The child of the stars takes a tray

⚔️ Between Vikings and science fiction, Portal Games dares to adapt Thorgal into a board game. Innovation or sacrilege? A game that divides.

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Thorgal

⚠️ Warning : In the interest of transparency towards our community, we would like to point out that this article reflects our personal opinion on the game. We have not received any compensation from the game publisher. We have independently acquired and tested the gamewithout commercial link with its publisher. The reviews presented here represent our honest and unbiased analysis of the game, based on our own experience.

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In brief

• A daring adaptation of the cult comic book into a cooperative game with innovative mechanics
• Seven independent scenarios each offering 90-120 minutes of adventure
• A divisive experience: brilliant for some, confusing for others

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To listen to this article:

There are projects that make editors dream, and others that wake them up sweating in the middle of the night. Thorgal's adaptation arguably falls into both categories.

There are projects that make you dream and others that give publishers a cold sweat. Adapting Thorgal, this cult series which has enchanted readers for over forty years, certainly fell into the second category. However, Portal Games (Pixie for the French version) has embarked on the adventure. Result ? A game that does not lack audacity, even if it sometimes stumbles over its ambitions.

Thorgal. Viking, but not only

Let's be honest, it took a lot of nerve to tackle the world of Jean Van Hamme and Grzegorz Rosiński. How can we transcribe in cardboard and plastic the richness of a saga mixing Nordic mythology and science fiction? Portal Games' response surprises as much as it intrigues.

Before talking about dice and boards, let's go back to the origins. In 1977, when Jean Van Hamme and Grzegorz Rosiński launched Thorgal in the pages of the Tintin Journal, they were far from imagining that they were creating a saga that would span the decades. The story of this child of the stars, taken in by the Vikings after the crash of his spaceship, will quickly captivate European readers.

What makes Thorgal strong is this unique blend of genres. On the one hand, the harshness and violence of the Viking world, perfectly rendered by Rosiński's realistic style. On the other, elements of science fiction and fantasy that emerge at the turn of a page. Our hero faces both bloodthirsty jarls and civilizations from other worlds. His mysterious origin – he is the descendant of the Xargos, an alien race with psychic powers – adds an extra dimension to his adventures.

Throughout the albums, we follow not only Thorgal, but his entire family. His wife Aaricia, daughter of the Viking chief who took him in. Their children, Jolan and Louve, who each inherit their father's extraordinary gifts in their own way. Without forgetting the fascinating Kriss of Valnor, sometimes mortal enemy, sometimes improbable ally, who will end up having her own spin-off series.

The series now has more than forty albums in the main series, not counting the spin-offs. A success which can be explained by the richness of its universe, brilliantly mixing Nordic mythology, Atlantean legends, time travel and forgotten civilizations. Each album is an opportunity to discover new aspects of this world where the fantastic rubs shoulders with the brutality of medieval everyday life.

From the board to the table

It is this rich and complex heritage that Portal Games had to tame to create its board game. How can we transform stories that oscillate between initiatory quest and space opera into playful mechanisms? How do you capture the essence of a character who owes as much to Conan as to Luke Skywalker?

The response provided by the trio of Polish authors – Joanna Kijanka, Jan Maurycy Święcicki and Rafał Szyma – is bold. Rather than focusing on a single aspect of the series, they chose to embrace its diversity across seven independent storylines. Each explores a different facet of the Thorgal universe: here a purely Viking adventure, there a confrontation with forgotten technologies.

At the heart of the game

Imagine yourself around the table, the Book of Stories in your hands. Seven scenarios await you – ten if you bet on the crowdfunding version. Each game promises 90 to 120 minutes of adventure. No lengthy campaign here: each scenario is sufficient in itself. It's practical for groups that struggle to meet regularly, but let's face it, we would have liked a more consistent common thread. No, Thorgal is not in campaign mode.

A mechanism that clashes

Where Thorgal really goes off the beaten track is in his system of actions. Forget your cooperative gaming habits! Here, each token placement influences the possibilities of your partners. A sort of strategic tango where a misplaced move can compromise the plans of the entire team. It's clever, it's tense, and it forces you to communicate.

And then there are these famous polyomino tiles. A daring choice that divides: brilliantly integrated for certain players at our table, completely… off topic for others. These Tetris-style pieces manage your injuries as well as your movements. Original, certainly, but not necessarily what we expect from a Viking adventure…

The flats that creak

Let's talk about the annoying points. The atlas map, as beautiful as it is, quickly becomes a puzzle on a large table. Colorblind people struggle with the red-green combinations, and the “frosted” dice in the collector’s version are more pretty than effective. Not to mention these gray figurines which clash with the flamboyant illustrations of the game.

Learning is no walk in the park either. Three booklets to digest, first scenarios that bombard you with information… Enough to scare away the least motivated players.

The game finds its cruising speed solo or in pairs. Beyond that, downtime accumulates and planning becomes a balancing act. Thorgal can quickly become a “washing up game”. Even though it's a co-op game. Also note that the omnipresent time pressure can transform a relaxed game into a collective stress session.

Thorgal: The board game, verdict

Portal Games took risks, and it shows. Thorgal isn't the perfect game that some (including me) were hoping for, but it has the merit of trying something different. Here we have a game that divides as much as it intrigues.

Fans of tactical cooperation will find what they are looking for, as will those ready to accept a fun rereading of their favorite series. For others, it is perhaps better to wait for a hypothetical V2 which would correct the teething defects.

In the meantime, Thorgal remains true to his character: not quite from here, not really from elsewhere, but definitely one of a kind. What if that wasn't ultimately the best way to adapt this series like no other?

A bridge between two worlds

A bit like his hero who has his ass between two chairs – between stars and fjords – Thorgal on stage version struggles to find his feet. The game shines at times, it's true. But for every flash of genius, there's a creative decision that raises eyebrows.

Portal Games, the Polish publisher of the original version, played big on this one. Some bets are successful, others… not really. Result ? A great game, certainly, but shaky which risks dividing: adventurers in search of freshness could fall under the spell, while purists of the series and traditionalists will prefer to pass their turn.

Thorgal shows potential, even if he deserved more time in development. While waiting for a hypothetical V2 which would rectify the situation, this first attempt remains an intriguing curiosity. Is it worth the detour? Maybe so – but don’t expect flawless results.

We liked:

• The action system that makes you play Viking version chess
• Illustrations that would make Odin himself cry with joy
• The audacity to get off the beaten track (and the usual fjords)

We liked less:

• The gray figures that look like they came out of an endless day
• The map that requires a detective magnifying glass
• The absence of campaign mode (even Thorgal takes breaks between his adventures)

It’s more for you if…

• You like cooperative challenges that require more brains than biceps
• Tactical puzzles excite you more than dice rolling
• Have you always dreamed of being a Viking from the stars?

It's probably not for you if…

• You thought Tetris and Vikings would never meet
• The prospect of reading three rulebooks makes you break out in a cold sweat
• You prefer games where you type first, then think

Like its hero, Thorgal the board game navigates between two worlds: not quite a “classic” narrative adventure game, not really a management and puzzle game, but definitely a unique experience that deserves to be played give it a chance. Or not, and we move on. Personally, a big fan of the comic, I was rather disappointed by its adaptation into a board game. I expected more, better.

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• Label Dé Vert : No. To find out more about the Dé Vert label, click here.
• Creation : Joanna Kijanka. Jan Maurycy Święcicki. Rafał Szyma
• Illustrations : Frédéric Vignaux, Maciej Simiński
• Edition : Pixie Games for the VF, Portal for the VO
• Number of players : 1 to 4 (much better at 1-2. Sluggish at 3-4)
• Recommended age : From 14 years old (clearly no less!)
• Duration : 90 minutes per scenario
• Theme : Viking, fantasy, comic
• Main mechanics : Dice, cooperative, scenario, polyomino. To learn more about the different game mechanics, click here.

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