Feudum Unboxing

Feudum’s enormous box, and its weight on Board Game Geek can be a little intimidating. It is one of the biggest boxes on my shelf, and it is filled with so many gorgeous components and intriguing artwork. The copy we are looking at today is a Kickstarter copy, but it is not too different from the retail version if that is all you can get your hands on.

2-5 Players | 80 – 180 Minutes | Designed by Mark Swanson

Box Design

As previously mentioned, the box is huge! As soon as I laid eyes on the artwork, I was so intrigued and the box design really shows off some of this stunning  art.

The back of the box gives information in 3 different languages, presented artistically in small text. You can also see the board, but it is hard to get any ideas about the gameplay, or what the components look like set up on the board. I feel as though the artwork is beautiful, but there is a lot of ‘wasted’ space which could have shown off some more components as they are quite unique.

I like how all the artwork is intertwined and spread across all edges of the box. On the cover, you can see the serpent’s tail in the tower, which can then be seen on the back of the box from a different angle. On top of this, the serpent also travels around the edges of  the inner box which is a cool, yet unnecessary addition.

Rulebook

Upon opening the box, you are greeted with not 1, but 3 rulebooks in 3 languages. The rulebook itself is quite long, but I like how there is a thorough rules video online which means you can learn from the video instead.

Each page of the rulebook is set out clearly, but some pages seem a bit weirdly spaced/aligned, particularly the components list. The rest of the rulebook in quite in-depth, providing many examples of different scenarios. It also includes some background stories of some of the character’s and guilds which is a nice addition.

One of my biggest complaints is the back cover of the rulebook, which is a summary of the Royal Writ cards in the game. However, it does not list all of the royal writ cards that came in the game, which makes it hard to know what all the cards do. A separate list of cards would have been helpful, especially in Kickstarter copies which come with more cards.

Components

Every piece in Feudum is crafted with care and attention to detail. The token thickness is sturdy and the printing is centered perfectly. The metal coins shown are not included in the game, but they are a beautiful addition, with the depth of the artwork really standing out.  The Kickstarter copy I have also includes upgraded wooden vessels, as well as cardboard vessels. The wooden vessels are foil stamped which gives them a beautiful shine, and their finish is a smooth, almost powdery coat. These upgrades are not required in order to enjoy the game, but they definitely add to the stunning look and feel that the game already provides.

The ceramic components come beautifully painted and have such a nice weight to them, making them feel so great to handle. The upgraded first played token is not as nicely finished as the monsters, but it is still definitely an upgrade from the original first player ‘tube’. The conifer trees from the Squirrels and Conifers expansion (included free with the KS copy) are slightly brighter than the monsters, and can be added in to any game for variability.

Each player receives action cards in their colour, which is a nice touch as they could have all just been generic.  The additional KS promo cards are simply stunning with the foil detailing, but as previously mentioned, do not include any details on what each card does. The cards are all high quality, regardless of if they include foil detailing, holograms or spot varnish detailing.

Insert

Feudum contains a folded cardboard insert which is printed with artwork to display a view out the tower window. This is beautifully done and a really interesting, yet unnecessary concept. The amount of times you will actually look at the inside like this would be few in my opinion, but it is still a cool idea.

Once packed up, it is a sea of baggies. The game did include a lot of good quality unused baggies for storage, but it also came packed with about 30 tiny baggies which all were useless once components were stored properly. As you can see, the box has a lot of wasted space on the sides, but a large box is required to accommodate the large board.

Board

The board is a very long rectangular shape, which takes up a lot of the table! It is filled with beautiful landscapes with the 6 guilds split 3 on either side. The colours are muted, yet still so clear and contrasting. All the iconography is displayed in each guild space, as well as on player sheets, however it is quite small on the board.

Availability

The version I have unboxed is the Kickstarter version, however your local gaming store should hopefully stock a few retail copies. It is definitely not a common game, and I would suggest grabbing a copy if you do see it in the wild. You aren’t missing out too much if you can only find the retail copy, so don’t fret!

Thoughts

Overall, the production quality of Feudum is amazing. It is a large upfront cost, but I feel like the quality of everything, from the box to the artwork, is top notch. If I was judging this purely on looks, I would say it is one of the most beautiful games on my shelf. The gameplay might not be for everyone, but I have definitely enjoyed it, and it has kept me thinking about it long after I have left the table.