Restoration Games’ Crossbows and Catapults: Fort War shows the scrappy little board game publisher at his best, digging through older, long-forgotten games and giving them a fresh coat of paint for modern audiences. The latest product is perfect for families with young children and easily bridges the gap between hardcore fans of the tabletop hobby and the kids who love them. But the big box of plastic may prove a bit too expensive for some.
Published in 1983, the original Crossbows and catapults was a huge hit at retail, toeing the line between a novelty toy and a dexterity-based board game. Players compete to land their caroms (large plastic disks) on their opponent’s horde of treasures, or use those same caroms to topple a central tower. The mechanisms for throwing those caroms are small plastic siege weapons, including a ballista and a catapult powered by rubber bands.
This new version of the game, available now, is a huge mechanical upgrade over the original. Neither the crossbow nor the slingshot require a thin rubber band to power them, which should improve their longevity quite a bit. The catapult, on the other hand, now has a rotating auger to adjust the launch angle. In fact, the caroms land with a significant impact, but don’t have to travel that far. The weapons are not only tailored to a 1.8 meter long piece of smooth floor, as recommended in the original, but to any hard surface 150 centimeters long, such as a kitchen table at pub height.
The biggest change, however, is in the way the game uses its miniatures. In the original, the medieval warriors in the box were essentially markers that you placed on the battlefield where caroms landed. It was almost like launching individual soldiers over the castle walls, trying to gain a foothold behind enemy lines before bringing out your siege weapons for a precision attack. This 2024 version has a lot more personality.
The base game features two factions, the Goblins and the Dwarves, and each has five unique miniature figures. These miniatures only come into play when their unique action cards are played, and each has a special power. For example, Chozz The Armorer is a goblin who can use a carom as a barricade to give players an extra action. With Olga The Destroyer, another goblin, you can fire two caroms at the same time. There are also additional single-use caroms available, such as the “bomberang” which you can fire repeatedly as long as it always lands face up.
Unfortunately, the manual – which is only eight pages long – contains a few errors and inconsistencies. Nothing groundbreaking in my view, but clarity and precision issues could cause some consternation, especially among younger players. Additionally, it’s the whopping $90 price tag that will likely give potential buyers the most heartburn. Most consumers who encounter this product in the wild will likely scoff at it and only see a box of plastic blocks. But those who know, understand all that Crossbows and catapults was created more or less from scratch. Engineering, mold making and assembly of these types of plastic components really cost money and time, and the production value here is top class. Even the blocks themselves are so artfully designed that they bend and sag upon impact, like a rotting old wizard’s tower. I especially liked the decorative stickers and the cardboard terrain that you can use for range and target practice.
Crossbows and Catapults: Fort War is, in reality, excellent value for the money. Even if you never open the manual, you and your family will have a great time building and tearing down those castle walls.
Crossbows and Catapults: Fort War is available at local game stores and online. The game was reviewed using a retail product from Restoration Games. Vox Media has affiliate partnerships. These do not influence editorial content, although Vox Media may earn commissions on products purchased through affiliate links. You can find Additional information about Polygon’s ethics policy can be found here.