Board Game Spotlight: Kemet

In another of our regular board game spotlights, Zatu looks around the new bedsit. No stuff here yet bar those tragic items, memories from whoever lived here before, photos, a necklace, soon to be replaced by new memories, memories of a new start. Yeah. A new start.

Among the detritus, Kemet, the 2012 release from publisher Matagot and designers Jacques Bariot and Guillame Montiage.

The Game

Kemet, like Friday evenings, is all about summoning godly powers and sacrifices. Players take control of ancient Egyptian tribes and must use their armies to wage war or conquer territory.

This is a game that rewards aggression; aggression on the board rather than punching your family. Across the game, players will battle multiple times, each victory netting them a sweet sweet victory point.

Gameplay itself is split across two phases, day and night. During the day, players take turns performing one of the nine possible actions available to them, actions which include: moving their armies; attacking; taking control of temples; constructing pyramids; purchasing power tiles that allow players to summon mythical creatures and buff their armies.

Once each player has taken five actions, night falls, hard. Players now gather prayer points and divine intervention cards and the order of play for the next day is determined.

Any number of the daylight actions can help secure the 8 victory points you need to win. Having control of a pyramid above a certain level, for example, will give you one victory point, but only as long as you control it. The game is therefore a delicate balance of construction, destruction, stabbing and pet-sitting.

The Publisher

Matagot (or Editions du Matagot) is a French board game publisher named for an evil spirit embodied by a black cat from old French folklore.

They are known for a series of RPG lines as well as AquaSphere and Barony.

The Designers

With Kemet, Guillame Montiage set out to create a combat game as epic as Dune, which he’s loved ever since he first played it at 18.

Jacques Bariot was involved in testing the first prototype, and helped to refine and reform the game mechanics after that point.

Buy Kemet Today

If you want to have a big fight in Northern Africa, buy this game from Zatu today!