Matúš Kotry and CGE to Offer Deal with the Devil for SPIEL '22

Publisher Czech Games Edition has already announced a small (Galaxy Trucker: Keep on Trucking) and medium (Starship Captains) game for release in the latter half of 2022, and now it's unveiled a large game to further complicate your packing plans should you plan to attend SPIEL '22 in October.

That game is Deal with the Devil, a design for exactly four players from Matúš Kotry, who created the 2014 release Alchemists from CGE, and like that earlier game, Deal with the Devil uses a required app to track information. Here's a rundown of the setting and basics of gameplay:

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Deal with the Devil is a deeply thematic Eurogame set in a fantasy medieval era. Each of the four players takes on a secret role of a mortal, a cultist, or even the Devil. Due to the asymmetrical roles, players experience the same game but with different game goals every play.

Sample cards, non-final

During the blind trading phase, players can offer their resources in exchange for money from another player. The Devil will tempt mortals with goods for a piece of their soul, while the cultist's nature is to sell their soul easily. Only the accompanying app knows who is trading with whom.

Sample event card, non-final

But beware! Showing off how well you are doing can attract unwelcome attention and the suspicion of other players. It also may pique the interest of the Inquisition, which is eager to punish those who cannot prove their souls remain intact.

Mock-up components; hellfire light not included

There are many dynamic strategies to experiment with across each playing. Will you sell pieces of your soul early on to boost your city-building prowess at the risk of future punishment from the Inquisition? Or will you carefully manage loan and debt repayment while waiting for others to inadvertently reveal their nefarious nature? Every choice has a consequence, and each role has its own unique strategic approach to explore.