Locked and Loaded with Our Review of 'Bulletproof'
WYLD Gaming has taken on many iterations since it's original conception. It actually began as a video gaming crew for Rockstar Game's critically acclaimed Grand Theft Auto Online. The crew, however, was known as TH3 WYLD STALLYNS based from the late 80's comedy, Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure. It shared the mantra of the film's leading duo, "Be Excellent to Each Other". Our crew provided the promise that, when you saddled up with the Stallyns, you'd be provided with a fun and friendly experience where other players would have your back and fight off the trolls of the online gaming community together. For most of the STALLYNS, video games were a stress reliever. We provided a community-like feel where you could unwind and build friendships. It turns out, it was something that GTA really needed, and we were featured by Rockstar Games themselves blowing our numbers up from the low 100's to almost 1000 members over night!
Our crew was now a multiplatform, international dynamo. And it wasn't too long after that members became hungry to have the crew in other games they were enjoying. Our first call of manifest destiny came when Bungie released Destiny, the video game. And we continued to grow. Soon, the humble GTA-centric Facebook group was getting bombarded with all sorts of gaming news, and thus, the need for WYLD Gaming became apparent. WYLD Gaming would be a separate entity where gaming news, reviews, and more could be shared and everyone could discuss games they were excited about. Then came my personal discovery of contemporary board and card games, and once again, WYLD Gaming found itself expanding and finding success in new territory.
The reason for this backstory in relation to Double Eagle Games' Bulletproof is two-fold. The game itself is centered around expanding your business from one territory to another until you too are running an international powerhouse... only this one is built on bribery, corruption, and crime and mostly not being excellent to each other. BUT IT'S STILL AN EXCELLENT GAME! Secondly, as a leader of TH3 WYLD STALLYNS who sunk many a night in the depths of GTA Online, the cover art of this game definitely caught my eye. Flipping through Bulletproof's deck almost felt like I was digging into the offline physical archives of Grand Theft Auto concept art, character mock ups, and more. The art resemblance is truly uncanny! Unlike GTA however, Bulletproof can be enjoyed by a family with little to no judgement or condemnation, and depending on your gaming group, there should be a lot less f-bombs floating around. Then again, there is quite a bit of Take That!
Bulletproof is a strategical, set collecting card game for 2-5 players where everyone competes to be the first to build a successful criminal empire. The game includes a roster of six colorful characters all with their own special abilities that can be used once each round in conjunction with two additional actions. You can play one of many interesting and resourceful action cards, deposit a card inside your safe to claim it's value as cold hard cash, visit the black market to exchange goods for items that you need, or claim a territory, which is a step in the right direction towards accomplishing your overall goal. Each territory is a location that is a part of a set, and you need three sets to win the game. On top of this, each card in a set type allows you to perform a really neat action when using a "Finish the Job" card, and the more locations you have in that territory set, the more powerful that action becomes.
As a crime lord seeking world domination, you have several strategies with which to supplant the plans of your seedy associates. You can finish jobs, make deals, call in favors, kidnap, and assassinate through a variety of action cards. You can also become a real estate tycoon and start taking over territories. While this feels a tad bit reminiscent of Monopoly, your properties won't pay off in the form of houses or hotels, but instead, you'll gain access to lucrative perks that will help you further dominate the delinquents at your dinner table. No get out of jail card needed when you have the power of BRIBERY! Just make sure you keep your safe full, because other players will be after your hard earned cash, and if you can't fulfill your end of the bargain, your territory could become theirs.
With 28 named territories available consisting of 10 different sets (definitely calling back to Monopoly again), there's a lot of property to go around. Luckily, there are also several wild cards floating around which can be substituted for one of two properties on the upper or lower portion of the card. Therefore, it is entirely possible for two different players to own a full set of property of the same type. As mentioned previously, certain properties provide very valuable perks and the more properties of that type that you have, the more powerful that perk becomes.
My only caveats with this game were that the variety of the action cards, although definitely needed in such a game, could be a bit intimidating if it weren't for the included reference guide through which further elaborations were made. We had to stop and reference that guide a few times to see how the cards worked beyond the basic card text. I also found the available pool of characters to be somewhat lacking. While they each have a unique flavor and a valuable action, it would be nice to see more to choose from, and the female players at my table really wanted more than just one female character to utilize. I'm secretly hoping some of the stretch goals of the Kickstarter campaign include an extra few characters to have on hand. All in all, the character's included do not limit the fun of the game in any manner, and the issue with the action cards becomes a non-issue as your familiarity adjusts with more time playing.
While Bulletproof does have that GTA themed Monopoly familiarity, it is it's own game. It forgoes the lengthy and soul crushing concept of rolling dice and running around a board hoping not to land unluckily on a property that is going to suck you dry of all of your savings and replaces it with a quick and fluid card game that relies more on strategy than luck. I really enjoyed the aspect of being able to play powerful combinations of actions or territory effects as well as the risks that came in playing a card versus cashing it in to have enough money to pay other players when they came knocking. Overall, we all really enjoyed our time in the world of Bulletproof, and it is sure to be a game that will hit the table again! WYLD Gaming gives it an easy HOOVES UP, and at only $25 to back, it'd be a crime not to snatch it up! Their Kickstarter campaign launches on September the 12th, and you can view all of the details for yourself and back your own copy here: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1607767264/1767156402?ref=341949&token=102d39a0.
Please note, this is a review of a game that is in pre-production meaning some mechanics, appearances, rules, and other components may change. WYLD Gaming was provided this copy for review purposes but was not otherwise compensated in any manner, nor were their words, results, or review scores influenced in any way by anyone outside of the author's own opinions and perspective. If you've enjoyed this review, we encourage you to share it with others to help WYLD Gaming get similar opportunities in the future while also helping the game being reviewed get more attention for their Kickstarter campaign. Thank you!