait to play again.”

“Challengers! is an innovative and engaging board game that captures the essence of digital Autobattlers in a physical format. Its unique deck-building mechanics, coupled with the thrilling tournament structure, make for a highly replayable and strategic gaming experience.”

“Designers Johannes Krenner and Markus Slawitscheck’s inventive mash-up of gameplay ideas earned Challengers a nomination at this year’s Kennerspiel des Jahres - the ‘expert’ prize at the prestigious German ‘Game of the Year’ awards... as well as picking up an As d’Or at France’s similarly lauded board game awards.”

“This year, the voters chose Challengers!, which beat out runner-up Darwin’s Journey by a significant margin. This is the fourth significant award for Challengers!.”

“Challengers! has created so many fun moments in the seventeen plays I have already since May. It does everything I am looking for (and not coincidentally, what the Jury seems to seek out, too).”

“Bumbling Through Dungeons praises Challengers! as a deckbuilder that infuses unbridled joy and goofiness into its mechanics, creating a highly entertaining experience where the fun of playing often outweighs the need to win.”

“GamingTrend highly praises Challengers! for its unique blend of goofy mechanics and underlying strategy, noting that the game's unbridled joy and entertainment value often surpass the need to win, making it one of the best games in its genre.”

“I like Challengers! a whole heck of a lot better than War. While it’s more of an experience than a game, it’s an experience I really enjoy, particularly at higher player counts.”

“A curious game, but a great experience. So relax, and lean into craft and redrafting, and let the trash talk flow in this little experiment in deck programming.”

“Challengers! is a fantastic and exciting game, especially for fans of card battlers, offering a clever take on the deck-building genre through simplified drafts and engaging auto-battles.”

The Game Boy Geek describes 'Challengers!' as a highly unique and fun deck-management game, praising its simultaneous tournament style for up to eight players and exciting finishes, despite some drawbacks like misleading artwork, low card quality, and an element of luck.

The reviewer finds 'Challengers!' to be an exciting and goofy auto-battler that offers a lot of fun, particularly with multiple players, despite its relatively simple strategic depth during the combat phase. He notes the enjoyment of the deck-building choices and a surprising amount of fun even in the solo mode.