Become The Best Magician In New Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell Game
November 9, 2018 by cassn
“It is curious and we magicians collect curiosities, you know.” - Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell
Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell is a 2005 novel by Susanna Clarke surrounding an alternative 19th Century England full of magic and wonder. Set around the time of the Napoleonic Wars the novel tells the story of two men, Jonathan Strange & Gilbert Norrell, and he magical powers which they imbue within the English landscape.
The novel was longlisted for the Man Booker prize, and in 2015 was adapted into a hit BBC television series. Now, a new board game adaptation by Osprey Games will see up to four players take on magical roles within this alternative universe:
In Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell: A Board Game of English Magic, players take on the role of four principle characters from the novel — Jonathan Strange, Mr. Norrell, Miss Redruth, or John Segundus — and travel around England and Europe, attending social engagements and performing feats of magic in the hope of becoming the most celebrated magician of the age.
Players will have the opportunity to interact with other characters from the novel, such as Mr Honeyfoot, Lady Pole, Stephan Black and Lord Portishead. Players will build up their magical ability, always keeping note of the mysterious gentleman with the thistle-down hair who weaves magical spells in the background. Only by stopping this gentleman can these magicians become truly celebrated for their craft.
Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell: A Board Game of English Magic has been created by designers Marco Maggi and Francesco Nepitello (War of the Ring 2nd edition), so there are high hopes for the quality of this adaptation. The game won't be released until June 2019 sadly, but interested magicians can keep their third eye on the Osprey website.
What book would you most like to see adapted into a board game? Tell us in the comments!
"Players take on the role of four principle characters from the novel — Jonathan Strange, Mr. Norrell, Miss Redruth, or John Segundus!"
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Wow! Excited to see this game. FYI, for those in the USA the series is still on Netflix.
And it is brilliant!
Absolutely loved the book, the TV series was OK, but it was never going to compete with what I’d seen in my mind’s eye when reading.
Although I love the idea of this game my worry is that it goes the way of many a licensed game… all IP and little gameplay. Times have changed though so here’s hoping.
Nothing I have seen compares to the book they’re meant to represent.
Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman, but would prefer it to be an RPG.
There is a Neverwhere RPG, although I can’t comment on if it’s any good.
Hell yeah! That book is one of the best I have read in recent years and made one of my previous lists of things that deserve to be turned into a game. Very excited to see how it turns out.
#teamStrange
Read the book many years ago and really loved it. I didn’t know about the series but this is on my wish list now. And I definitly will have a look at the game.