First of all, I would like to thank Free League for sending us a copy of Vaesen: Seasons of Mystery so we could write this review of the latest addendum to the Swedish publisher’s Nordic horror roleplaying game.
If, after reading our review, you want to buy it, you can find it in the physical version on the official store of the publishing house for about 37 euros. Also keep in mind that the entire editorial line of the game, including this adventure manual, is available as a module for Foundry VTT for about 9 euros.
Like Vaesen: A Wicked Secret and Other Mysteries, of which you find our review here, Vaesen: Seasons of Mystery is a collection of four adventures, therefore it cannot be useful without the basic manual that contains the game rules. If you still don’t know the game, you can find our review here.
The volume consists of about 100 pages printed on thick and porous paper and accompanied by the marvelous images of Johan Egerkrans, some taken from the basic manual, others absolutely original.
The Structure of Vaesen: Seasons of Mystery
Never change a winning team. The format with which Free League has chosen to set up the manuals of this game with a fantastic and mysterious flavor is particularly successful. Just like the previous collection of adventures, Vaesen: Seasons of Mystery also contains four adventures introduced by a short preface.
This type of setting allows you to immediately immerse yourself in the proposed plots which are presented in a clear and precise manner. Above all, each adventure has everything needed to play as long as you have the basic manual for the game rules.
The structure of the plots is the one already seen in the core manual and in the first collection of adventures. These 25-pages adventures follow a structure based on clues, like any good detective game. One or more maps by Christian Granath accompany each one; he is the co-founder of the publisher and graphic designer of this and other Free League games.
The choice of two-column layout is decidedly successful; reading flows easily, thanks also to the clear and legible font. In-depth panels on NPCs and the characteristics of places or their culture maintain uniformity and pleasantly punctuate the pages.
The style is always the same, elegant and never intrusive; in short, that’s the one that characterizes the game and which we have come to appreciate.
The Quality of Materials
Vaesen: Seasons of Mystery, as can be seen from this review, does not betray the splendid quality of the game’s editorial line. Each storyline is compelling and intriguing; the NPCs are well characterized and the in-depth details of places and folklore stimulate the imagination to the point of pushing for any further insights.
The plots are designed as single episodes but nothing prevents you from connecting them to create a broader and more continuous gaming experience. Let’s not forget that Vaesen‘s premise is that the protagonists can still see and understand the creatures of Nordic folklore. Thanks to this ability they are called to solve various cases in which these entities interact with mankind and create critical situations. In this sense, it is therefore logical that these are adventures conceived as episodes as if they were a TV series.
I want to clarify that we are talking about a horror game and that, as now in almost all games of this type, even Free League lists the issues addressed, underlining any critical aspects.
The Adventures of Vaesen: Seasons of Mystery
In Vaesen: Seasons of Mystery we find three of the four authors of the previous volume of adventures. Again, never change a winning team, with the addition of Tomas Härenstam’s pen.
In order not to take away the pleasure of playing these well-thought-out adventures, I’ll just give you an idea of what the proposed themes are. However, I would like to point out that, although they are all designed for the Scandinavian peninsula, for each plot there is a box that allows the adventure to be placed also in British territory, described in the first setting expansion of the game.
- A Dance with Death (by Gabrielle de Bourg) – The characters are invited to the scenic province of Dalarna in spring, with its green forests, brown huts, and blue waters of Lake Siljan. Here they will get to know Swedish folk music and grasp the darkness behind the joy of music. The story will test the deductive skills of the characters, their social skills, and also their combat abilities.
- Fireheart (by Tomas Härenstam) – The woods of Smolandia are devastated by fires and heat waves which are increasing the poverty of the population, prompting them to emigrate to America. Will the characters be able to discover the cause of the fires and save the region from ruin?
- The Devil on the Moor (by Andreas Marklund) – On the west coast of Jutland, a wild place far from the cities, a group of ambitious engineers have awakened dark forces in an attempt to tame and modernize nature.
- A Winter’s Tale (by Kiku Pukk Härenstam) – Traveling through a snowstorm in the dense forests of Ingria, the characters suffer an accident. Forced to find shelter, they reach the Tammsalu inn, far from any inhabited center.
Conclusions of the Vaesen: Seasons of Mystery Review
If you liked Vaesen, Seasons of Mystery will completely charm you. Also in this collection, the atmosphere captures and captivates. The stories are all extraordinarily coherent and can easily be played in two, maximum three sessions. I personally advise against playing them as one-shots. Even if it is not impossible, the operation forces to cut, due to the necessity of time, elements that are fundamental to convey the spirit of this type of atmosphere.
Once again the main theme of the plots is the conflict between human beings and vaesen, between modernity and tradition. Once again this subtle balance is treated with wisdom and a touch of magic.
In short, if you already have the other books of this editorial line, I absolutely recommend you also buy Vaesen: Seasons of Mystery!