Themeborne | Escape The Dark Sector | Board Game | 1 - 4 Players | Ages 14+ | 45 Minutes Playing Time

Product Information

Escape The Dark Sector (hereafter: Sector) is a cooperative, sci-fi themed adventure game for one to four players. This 2020 release is the second, stand-alone instalment, in the 'Escape The Dark' series of games from Themeborne Ltd. Sector follows the publisher’s debut title, Escape The Dark Castle (hereafter: Castle), released in 2017. Unlike Ranged Combat, you do not need a Close Combat weapon to take the FIGHT action – you are highly a trained crew and will use your bare hands if necessary! This symbol means you must roll an additional chapter die for each member of the crew and add them to the row. For example, with two members of the crew you would roll two additional chapter dice when you see this symbol. After all player actions are fully resolved, and after resolving return fire from the enemy, if all chapter dice have been removed the enemy has been defeated and combat ends. Away from the purely mechanical improvements, the arc of the story you will experience has also seen some refinement. In Dark Castle you just dealt a bunch of chapter cards at random and worked your way through them. This meant you could easily come a cropper early on in a difficult encounter before you had a chance to gear up properly. In Dark Sector the chapter cards have been split up into Act 1, 2, and 3. Act 1 encounters are relatively easy, hurting you less, and allowing you to gear up before you get into the real challenges in Acts 2 and 3. There is a great feeling of progression as you work your way towards the boss, and the chapter cards just feel a bit more interesting than in the previous game.

The players win if all of the chapter cards are completed, and they reach The Equinox. However, if even one player dies, the game ends and all the players lose. This game is all about budgeting your health to make sure you can survive each and every card. Strategizing who draws each card is a good idea because the player who draws the card usually takes the most damage. Each story card has a random encounter for players to deal with. The more symbols at the bottom, the harder the encounter. Game Experience: I certainly have no plans to play it again for a good long while, as the game does get monotonous after multiple playthroughs in close succession. Replayability is not Dark Sector’s strong point. It’s a linear experience because it relies entirely on a limited amount of chapter cards that players will eventually get through. However, I don’t think the game is supposed to be played several times over in a short period - even if the reviewing process required I approach it this way. It’s a game that you open whenever you fancy something spooky, silly and novel. The rules of the game are quite simple, but we do recommend you read this rule book in full before your first game, even if you have played another game in the Escape the Dark series before - there are plenty of differences. Although it is definitely part of the B-movie sci fi madness that is the Dark Sector there is a definite tonal shift. Although in saying that the art of the new cards is beautiful and a refreshing difference from the previous artworks. I think it comes down completely to personal preference whether you enjoy the theme or not but even if you do not care for the time travel shenanigans there are still several encounters that stay on theme and can be mixed in straight out of the box.

Review Summary

You play as crew members of the Equinox, each represented by a unique crew card and matching die. Each crew member has a rating in three traits: Might, Cunning, and Wisdom. Those traits will be present on the crew members die, at a frequency relative to the rating. For example, a character with high Might, will have a die will more Might symbols, than Cunning or Wisdom. To begin, players will assemble chapter dice to represent the health of the enemy. Then players collect the dice for the type of weapon they are using which should match the type of combat chosen. In ranged combat, players roll ammo dice equal to the fire rate of their weapon. Different weapons will use different types of ammo dice, and some enemies are weaker to certain types. In close combat, players will roll their crew die and remove a chapter die from the enemy’s health matching the same symbol that they rolled on their crew die. IMPORTANT—The fight action must be taken by at least one member of the crew each round of Close Combat. The removal of the rest action is both a blessing and a curse. Resting in Dark Castle presented players with an easily exploitable mechanic that caused harder combat encounters to drag on until players either won, or got so bored that they accepted defeat. Removing resting in favour of the medical drone - which can only be used once per chapter and heals a single health point - makes taking damage feel like a more significant threat and forces players to play more carefully and strategically. It also fits in better with the world of Dark Sector as being an incredibly mean and miserable place that gleefully revels in the player characters’ suffering. This adorable and gooey alien will help you, should you come across it in your playthrough.

Escape the Dark Sector is a simple sci-fi adventure game with a focus on atmosphere, storytelling, and player cooperation. It takes about 2 minutes to set up, lasts around 45 minutes, and no two games are ever the same. Escape the Dark Sector is a good game, but it can be repetitive and hard to understand sometimes. If you really enjoyed playing Escape the Dark Castle, then this game might be for you, but if this is your first time with either of these games, the fantasy version is easier to engage.The formula laid down by Escape the Dark Castle (Dark Castle) is adhered to in this follow up, Escape the Dark Sector (Dark Sector). 1 to 4 players will make their way through a series of chapter cards, turning them over one at a time to uncover traps, monsters, moments of respite and more on their way to the final boss and the way out. It’s a cooperative game with a simple dice mechanic making it incredibly easy to teach and play. You may immediately use the newly acquired item, unless it is an item which normally requires an action to use (such as a ranged weapon). Final Score: 2.5 stars – Escape the Dark Sector is a good game, but issues with replay value and hard to understand rules make for a less fun escape. When Close Combat begins, all members of the crew choose one action each and then execute them simultaneously. Sector, like Castle before it, is every bit a spiritual successor to the Choose Your Own Adventure and Fighting Fantasy gamebooks. The influence of which is clear to see in the style and gameplay of both games.

IMPORTANT—For one or more crewmembers to take any of the following actions, at least one other crewmember must be taking the SHOOT action (if in Ranged Combat) or the fight action (if in Close Combat). Escape The Dark Sector (hereafter: Sector) is a cooperative, sci-fi themed adventure game for one to four players. This 2020 release is the second, stand-alone instalment, in the ‘Escape The Dark’ series of games from Themeborne Ltd. Sector follows the publisher’s debut title, Escape The Dark Castle (hereafter: Castle), released in 2017.

Along the way, the crew will have to overcome a variety of dangers, traps, and terrors. From cyborg guards and faulty replicators to killer alien organisms, each challenge is represented by a large, beautifully illustrated chapter card. Like that of its predecessor, the artwork and graphic design throughout Sector is presented in a striking, stark, monochrome. This distinctive style is evocative of the artwork in the aforementioned fantasy books from the 80’s. As a design choice it serves the game well, enriching the theme. It also provides a welcoming, warm shot of nostalgia. Like me, you might enjoy the apparent nods to various sci-fi franchises, nestled in the game’s artwork. Escape the Dark Sector plays over a series of chapter cards. Each card has an encounter on it, and the players must decide who will flip each card. The player who flips the card will be the primary target for the main effect of the encounter. IMPORTANT—If it was not used during Ranged Combat, turn the flank card to the Flank Unavailable side. This action cannot be taken in Close Combat.