League of Legends Nostalgia in a PnP?

There are games where nostalgia hits hard, and War Bosses certainly brought back the rush of my League of Legends nights!

Created by Lis Luna, War Bosses is a control-and-write PnP for 1 to 4 players, inspired by MOBA video games. Each player steps into the role of a boss, leading units from their core, conquering towers, and unlocking unique powers that grow stronger the more towers they control.

The ultimate goal: destroy the opposing Core-Boss before they destroy yours!

Game modes: Solo |1v1| 1v2 | 2v2

To begin…

Print a Map Sheet, Character Sheets, and a few cards, then grab two dice and some tokens. You're ready to jump right into a series of intense battles.

Turns in the game are handled in an asymmetric manner. At the start of each round, players draw an Action Card. The player with the lower number acts first but gets fewer actions, while the player with the higher number goes later but gains more options. I found the system quite interesting and fair.

Beyond battles

War Bosses surprised me with how much more there is than simple combat. Conquering Towers strengthens your character, fury can be leveraged for powerful strikes, and gold coins open the door to new advantages. The pacing of the game felt nice; you start by attacking enemy units, then daring to take on the Special Enemy, and finally meeting your fate in the finale with the Core Boss!

Tons of Attacks

The combats are streamlined. Attacks are resolved through dice rolls, rock–paper–scissors, or a mix of both. On paper it sounds simple, but in play it works perfectly. With so many clashes happening each round, a heavier combat system would have slowed the game down. Instead, the quick resolutions keep energy high while still leaving room for strategy and even some drama when rock–paper–scissors decides a crucial strike.

Replayable?

Different characters bring different strengths and weaknesses, making each game feel distinct without throwing off balance. The shift in each player’s attributes is not so big that it poses a huge advantage, yet not so small that it can be ignored.

Adding to the variety of player characters, the 3 game modes also bring more to the table. I’ve yet to try 2v1 and 2v2, and I simply can’t wait. Lis also mentioned that more Maps and Character Sheets are on the way, so you know my answer: highly replayable!

Two days to enter the battle arena!

If you are a fan of MOBAs like I am, War Bosses might just be the perfect game to take a trip down memory lane! With only 2 days left to the Kickstarter campaign (already funded), you know what to do!

And frankly, as someone who plays tons of PnP games (especially those live in campaigns), I feel War Bosses is underrated and deserves the spotlight. Show some support by backing this game from a fellow indie designer!