PLAYED
RELOAD
Drop, Fight, Reload
Designer: François Rouzé & Jean-Marc Tribet | Publisher: Kolossal Games
If the term ‘battle-royale’ instantly rings a bell, it’s because it has been everywhere lately. What began as a niche Japanese novel and a film of the same name, in the last ten years has taken pop culture by storm. Now you can wonder about the harm of totalitarianism of Hunger Games, while getting shot by a ten-year-old with much superior aim and hand coordination in Fortnite. Frankly, it is surprising that it hasn’t been as prevalent in board games yet. Perhaps, Reload will change that.
Reload’s backstory is… complicated. There is something about cybernetically enhanced clones, off-world exploration, governmental contracts, training soldiers, a TV show… Look, all you need to know is this: you are on an island, you need to shoot each other. The characters you are playing as are not actually alive, so don’t feel bad for shooting them. Also, if they die, they will come back, although without their equipment. Also, to win you need to earn fame because apparently you are on a TV show… Okay, so even the simplest explanation of Reload is convoluted, but – good news – it gets better from here.