A game of decisions and destiny

The original Sleeping Gods is a cooperative tabletop RPG with a storybook feel and an actual book of story quests to navigate. Sleeping Gods: Distant Skies, follows up an indeterminate time (in fiction) later with a story set in the aftermath of the first installment.

The designers learned from the first version and smoothed out a number of gameplay elements, leaving a more streamlined gameplay experience. It’s not easier as such, but playing is easier. You also get access to a plane that you can fuel, maintain, and fly around, opening up new travel options. And there is a new system for handling boss battles which ramps up the epic feel for the ends of quests and pre-determined plotline battles.

As always, the art is fun and whimsical. The stories and quests still have that Choose Your Own Adventure feel. The combat is quicker and simpler, though I’d say that balance-wise, they’ve made the fights a little harder than in the original.

While it’s a standalone game that doesn’t require the original, I’d still say there’s value in experiencing the world for the first time through Sleeping Gods before venturing onward to Distant Skies. There is a lore of lore sprinkled throughout the first game, and there’s some fun in seeing those familiar gods and places popping up again and knowing what some of them mean already.

If you like dieselpunk-esque magic and globe-trotting eldritch mysteries, check out Sleeping Gods. If you liked Sleeping Gods, go ahead and grab a copy of Distant Skies. You won’t regret it.

Note: Make sure you’ve got a lot of table space; this one sprawls a bit.