Review of Chara Games

My family, like so many others, loves board games, so when I find out that there is one coming up for review on the Crew, I get excited. I had never heard of Chara Games before, but their game Commissioned is one that I am very glad I got the chance to play! 

Chara Games was founded by a husband and wife in 2014 with the goal of creating Christian-themed tabletop games. The word Chara is Biblical Greek for unspeakable joy. Thus far, Chara Games has released Commissioned with 3 Seeds, their second game, set to hit retail stores by the end of the year! The company is off to a promising and exciting start!
When my kids received Commissioned, they were excited to get started with the game play. It was perfect for my family of six, as it's designed for 2-6 players. A game should take about an hour to play, but plan on more time for the first few games as you figure out this cooperative-style game. I wouldn't say it's hard, but it is a game that you have to play to understand. Don't get bogged down in the reading of the rules; rather, just take it turn by turn and step by step and you'll be playing before you know it. Some games make complete sense right out of the box (you see the whole picture). Commission is a little more nuanced than that, but that's not a bad thing! It just means that it takes a little longer to "get it." Once you do, though, it's really fun!
You are working together to build the church! Acting as Apostles, your team is doing what the Apostles would have done (well, they didn't build their Faith Decks, exactly, but work with me here!): collecting books of the New Testament and avoiding persecution. You do this by taking turns drawing faith cards, facing trials, and expanding your Faith deck. Each player gets a turn as the Elder, or the one who makes decisions for the group. You are working to achieve a scenario's conditions for victory before you run out of time (and before you lose churches!). It's such a neat premise, and what's even neater is that you don't have to know a thing about Christianity or even be a Christian to enjoy this game. I think you derive an extra bit of pleasure from the whole coolness of the concept if you are a Christian, but the game doesn't rely on faith to be fun. It's quite ingenious.
Before we played, we all watched this video:

I would wholeheartedly recommend you do the same, as it is the best possible explication of the rules and demonstration of game play. Here are my children enjoying their first round of Commissioned!

What Did We Think? As I said, we love board games, and cooperative board games are especially fun. Overall, Commissioned has been a hit in our house. I think it would make a great Christmas gift, particularly if you have friends who are new Christians this year. As I said before, though, you don't have to be a Christian to like Commissioned - you just have to be a game lover. If you belong to any kind of game club, this would be such a fun one to introduce to the group. It's so different! The premise is different, as is the game play. I really appreciate the ingenuity behind the game, and I am curious to see what Chara Games' newest offering, 3 Seeds, is like! Lots of Crew families have been playing Commissioned, so be sure to click the banner below to peek in on more of the fun!