Above and Below: Haunted Game Review

Above and Below Redux

Above and Below may have a special place in many gamers’ hearts. I’ve heard from different folks that it was the game that introduced them to “euro” mechanics, and it was nominated for numerous Game of the Year awards, including BGG’s Golden Geek, the Board Game Quest Awards, and even SXSW’s Tabletop Game of the Year. It also introduced gamers to the world of Arzium and kicked off a trilogy that later included Near and Far and Now or Never. Haunted was strategically released alongside the game’s 10th anniversary.

If you aren’t familiar with Red Raven’s catalog of games, they often feature heavy narrative experiences mixed with “cozy” euro mechanics (easy to pick up, not much conflict). Red Raven is also home to Sleeping Gods, which some argue is one of the best narrative-based games on the market today. There’s no doubt that Ryan Laukat has positively impacted the industry with smart game design and quality world-building. But time leads to growth—especially as more games are notched onto the belt.

We’re seeing Ryan update some of his older games, such as Islebound: Emerald Edition, which is a testament to his gamecraft. I’m sure it’s easy to move on from older designs and adapt the lessons learned into future games, but very…

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