BoardGame Verdict
81

Vantage is an open-world, cooperative, roguelike adventure game where 1-6 players explore an entire alien planet from first-person perspectives. Each player has a unique 'vantage' card showing their view of the world with six different actions coded to skills like move, look, engage, help, take, and overpower. The game features 801 location cards and nine storybook manuals, creating a narrative sandbox experience reminiscent of Choose Your Own Adventure books.

81

The Verdict

based on 36 reviews

Positive 0%
Mixed 0%
Negative 0%
Truly open-world sandbox experience with a massive sense of freedom and discovery.
Deeply immersive and engaging narrative that players shape through their choices.
High replayability with a vast world and randomized elements that ensure no two games are the same.
Accessible ruleset that makes it easy to learn and start playing quickly despite its large scale.
Excellent and engaging experience for solo players and small groups of two.
Significant downtime between turns at higher player counts, making it less ideal for larger groups.
Multiplayer sessions can feel disconnected as players are often separated and pursuing their own goals.
The heavy emphasis on narrative and exploration may not appeal to players who prefer strategy and mechanics-driven board games.
A high level of game maintenance and card management is required during play.
100
One Last Hand, ScottArticleTop List

The reviewer highly praises Vantage as an exceptional open-world exploration game that excels at emergent storytelling, appealing to players who enjoy crafting their own experiences and objectives rather than following a rigid narrative.

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95
Game Boy Geek, Ryan GuerraVideo

The reviewer considers "Vantage" to be an amazing and uniquely immersive, open-world experience that delivered on his high expectations and earned a permanent spot in his collection. He notes that its open-ended pace and narrative focus might not appeal to everyone.

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95
Tim Chuon, Tim ChuonVideo

Tim Chuon considers 'Vantage' one of the most incredible open-world board games he has experienced, highlighting its ambitious design, unique gameplay sessions, top-tier exploration, and well-designed character progression.

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95
Specifically Solo, JaredVideo

The reviewer highly recommends "Vantage" for solo gamers, praising its open-world exploration, ease of card management, and immense content, calling it potentially their favorite solo experience of the year.

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95
Hungry Gamer, Hungry GamerVideo

The reviewer enthusiastically praises 'Vantage' as a beautifully designed, story-driven open-world game, highlighting its excellent production quality and high replayability, especially recommending it for solo or two-player experiences as a strong Game of the Year candidate.

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95
BoxKing Gaming, John GrossArticle

This is a remarkable and unique game, with amazing depth, and a unique pull that I have not felt from other games. After 16 plays and about 50 hours of play, I am still finding new things every time, and seeing little repetition from game to game.

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95
Player EliminationArticleTop List

There was an extended moment of a couple of months where Vantage was my game of the year. It is deserving of that level of praise, offering an open-world exploration system that fixes many of the issues present in its peers.

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95
Board Game Hangover, Board Game HangoverVideo

The reviewer enthusiastically praises 'Vantage' as a fantastic and remarkable achievement in storytelling within board games, highlighting its ability to let players continually progress through an anthology of stories, ultimately deeming it the best sandbox board game available.

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95
The Discriminating Gamer, Cody Carlson (The Discriminating Gamer)Video

During the unboxing, Ray expressed strong enthusiasm for "Vantage," highlighting its open-world cooperative adventure and sandbox nature as particularly appealing, and suggesting it could be his favorite Stonemaier game ever.

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90
Totally Tabled, ShaggyVideo

The reviewer highly praises Vantage as a streamlined solo exploration game that excels at rewarding discovery and offers immense replayability, though they suggest it is primarily a solo experience rather than a satisfying multiplayer game.

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90
Board Game Quest, Tony MastrangeliArticle

Vantage is an incredibly ambitious game that you can spend hours and hours exploring. I've played it a lot since I got it, and I still feel like I'm just scratching the surface of what it offers.

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90
IGN, Charlie TheelArticle

Vantage is one of the best games of 2025. It's Stonemaier Games' most intriguing and creative effort, presenting a game that refines the very concepts of sandbox play on the tabletop.

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