Wonder Book is a co-op board game for 1-4 players that was recently released by dV Giochi and features a new twist on children’s pop-up books. While the story itself is not contained within the book, players will actually use the book in place of a game board – utilizing pull tabs, secret flaps, and the 3D structures within to bring the adventure to life! Players will take on the roles of a group of up to four friends while making choices and discoveries that have a lasting impact on the story and the characters themselves from chapter to chapter. RPG elements mix well into this board game adventure where not all elements will be resolved with a straightforward approach.

Included in the box are six scenarios, or “Chapters.” As mentioned above, these story elements aren’t in the pop-up book. So how are they presented then? With decks of cards! Every Chapter has its own deck which guides players through the setup, special rules, story passages, and goals for the session as they are unveiled with each flip of a card. The story itself centers on a group of friends that find their way into the world of Oniria where they must work together to save a dragon civilization from the encroaching forces of darkness. As each chapter unfolds, unique story elements and challenges engage players as they reveal more of the adventure in that Chapter’s deck. Any given card may add challenges, new threats, tell more of the story, or a number of other terrific twists as it is gone through. Rolling dice, hunting for hidden items in the artwork, defeating enemies, and interacting with NPCs are only a few of the possibilities that await the group. All characters have their own unique skills and abilities, making them each integral to the team. When playing ourselves, we found it beneficial to still include all of the characters for their synergy and to keep the party balanced regardless of player count.

One aspect of Wonder Book that I am still unsure how I feel about is the limited replayability that comes with the game — especially for the price point. Though players can easily reset the game in its entirety or simply reset a failed chapter, the story and interactions do not really change much. Some choices may differ if a trap or secret advantage is discovered, dice rolls will change, and enemy encounters will be different each time, but, overall, once a chapter has unveiled its secrets, the proverbial cat is out of the bag so to speak and there’s no real way to unlearn what knowledge was gained from the session. What does this mean for those that have played it? For our group, it meant finding new players and letting the experienced ones take a backseat during the decision-making process and discoveries whenever it would affect the outcome of the game. There is also the possibility of changing the difficulty and playing through it again to try and challenge yourself while aiming to improve your score. All of that being said, I still feel that overall it is well worth the price. The box is sturdy, well laid out, and has plenty of room in it for when the decks grow and change throughout the campaign. Each gaming session can be either fast-paced or very time-consuming depending on your style of play and how in-depth into the world of Oniria you want to go, making the investment a rewarding one. The game components are made of good quality materials and the book is absolutely stunning. Dario Cestaro‘s use of papercraft and engineering really immerses the players on a whole new level and makes exquisite use of Miguel Coimbra‘s illustrations.

Though primarily marketed more towards children, I personally feel that any age could play and enjoy Wonder Book. The rules are simple enough and the game does practically run itself (there is no need for a game or dungeon master as there would be if it were only a role-playing game), but there is still enough depth and strategy involved that we found it enjoyable while playing as a group of adults. It is fun to play, and easy to pick up the basics, but also hard to win, which may make it a little more difficult for your group to want to continue playing. Not only is Wonder Book hard to win, but it is also a race against time. Certain conditions such as character knockouts, failed objectives, or simply bad choices can cause the hourglasses used to track success to be flipped, bringing the session closer and closer to an end. All in all, I love this game and would recommend it highly to anyone who is looking for something unique and fun for the family. The story and its theme are well thought out and wonderfully written. In fact, I’d love to see more from Martino Chiacchiera and Michele Piccolini. Perhaps another game in the same vein — such as a continuation or a different book entirely for the players to tumble into. Wonder Book was an awesome experience overall that made us think outside the box just enough to be familiar yet new. While not wanting to spoil too much of this adventure for our audience, we here at The Cardboard Cantina highly recommend discovering what secrets Oniria holds for the avid adventurer today!

All photos of dV Giochi product were taken and edited by Krista.