Motivational Masterpieces In La Stanza Now On Kickstarter

January 13, 2019 by cassn

This might be the strangest game I've ever covered in the news. The mechanic is great, but the theme is, quite frankly, bats**t crazy.

Let's start with the positives, La Stanza is a really interesting tactical rondel movement system from the makers of Nippon and Maderia which provides multiple strategic options for victory. Ultimately, the game is about developing your competency over several areas through movement and action selection to achieve the highest amounts of victory points, and it does this really well - it's a good mechanic. Now, deep breath. Things are about to get weird.

La Stanza is set in a 16th Century mansion (presumably yours?) and there are several characters you can hire to help you increase your development. However, these characters are not people - they're paintings. You are hiring the paintings in your house, and they're going to help you build up your strength in Religion, Discoveries, Literature, Art or Politics, which you do by...going to rooms in your house. You're essentially motivationally staring at your own art, which you are inexplicably hiring by the hour, while studying in your hallway.

Now, it has been pointed out to me that people in the 16th Century genuinely believed that the right art provided them prestige in certain subjects but I dunno, man. I just...don't know. It's reached its Kickstarter goal, so obviously this is a non-issue for enough people to fund it, but I'm so very confused.

I suppose the takeaway from La Stanza is that, if you're not a stickler for cohesive thematics, then this is a really good game, which you can back here. If you are, probably skip this one, hang a painting of John in your bathroom and stare at it until you're a master of tanks.

What Beasts of War member portrait would you hang, and what power would they bestow?