Before starting my review of Be Like a Crow, I’d like to ask you a question; have you ever dreamed of being a crow? To be able to fly as a creature that has always been linked to the spiritual world and magic? Well, Be Like A Crow, the solo game written by Tim Roberts and published by Critical Kit, offers this opportunity to anyone who wants to build a personalized and potentially infinite story in the role of a very particular bird.
Before going into the exploration of this journaling game, I would like to thank first of all the author who sent us not only the manual, but also the deck of themed cards. He was so kind and added a personal dedication to the package; you can see it in the images included in this review and this is a preview of the care for this product.
In case you are interested, the volume costs £ 12.99 (about € 15) in its physical copy and £ 6 (about € 7) in the digital version and can be purchased on the English website of the publisher. It is also possible to download the character sheet for free as well as the maps of all the scenarios available. In addition, the diary to keep track of your adventures and the deck of themed cards are available for £ 10 (about € 12).
The Be Like A Crow Game Concept
Be Like A Crow is a single player TTRPG that lets you fly like a corvid. You hover across various landscapes (of different genres) to achieve your personal goals, explore, learn and grow older.
The concept of this journaling game is certainly unusual and intelligent enough to place the player in a peculiar context, very different from any other roleplaying game; it lets you live events in a very original way, letting you experience the game from a bird’s perspective.
Four Characters
But keep in mind that Be Like a Crow is not a role-playing game about anthropomorphic birds. The player explores the game world and live the experiences of a real bird. So the story starts from youth and continues until old age. The manual presents five birds of the corvid species: the Rook, the Carrion Crow, the Magpie, the Raven, and the Jackdaw.
Each corvid is defined by its size and its life habits: nesting, diet, physical characteristics, and the habitat in which it lives. For the mechanics of the game, each type of corvid starts with a certain specializations in different skills. Skills are divided into four macro categories: Travel and Exploration, Social Interaction, Tools and Rituals, and Combat. Each macro category is made up of four specific skills; each corvid starts with a different skill points as perfectly indicated in the Characters and Settings section.
Six Settings
The versatility of Be Lile A Crow, however, is not limited to the choice of the type of character that you can play. In fact, six different settings are included in this beautiful manual of only 90 pages. You can find classic fantasy, gothic and steampunk, ranging in different genres and potentially infinitely vast worlds. Otherwise, you can choose to face the most difficult role for these birds: to be the raven, the symbol of the British monarchy in the Tower of London.
You can then choose to explore a high fantasy world flitting between gods and monsters or to delve into a gothic landscape full of castles and cemeteries and befriend vampires and other supernatural inhabitants instead of humans. If such a context weren’t intriguing, Clockwork Corvid takes the game to a steampunk setting where humans have gained the ability to fly thanks to metal machines. Cyber-crow offers players the chance to increase their own natural skills with technology, serving as surveillance and weapon for humans.
But the ones that I liked the most are the two locations unlocked by the Kickstarter campaign: the Tower of London and the modern environment of Urban Crow.
The Maps of the Settings
Each proposed setting is accompanied by a specific map. Tim relied on well-known artist and software: Dyson Logos and Inkarnate. The result is perfectly integrated into the context and enriches the volume and the scenarios presented with beautiful colors. If the actual playability of this type of map worries you, visit the Critical Kit store. The maps as well as the character sheet of our favorite corvid can be downloaded for free.
How to Approach the Crow’s Life
Starting from the assumption that it is a journaling game (therefore a game designed to build a travel diary of your character), I also want to analyze the game mechanics.
The Be Like a Crow, as we see in this review, requires a deck of rummy cards. Players draw cards to generate random events in the chosen setting, comparing the result with the related practical table.
Players try to complete random objectives by exploring the world and collecting items, communicating with other birds, developing a relationship with humans and engaging in beak and claw fights when needed.
Be Like A Crow Game System Review
Be Like a Crow‘s mechanics are pretty simple. It uses a standard deck of playing cards and when a player wants her corvid to take an action, she draws a card from the deck. The value obtained defines the type of difficulty of the activity. To see if the character succeeds, she draws another card and adds the value of the appropriate ability to the value of the card drawn. If the result is equal to or greater than the value of difficulties, the character is successful.
Each card has, for each setting, a convenient summary table by suit and value with its own conversion into game elements, divided by NPCs, locations, objectives, and items.
If a joker is drawn, it can be used immediately or kept for a later time. In the latter case, it can be used to automatically pass a combat or skill check, for healing wounds, or to discard a card and draw again.
In the event of a fight, you need to draw a card for each opponent, add the value of the appropriate skill and compare the total of the cards and skills. The highest total wins the round and inflicts a wound. Eventually, when the deck is exhausted, the discard pile is shuffled and becomes the new deck for use.
Be Like a Crow Materials
As I happen to verify more and more often, small does not mean poor quality. Be Like a Crow is a perfect example of practicality and extreme care. The manual is in A5 format and consists of about 90 pages, not exactly pocket-sized but certainly easily transportable. The paper is glossy and the print quality is absolutely remarkable. Everything in this product denotes care and love: from the choice of the layout to the graphics. The only flaw is maybe the binding. The product is so beautiful that you want to browse it again and again and not just to check the results of the game options given by the cards; however, the impression one gets in handling it is that it can be ruined by careless use.
The deck of cards with dedicated illustrations is undoubtedly the perfect accessory to this solo game. The illustrations created by Khius, who gave the corvids feathers and soul, are wonderful. Also in this case, the quality is undoubted, the cards are thick and at the same time manageable. The glossy paper slips well between the fingers and does not leave the impression of a not very durable product.
Be Like a Crow Review Conclusions
As can be seen from this review, Be Like A Crow is much more than a pleasant surprise. The author himself declares that he wanted to make this game for himself and I understand perfectly why. It is a transversal product and not just playful. The structure makes it perfect as a starting point for the drafting of a story if not a comic and has the potential to allow an almost unlimited narrative duration. Practical and easy to handle, it has almost limitless potential as well as an aesthetic that makes it a beautiful manual to own.
So, ready to take flight?
