We surely all remember, for the oldest, the games of the board game "Les Loups-garous de Thiercelieux". More recently, we also had the famous Among Us, to name only him among the paraphernalia of more or less successful games of this genre. Today I'm going to tell you about Eville, a game that offers new ideas on the theme, and that I was able to test with a group of nice people. So who is the big bad killer?
Graphics and atmosphere
The game is generally not unpleasant, but remains very far from revolutionizing video games with these graphics. Positive point: it will run on a lot of configuration, and the game is not really ugly, nor even beautiful, it is in a fairly average standard. As for the sound environment, we are in a village atmosphere, quite classic and peaceful... in appearance. But all this fits quite well for the immersive side of the game and in the roleplaying session that takes place there every day!
Gameplay
The game takes place in two phases: the day phase, which lasts 1 minute 30 minutes, and the night phase, which lasts 1 minute. Before the game, you will have the role that has been assigned to you among the 3 factions of the game that will compete. The villagers, who are the inhabitants of the village, the conspirators who want to murder the people of the village and the strangers, a strange faction which pursues its own objectives and which will make an alliance with one of the camps according to these (I admit I haven't tried this class yet, but I have read the in-game guide.)
During the day, you will have free time for villagers to complete quests to get gold or items, buy items to protect themselves, make potions, and many other things that will be useful to you. But players with more specific roles such as the friend of the dead who can be on the will of a dead person to inherit their possessions, the trapper who can set traps during the day, etc... As for the conspirators, they will try to kill isolated people to succeed in reducing the number of villagers as much as possible.
At night, you find yourself, depending on your role, wandering in the street or sleeping. For example, the guards can go out to save the inhabitants thanks to the stabs in the teeth of the assassins, but it is not the only one, others will be able to investigate and see what is happening to testify in front of the others for finally bring the culprits before popular justice... in theory. Because once a body is found, it will end up (with the other dead) in the public square, which will trigger the alarm which can also be activated manually. And there, the trial can begin!
You will have to quickly discuss to put on the hot seat a person who will find himself in the cage after a vote. And then, a second vote will be proposed by placing oneself on the guilty or not guilty box in order to decide whether or not to release the person after he has defended himself. If the person is guilty, he finds himself burned in the cage and placed in the public square with the other bodies. If the enemies are all dead, victory is declared...otherwise the hunt will continue until death ensues...on one side or the other.
The game is played in three difficulties which consist in the number of roles, so that one can learn the game with its different roles over time. But the fact that there is ONLY a villager and an assassin is not an end in itself, for example, you can kill an enemy if you have a suitable role such as the guard, or if you are mayor ...you can send him to the stake alone. I also saw that you could concoct deadly poisons... is it possible to poison him? to test in one of my future games.
Summary
Eville is a more particular version than a Among Us or a werewolf from Thiercelieux and which will become, if the players give it a chance, a classic, as the game remains well put together with its share of advantages. We can criticize its more resourceful side with the many things to do, its stranger, even messy aspect. But for my part I find that, compared to other games of the same genre, it does quite well, and deserves its chance. Besides, many paid cosmetics are available for those who want to have a more personalized avatar...
