A board game aimed at the novice card game player, Command of Nature is fun for those just getting into the hobby
Unstable Games’ projects are typically aimed at broad audiences, even when they’re from a genre that tends to be more hard core. Command of Nature is their latest in that vein, mixing card games with D&D elements while still focusing on the novice.
In this game, players select an elemental commander with a specific set of skills that unlock over time. For example Torrent, the Droplet Sage, can draw two cards by the time turn four rolls around. On turn six they can swap the position of characters in our squad. And on turn eight, they deal damage to an elemental in our opponent’s squad based on our own formation.
Squads are set up in a 3-2-1 formation, and commanders can place different attackers and defenders in each row based on their requirements. Our commanders can go anywhere (but they’re probably best in the third row) and rely on the formation triangles to set their attacks and abilities.
There are a couple of phases when we start: summoning elementals and playing commands, both from our hands. Then we can draw cards, boost, and attack. The game itself is all about movement of the characters in formation on the board. There really isn’t much room to do anything deeply strategic because we don’t have a lot of access to things to put on the field; but we do have to refresh one every turn and then move things up as they deplete down. The main “strategy” comes from the commanders and their abilities, keeping things moving sometimes unpredictable.
Command of Nature isn’t inherently deep, and it may not specifically be the game for someone like me who is a dedicated gamer, but because the games can be surprisingly pretty long they’re great for someone playing with their kids or for a family game night.
This review is based on a physical retail edition sent to the Editor by the Publisher. It first appeared on The SideQuest for April 14, 2025. Images and video courtesy publisher.
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