Chara Games' Unauthorized {Homeschool Review Crew}

Does your family have a regularly scheduled game night? Are you looking for a new game to add to your collection? Let me tell you about Unauthorized, by Chara Games.

Unauthorized will give you a glimpse of what it might be to live where the church is underground. If you choose to serve God, you could end up in prison! This is a strategy game of influence and deduction, for 6-12 players, ages 12 and up.

Included in the box are:
A rule book
Role cards
One dealer card
Two reference cards
Experience cards

Believe me, the dealer card and reference cards are important, and very useful! Especially during the learning process, we used the reference cards frequently, to help keep us straight throughout the game.

The cards themselves are sturdy, stiff (which makes it challenging to shuffle at first, until they are more "broken in"), and slippery!

The game itself takes only about 30 minutes, total, so it's not hard to play several games at one sitting. Or if you only have a few minutes to play a quick game, that's very possible.

The object of the game is for the state to stamp out the church. It's a great test of loyalty. Will you be loyal to the church? or to the state?

When setting up the game, each player is given a role card. If you are playing with a group of 6-9 players, only one pastor card is used; 10-12 players, both pastor cards are used. For groups of 6-7 players, one police card is used; groups of 8-12, both police cards are used. Then each of the other players has one role card.
The experience cards are used to determine each player's loyalty, whether for the state or for the church. If your hand has more red than green cards, your loyalty lies with the state; if more green, than with the church. The wild cards can be used for either side.

While setting up the game, the person who is the police receives only red cards, while the person who is pastor receives only green cards. Everyone else is dealt from a thoroughly shuffled deck.

The dealer card shows what the game actions are for each round (you only play four rounds! Easy!).

The first step of each round, is everyone simultaneously does the card action on the dealer card. For example, first round everyone places two cards from their hand face up in front of themselves. Round two, each player passes a card to the left, then places one card face up in front of themselves. Round three, each player passes a card to the right, then places a card face up in front of themselves. Round four, each player passes a card to the player of his/her choice, then places a card face up in front of themselves.

After that first step, then each person takes a turn, using the reference card. Either you do what your role card says to do, or you can "speak to a neighbor" (that player shows you their hand), seek parole (if you're in prison), or conduct a public execution (which only the police can perform). 

Notice, there are only four rounds! It's a quick game! Honestly! 

 

At the end of the game, to determine whether the state won or the church won, each player counts up their red versus green cards. If a majority of the players have red, the state won; if green, then the church won, if at least one player is not in jail.

The first time we played it, it was my four offspring, my oldest son's girlfriend, and myself, ages 15 through I'm-not-telling-my-age. It took us a little bit to get the hang of it, and a couple of the offspring (who will remain unidentified) were a bit grumpy. But some of us really did enjoy it, once we got the hang of it.

Earlier this week, we played a game with our best friends while we were over there getting showers (since they had electricity and we didn't, thanks to Hurricane Irma).

This time it was a group of 7, ages 14 and up. My friend's 7 year old grandson just watched. Maybe next time we'll have him play, too. He might do well, with some coaching.

Everyone seemed to enjoy it. Our friends may end up with a game of their own.

I had intended to have our teen Sabbath school class, which I lead a couple weeks a month, play, but the one week I remembered to take it with me, my 15 year old son was the only teen there! Perhaps I will remember to take it the next time it's my turn to lead out.

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