Legacy game

{{about|the tabletop game sub-genre|the video games company|Legacy Games}}

File:Seawall board sticker (cropped).jpg. Such additions are prevalent in legacy-style games.]]

A legacy game is a variant of tabletop board games in which the game itself is designed, through various mechanics, to change permanently over the course of a series of sessions.

History

Game designer Rob Daviau claims to have come up with the idea at a work meeting after jokingly asking why the murderous characters in Clue are always invited back to dinner. Realizing that each new game resets, Daviau thought about what it would be like if everyone would remember who the murderer was, and he pitched the idea of a Clue legacy game to Hasbro.

File:Risk Legacy.jpg

While that idea was rejected, Daviau was later asked to use the mechanic in a new version of Risk. Risk Legacy was released in 2011 and was his first game to use this format.{{cite AV media | people = Rob Daviau | title = Legacy Games: From 'Risk' to 'Pandemic' to 'SeaFall' & Beyond | language = English | url = https://www.gdcvault.com/play/1024259/Legacy-Games-From-Risk-to | access-date = 18 October 2017 | publisher = GDC Vault | type = Keynote | year = 2017 | ref=keynote }}{{cite web|last1=Lane|first1=Rick|title=The Legacy of Rob Daviau, the man who helped flip boardgames on their head|url=http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2016-04-03-the-legacy-of-rob-daviau-the-man-who-helped-flip-boardgames-on-their-head|website=Eurogamer|accessdate=10 October 2017|date=10 April 2016}}{{cite interview |last=Daviau |first=Rob |interviewer=Michel Martin |title='Pandemic' Board Game Proves Infectious |type= |url=https://www.npr.org/2015/11/22/457027442/pandemic-board-game-proves-infectious |work= All Things Considered |publisher=NPR |date= 22 November 2017 |access-date=15 October 2017}}

Daviau followed up with an award-winning{{cite web | url = http://www.polygon.com/2016/3/22/11283932/the-best-board-games-of-2015-board-game-geeks-golden-geek-awards | title = The best board games of 2015, Board Game Geek's Golden Geek awards | work = Polygon | date = 22 March 2016 | accessdate = 10 October 2017 | first = Charlie | last = Hall }} Pandemic variant, Pandemic Legacy: Season 1, which was released in 2015 to positive reviews and praised as a leap forward in modern board game design.{{cite web | url = https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2016/sep/25/board-games-back-tabletop-gaming-boom-pandemic-flash-point | title = The rise and rise of tabletop gaming | work = The Guardian | date = 25 September 2016 | accessdate = 10 October 2017 | first = Dan | last = Jolin }}{{cite web | url = https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2016/oct/22/seafall-legacy-format-pandemic-legacy-designer-rob-daviau-board-games | title = SeaFall: is the legacy format heralding a new era of board games? | work = The Guardian | date = 22 October 2016 | accessdate = 13 October 2017 | first = Mark | last = Wilding }} Daviau continues to develop legacy games and co-developed a mechanic, the Echo System,{{cite web|last1=Searing|first1=Rob|title=Artana's Echo System Announced|url=http://www.dicetowernews.com/artanas-echo-system-announced/18665|website=Dice Tower News|accessdate=11 October 2017|date=28 July 2015}} to retain permanent changes through subsequent games in a franchise.

Daviau cited his work on Betrayal at House on the Hill (which was later adapted into a legacy version) and Trivial Pursuit: DVD – Lord of the Rings Trilogy Edition as predecessors to the legacy idea. The latter was designed in such a way that pre-programmed games sorted the cards by difficulty. This caused some vocal backlash as the game was perceived by many to have a more definite end than other versions.Rob Daviau (2017), 8:56.

Common mechanics and themes

Legacy games are designed to be played over the course of a campaign, usually with the same players, and permanently change over time.{{cite web|last1=Winkle|first1=Luke|title=Rebuilding Boardgames: Rob Daviau on SeaFall and the Legacy Games|url=https://www.pastemagazine.com/articles/2016/09/rebuilding-boardgames-rob-daviau-on-seafall-and-th.html|website=Paste|accessdate=12 October 2017|date=26 September 2016}}{{cite web|last1=Barriga|first1=Jaime|title=The Definition of a Legacy Game|url=http://www.boardgamefightclub.com/articles/The-Definition-of-a-Legacy-Game/|website=Board Game Fight Club|accessdate=5 February 2018|date=1 February 2018}} As such they have been compared to tabletop role-playing games like Dungeons & Dragons.{{cite web|last1=Un|first1=Haoran|title=A Board Game Where Everything Is Permanent|url=https://kotaku.com/a-board-game-where-everything-is-permanent-1788390911|website=Kotaku|accessdate=11 October 2017|date=31 October 2016}} New rules can be introduced as the campaign goes on, allowing for the game to expand both mechanically and thematically. Games can use the expanding campaign as a mode of storytelling; Pandemic Legacy: Season 1 uses a three-act structure to tell its story. Daviau describes legacy games as "experiential" in contrast to traditional games, which are "repeatable".Rob Daviau (2017), 16:30. He compared his legacy games to that of a concert where you "buy a ticket for an experience"{{cite web|last1=Hune-Brown|first1=Nicholas|title=This Man Will Change the Way You Play Board Games|url=http://www.slate.com/articles/arts/gaming/2016/08/rob_daviau_s_legacy_board_game_seafall.html|website=Slate|accessdate=11 October 2017|date=25 August 2016}} while Haoran Un of Kotaku describes the idea as "avant-garde performance art".

Legacy games break certain covenants that players expect from traditional board games.Rob Daviau (2017), 2:42. Permanent, physical changes can occur to components based on game outcomes and player choices. For instance players might be instructed to write names on cards, place stickers on the game board, or destroy some components. This causes each copy of the game to be unique at the end and has earned the legacy genre criticism in that there is a finite amount of replayability. Some games have been designed to be replayable with refill packs or non-permanent stickers while others are still playable with the final permanent changes once the campaign is over.{{cite web|title=Scythe designer's Charterstone will let you reset the legacy game using a 'recharge pack'|url=https://www.tabletopgaming.co.uk/board-games/news/scythe-designers-charterstone-will-let-you-reset-the-legacy-game|website=Tabletop Gaming|accessdate=15 October 2017|date=28 July 2017}}

List of legacy and legacy-styled games

class="wikitable sortable"
scope=row\| Title ! scope=row\| Year published ! scope=row class="unsortable" \| Notes ! scope=row class="unsortable" \| Refs
Risk Legacy \| style="text-align: center;" \| 2011 \| \| style="text-align: center;" \| Rob Daviau (2017), 0:30.
We Didn't Playtest This: Legacies \| style="text-align: center;" \| 2012 \| \| style="text-align: center;" \|{{Cite web\|url=https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/asmadigames/we-didnt-playtest-this-legacies\|title=We Didn't Playtest This: Legacies\|website=Kickstarter\|language=en-US\|access-date=2019-01-15}}
Pandemic Legacy: Season 1 \| style="text-align: center;" \| 2015 \| \| style="text-align: center;" \|
SeaFall \| style="text-align: center;" \| 2016 \| \| style="text-align: center;" \|
Gloomhaven \| style="text-align: center;" \| 2017 \| \| style="text-align: center;" \|Rob Daviau (2017), 49:14.{{cite web\|last1=Theel\|first1=Charlie\|title=GLOOMHAVEN OVERVIEW – THE 21LB LEGACY DUNGEON CRAWL\|url=https://nerdist.com/article/gloomhaven-overview-the-21lb-legacy-dungeon-crawl/\|website=Nerdist\|accessdate=13 October 2017\|date=7 March 2017}}
Android: Netrunner - Terminal Directive \| style="text-align: center;" \| 2017 \| Expansion \| style="text-align: center;" \|{{cite web\|last1=Guida\|first1=Eddie\|title=New campaign expansion has been announced for Android Netrunner\|url=http://www.dicetowernews.com/new-campaign-expansion-has-been-announced-for-android-netrunner/34104\|website=Dice Tower News\|accessdate=13 October 2017\|date=26 November 2016}}
First Martians: Adventures on the Red Planet \| style="text-align: center;" \| 2017 \| Individual campaign \| style="text-align: center;" \|{{cite web\|last1=Guida\|first1=Eddie\|title=First Martians is landing in 2017 \|url=http://www.dicetowernews.com/first-martians-is-landing-in-2017/32572 \|website=Dice Tower News\|accessdate=20 October 2017\|date=12 October 2016}}{{cite web\|title=About the Game\|url=http://portalgames.pl/en/first-martians-adventure-on-the-red-planet-pre-orders/\|publisher=Portal Games\|accessdate=20 October 2017\|quote=The second one is strictly a legacy campaign – you will use its components only once.}}
Pandemic Legacy: Season 2 \| style="text-align: center;" \| 2017 \| \| style="text-align: center;" \| Rob Daviau (2017), 50:58.
Charterstone \| style="text-align: center;" \| 2017 \| \| style="text-align: center;" \|
Centauri Saga: Abandoned \| style="text-align: center;" \| 2018 \| Expansion \| style="text-align: center;" \|{{cite web\|last1=Fisher\|first1=Jessica\|title=Centauri Saga Goes from Online to Board Game to Mobile\|url=https://gameosity.com/2017/09/19/centauri-saga-goes-from-online-to-board-game-to-mobile/\|website=Gameosity.com\|accessdate=16 October 2017\|date=19 September 2017}}{{cite web\|title=Pledge Manager (please read!) and Production Update \|url=https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/vesuviusmedia/centauri-saga-season-1/posts/2000676\|publisher=Kickstarter, Centauri Saga: Season 1, Update #18 \|accessdate=18 October 2017\|date=28 September 2017 }}
The Rise of Queensdale \| style="text-align: center;" \| 2018 \| \| style="text-align: center;" \|{{cite web\|title=The Game of the Year-winning creators of escape-the-room series Exit have announced a legacy game\|url=https://www.tabletopgaming.co.uk/board-games/news/the-game-of-the-year-winning-creators-of-escape-the-room-series-exit\|website=Tabletop Gaming\|accessdate=1 November 2017\|date=31 October 2017}}
Ultimate Werewolf Legacy \| style="text-align: center;" \| 2018 \| \| style="text-align: center;" \|{{cite web\|last1=Guida\|first1=Eddie\|title=Bezier Games announces Ultimate Werewolf Legacy\|url=http://www.dicetowernews.com/bezier-games-announces-ultimate-werewolf-legacy/30687\|website=Dice Tower News\|accessdate=18 October 2017\|date=18 August 2016}}{{Cite web\|url=http://www.dicetowernews.com/ultimate-werewolf-legacy-releasing-at-gen-con-2018/50491\|title=Ultimate Werewolf Legacy Releasing At Gen Con 2018 {{!}} Dice Tower News\|last=Searing\|first=Robert\|website=www.dicetowernews.com\|language=en-US\|access-date=2018-07-27}}
Betrayal Legacy \| style="text-align: center;" \| 2018 \| \| style="text-align: center;" \| {{cite web\|last1=Wells\|first1=Adam\|title=Betrayal Legacy Announced For Next Year\|url=https://www.kotaku.com.au/2017/11/betrayal-legacy-announced-for-next-year/\|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171119070957/https://www.kotaku.com.au/2017/11/betrayal-legacy-announced-for-next-year/\|url-status=dead\|archive-date=19 November 2017\|website=Kotaku\|publisher=Kotaku Australia\|accessdate=20 November 2017\|ref=betrayalLegacy\|date=19 November 2017}}
Aeon's End: Legacy \| style="text-align: center;" \| 2019 \| \| style="text-align: center;" \|{{Cite web\|url=https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/2012515236/aeons-end-legacy\|title=Aeon's End: Legacy\|website=Kickstarter\|language=en-US\|access-date=2018-02-14}}
Zombie Kidz Evolution \| style="text-align: center;" \| 2019 \| Children's game \| style="text-align: center;" \| {{Cite web\|url=https://www.scorpionmasque.com/en/zombie-kidz-evolution\|title=Zombie Kidz Evolution\|website=Scorpion Masque\|access-date=2019-05-26}}
Machi Koro: Legacy \| style="text-align: center;" \| 2019 \| \| style="text-align: center;" \| {{Cite news\|url=https://www.pandasaurusgames.com/machi-koro-legacy-from-rob-daviau-jr-honeycutt-masao-suganuma-with-brand-new-artwork-from-nobura-hotta/\|title=Machi Koro Legacy – From Rob Daviau, JR Honeycutt, Masao Suganuma with brand new artwork from Nobura Hotta!\|date=2018-08-08\|work=Pandasaurus Games\|access-date=2018-08-10\|language=en-US}}
Clank! Legacy: Acquisitions Incorporated \| style="text-align: center;" \| 2019 \| \| style="text-align: center;" \| {{Cite web\|url=https://www.direwolfdigital.com/news/clank-legacy-acquisitions-incorporated/\|title=Clank! Legacy: Acquisitions Incorporated\|website=Dire Wolf Digital\|access-date=2019-01-15}}
The King's Dilemma \| style="text-align: center;" \| 2019 \| \| style="text-align: center;" \| {{Cite web\|url=https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/245655/kings-dilemma\|title=The King's Dilemma\|website=BoardGameGeek\|access-date=2019-11-29}}
My City \| style="text-align: center;" \| 2020 \| \| style="text-align: center;" \| {{Cite web\|url=https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/295486/my-city\|title=My City\|website=BoardGameGeek\|access-date=2019-12-10}}
Vampire: The Masquerade - Heritage \| style="text-align: center;" \| 2020 \| \| style="text-align: center;" \| {{Cite web\|url=http://www.vtm-heritage.com/\|title=Vampire: The Masquerade - Heritage\|website=Vampire: The Masquerade - Heritage\|access-date=2019-01-15}}
Pandemic Legacy: Season 0 \| style="text-align: center;" \| 2020 \| \| style="text-align: center;" \|{{Cite web\|date=2020-07-06\|title=Pandemic Legacy: Season 3 revealed as prequel Season 0 in announcement trailer - exclusive\|url=https://www.dicebreaker.com/games/pandemic-legacy-season-0/news/pandemic-legacy-season-0-announcement-trailer\|first=Matt\|last=Jarvis\|access-date=2020-07-30\|website=Dicebreaker\|language=en}}
Zombie Teenz Evolution \| style="text-align: center;" \| 2020 \| \| style="text-align: center;" \| {{Cite web\|url=https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/310448/zombie-teenz-evolution\|title=Zombie Teenz Evolution\|website=BoardGameGeek\|access-date= 20 October 2020}}
Oath: Chronicles of Empire and Exile \| style="text-align: center;" \| 2021 \| \| style="text-align: center;" \| {{Cite web \|date=2020-06-03 \|title=Oath could finally deliver on the exciting lost potential of legacy board games \|url=https://www.dicebreaker.com/games/oath-chronicles-of-empire-and-exile/opinion/oath-legacy-board-game-potential \|access-date=7 October 2022 \|website=Dicebreaker \|language=en}}
Frosthaven \| style="text-align: center;" \| 2022 \| \| style="text-align: center;" \| {{Cite web\|url=https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/295770/frosthaven\|title=Frosthaven\|website=BoardGameGeek\|access-date=2019-12-10}}
Jurassic World: The Legacy of Isla Nublar \| style="text-align: center;" \| 2022 \| \| style="text-align: center;" \| {{cite web \|last=Ratcliffe \|first=Amy \|title=Funko Games' Jurassic World Legacy Game Roars onto Kickstarter \|url=https://nerdist.com/article/jurassic-world-the-legacy-of-isla-nublar-on-kickstarter-funko-games/ \|website=Nerdist \|access-date=April 17, 2022 \|date=March 22, 2022}}
Wildtails: A Pirate Legacy Game \| style="text-align: center;" \| 2022 \| \| style="text-align: center;" \| {{Cite web\|url=https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/371636/wildtails-pirate-legacy\|title=Wildtails: A Pirate Legacy\|website=BoardGameGeek\|access-date=2022-12-08}}
Sagrada Artisans \| style="text-align: center;" \| 2023 \| \| style="text-align: center;" \| {{Cite web\|url=https://mailchi.mp/floodgategames/weve-got-something-to-show-you\|title=We've Got Something To Show You\|website=MailChimp\|access-date=2021-01-30}}
[https://www.habausa.com/products/captn-pepe-treasure-ahoy?_pos=1&_psq=capt%27n-pepe&_ss=e&_v=1.0 Capt'n Pepe Treasure Ahoy!] \| style="text-align: center;" \|2023 \|Haba Children's Game \|
My Island \| style="text-align: center;" \| 2023 \| \| style="text-align: center;" \| {{Cite web\|url=https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/359394/my-island\|title=My Island\|website=BoardGameGeek\|access-date=2023-10-09}}
Ticket to Ride Legacy: Legends of the West \| style="text-align: center;" \| 2023 \| \| style="text-align: center;" \| {{Cite web\|url=https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/390092/ticket-ride-legacy-legends-west\|title=Ticket to Ride Legacy: Legends of the West\|website=BoardGameGeek\|access-date=2023-10-09}}

class="wikitable sortable"

scope=row| Title

! scope=row| Year
published

! scope=row class="unsortable" | Notes

! scope=row class="unsortable" | Refs

Risk Legacy

| style="text-align: center;" | 2011

| style="text-align: center;" | Rob Daviau (2017), 0:30.

We Didn't Playtest This: Legacies

| style="text-align: center;" | 2012

| style="text-align: center;" |{{Cite web|url=https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/asmadigames/we-didnt-playtest-this-legacies|title=We Didn't Playtest This: Legacies|website=Kickstarter|language=en-US|access-date=2019-01-15}}

Pandemic Legacy: Season 1

| style="text-align: center;" | 2015

| style="text-align: center;" |

SeaFall

| style="text-align: center;" | 2016

| style="text-align: center;" |

Gloomhaven