These Pinoy-made card games will have you fighting against danger, betrayal, and despair

Danger, betrayal, and despair are just some of the things you’ll be struggling against in “NoSaDa” and “Escape from Enigma”: two tabletop card games created by Filipino developers.

Both games were part of Unbox: The Pinoy Tabletop Sessions, an event organized by Yabang Pinoy with the cooperation of Onboard Game+Gastro Pub.

NoSaDa: where’s your god now?

In “No Saviour’s Day” a.k.a. “NoSaDa,” two players duel to the death.

“NoSaDa” takes places in a medieval fantasy realm known as Trevellion, where an omniscient, “godlike figure known as Saviour Azalus watches over everything,” said developer Gamescolar.

When mortal concerns threaten Trevellion’s peace, Azalus intervenes to ensure justice triumphs. However, “should a neutral party be unable to settle the dispute between the two parties of a conflict, the Saviour stays his hand and leaves the combatants to resolve the fight.”

The duel involves moving around an arena represented by a 3x3 grid, and using cards to perform a variety of offensive, defensive, and special techniques.

You customize your character’s skillset by constructing a 30-card deck prior to battle. Do you enjoy getting in your opponent’s face before cleaving them in half with a giant sword? Then create a bloodthirsty melee warrior. How about an archer who strikes the enemy from afar? Or a horrifying monster with vicious cunning? There are plenty possibilities.

To drive home the absence of the Saviour’s light, “NoSaDa” immerses players in gothic, dark fantasy, which can make players feel they’re on their own in “a brutal fight to the death.”

This creates a sense of heightened danger, so that every time a player is struck by a life-threatening blow, they’ll fear the next mistake could be their last.

Check out “NoSaDa’s” detailed rule book here.

Gamescolar’s Escolar siblings were barely in high school when they began developing "NoSaDa." 

“The world and the lore have been evolving ever since we were still in elementary,” said “NoSaDa” Game Designer/Writer/Artist Rafael Escolar. “The narrative for Trevellion consists of a compilation of each of my sibling’s original characters interacting with each other.”

They eventually settled on the “intimate feeling of a duel between two combatants locked in a position-based fight” as one of the core experiences they wanted to immerse players in.

“Every step made, every sword swing, and every blow parried should feel like it was made by the players,” said Gamescolar.

“NoSaDa” has evolved over the years. Now, it even features playable character chips whose QR codes can be scanned by a “Loremaster” app to access “a detailed backstory of the factions or race that each character comes from.”

Unbox attendees found the latest version of the game “brutal, yet satisfying once grasped,” said Gamescolar. “The learning curve is steep for the first game … But we noticed that after successive matches, the player’s processing speed picks up really well.”

Players also praised “NoSaDa’s” art and mythology.

Gamescolar announced on its Facebook page that “NoSaDa” will soon be seeing official release.

Escape from Enigma: trust no one

Developed by the team behind Mystery Manila, “Escape from Enigma” is a game of deduction, deception, and strategy for two to seven players.

The game starts with each player randomly picking a character whose identity is kept secret.

An Escape Card is also randomly picked and placed face down on the table. To win, you have to determine which of the seven possible Exits the Escape Card is, then use the correct Tool to activate it. For example, to escape via the Padlocked Door, you need a Key.

To climb over the High Wall to your freedom, you need a Rope. If your Tool doesn’t match the Exit, you die.

Each of the aforementioned characters also boasts a unique skill that can be used to screw over opponents—by pilfering another player’s Tool, for example. One of you could even be Enigma, who wins by murdering all the other players.

Players have to “steal and lie their way to gain advantage over the other players and escape,” said Game Designer Errol Magdato.

The video below discusses the rules in more detail.

“We wanted to create a game aligned with Mystery Manila to give our fans something they can bring home to take the experience with them,” said Mystery Manila’s Errol Magdato.

“We had to make sure the game is perfectly balanced with the 7 different characters with various abilities,” he said. “Each character has their own strengths, weaknesses and playing strategy to win. To do this, the game had to undergo various rounds of game testing and adjustment in mechanics.”

The hard work paid off.

“We love how the game seems simple with only 14 cards and 7 tokens needed to play,” said Magdato. “The gameplay, though, is very dynamic, and changes with each player’s strategy. To be good in the game, you’ll need to get inside your opponent’s mind in order to outplay them.”

Unbox proved enjoyable for the developers and those who played “Escape from Enigma.”

“We’ve had great feedback and would love to join future events to support the local tabletop gaming community,” said Magdato.

“Escape from Enigma” is available at all Mystery Manila branches and Facebook page.