Overview: Story Realms is a role-playing board-game with a dice-pool mechanic presented in a way that is simple enough for young players, but complicated enough to keep the interest of older players. The game is set in a world where all fairy tales have taken place and you as a player are sucked into the world to become a hero on your own adventure.

Players:2-7

Who will like it: Families who like to play games together. People who like stories, reading, and books.

Playing Time: 1 hour

What’s in the box?: Well, it depends on which Kickstarter level you decide to back.

How is it played?:A story teller leads the player(s) through their adventure using various skill checks and inventory items. With other roll playing games (like Dungeons and Dragons) it is required to roll above a certain number on a numbered die. Players in Story Realms roll several 6-sided dice and symbols indicate hits or failures. Only one success is needed when dice are rolled for the story element proposed by a player to "happen". The game is mostly driven by the imaginative stories the players concoct.

An element of this game which my husband and I have found in several games recently (King of Tokyo and Seasons) is the bare-bones aspect of the characters. Yes, they each have characteristics specific to them, but as the story progresses, the player makes choices that individualize the character further making the game play different every time and adding replayability.

Another spiffy little thing, mentioned over on GeekDad by Erik Wecks, is an addition you don’t find in most role-playing-games: little packs that are individual to the characters. When I played the game at PAX, I ended up teaming up with one of the other players using the items in our packs cooperatively to give us bonuses. This brings me to the other piece of "encounters": there is a progress chart where you move toward or away from your goal based on decisions you make during the "fight". Using the items in your pack cooperatively and in unique ways along with your skills will earn you bonus points which bring you closer to resolving what ever problem you are overcoming. Think of it as a puzzle game like Monkey Island instead of a standard Dungeons and Dragons battle. This is a huge plus as a parent of little kids where creative thinking and problem solving is encouraged instead of hack-and-slash (not that there is anything wrong with hack-and-slash...love me some imaginary blood-and-guts).

Geeky Goodness: Rebecca pointed us to this game when the Kickstarter started. Since then, this game has been featured during several conventions including GameStorm and PAX. The creators of the game are true board-game geeks and strive for a balanced game that can be enjoyed by players of any age.

Hey, where can I buy this game?: The Kickstarter is running through October 4th.

GeekMom approved or “meh”?: If I could write approved with flashing lights I would. Though the game is presented as a board game, it is played like a role-playing-game with stunning visual attributes which add to the story telling experience. Story Realms is an amazing opportunity to play a game with your kids while teaching them how to use their brains in creative ways.

**A play test copy of this game was sent to me so I could play it and tell you if it’s fun**