It’s no secret that our family loves board games, so the older kids and I were excited when given the opportunity to review Commissioned from Chara Games.
Chara Games was founded in 2014 by Patrick and Katherine Lysaght. The company name, Chara is from the Greek word for enduring joy; an appropriate name! The Lysaghts had two goals when founding Chara Games:
- They want to “make high-quality games for youth, teens, and adults to introduce Christian concepts to others in a non-threatening way.”
- They “want to provide fun games that help Christians explore their history and deepen their faith.”
The Lysaghts desire to use games to bridge gaps between the Christian and secular communities.
Mr. B, Miss A and I have had fun playing Commissioned. The directions for Commissioned say that it is best for those age 14 and older; however Miss A (12) was able to do just fine with it. As we became more familiar with the game I can see that it would be possible to incorporate those kids in upper elementary. Since Commissioned is a cooperative game, older players are available to help guide younger players through the plays.
A Brief Overview of Commissioned
We found that it was fairly easy to get started playing after we watched the video on YouTube from Chara Games. There are five different ways to set up the game: Acts of the Apostles, Appeal to Caesar, The First Missionary Journeys, To the Ends of the Earth, and Peter’s Gentile Outreach. Once you determine which set up you want to use just follow the rules on the corresponding card to set up the board. The card will also outline any special rules that apply to the game play.
Each player then chooses their apostle and the corresponding cards and game piece. Each Apostle has a special ability that is important throughout the game.
The goal for the Acts of the Apostles setup is to establish a church in every city and to collect all nine of the New Testament word cards. Along the way there will be Trials (isn’t that always the case in life?) However, by working together and using each person’s special abilities (think about your own talents) those trials can be overcome.
However, if the five candles are extinguished during game play the game is lost. This resulting loss would mean that the Roman Empire never adopts Christianity. So make sure to work together to spread the gospel throughout the ancient world!
We have enjoyed playing Commissioned! Especially once we got the hang of it, which was fairly easy to do thanks to the video. Truly the hardest part of playing has been convincing the younger kids that they couldn’t play, at least until I better understood the game. Next time we play, I will probably allow Mr E and Miss R to play as well. I think they will understand the concepts with some help from Mr B, Miss A and me.
Chara Games graciously offered to allow us to review their next game, 3 Seeds. So now we are anxiously awaiting the arrival of 3 Seeds, which is suggested for those 12 and older. Be sure to watch for an upcoming review of 3 Seeds.
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CharaGames/
Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/CharaGames/ @Charagames
Jennifer
