Drawlab Entertainment have a solid reputation for creating fast and fun board games that are quick to play, easy to get and deep in terms of stategy and fun. Fired Up is there first miniatures based game. It’s not just a straight forward arena combat game though; it’s a bit deeper than that.
In Fired Up you take the role of a futuristic sports fan, trying to influence the fight in the arena. The combatants are nice mix of robots, cyborgs and aliens, each with their own strengths and weaknesses. Players gamble in-game credits and use a special deck of cards to influence these battles, which have a strong ‘wrestling match’ vibe to them.
The strategy runs in two very broad directions; gambling on the combatants and buffing/sabotaging the outcome through carefully timed use of event cards. The premise that the players are the crowd cheering on the combatants is a fun one, and this is a game that works better with multiple people involved; your really find yourself cheering on the warriors as they mangle each other.
The game itself is sturdily designed and has a nice ‘neon sci-fi’ design that fits in with the game. It’s simpler to play than the likes of Spartacus: A Game of Blood and Treachery and Warhammer Underworlds, whilst still being deep enough to survive repeated use. We also enjoyed the design of the miniatures and though we don’t think the models would work in any other game, they are quite pretty and fun to paint.
Overall, a great addition to the arena board game genre with some interesting models to add to a collection.
