Favor Review: Quick Take with Tom Vasel

About Favor, from BoardGameGeek:

Favor: A Game of Royal Succession is a thrilling card-drafting game for 3-5 players, plunging you into a kingdom teetering on the edge after the King's demise. As one of 10 royal siblings, you'll vie to win the Queen's favor and seize the crown across three dramatic Acts, each brimming with tension and lasting 45-90 minutes. Pick your champion-perhaps the sly Bandit, the noble Knight, or the enigmatic Magician, each with their own flair and challenges-and outmaneuver your kin through cunning card play, daring missions, and epic realm-wide melees. With its gorgeously illustrated cards and immersive theme, Favor delivers a delicious mix of strategy and storytelling for those who crave rivalry and glory. Each Act unfolds in three pulse-pounding phases: the Gameplay Phase, where you draft and play cards to hone skills like Charisma, Power, or Alchemy; the Missions Phase, where you embark on royal quests to curry the Queen's favor; and the Melee Phase, a grand tournament where you unleash your might to claim coveted Prestige Tokens. Cards-from Endeavors that sharpen your talents to Weapons, Artifacts, and Potions that spark dazzling effects-open myriad paths to triumph, whether you're conquering missions, dominating melees, or chasing legendary combos like Blind Faith, Heaven's Blade, and Archeus for a mighty edge. Choices abound: borrow skills from a rival for a price, tweak your character's proficiency slider for a clever advantage, or trade cards for gold to fuel your rise. The stakes soar in Act 3, where the final melee offers a dazzling prize of Prestige, and the Queen casts her discerning eye over each sibling's deeds. Victory hinges on a grand tally of Completed Missions, Character Favor (gained through skills like Survival or Knowledge), Prestige, and the bitter sting of Scorn Tokens that can mar your reputation, with gold breaking any deadlock. The sibling with the greatest score ascends as Ruler of the Realm. Favor's clever mechanics reward sharp wits-whether you're a Fiddler hunting wildcards or a Duchess weaving a web of generosity-while its enchanting card effects, like the Mind's Eye or Philosopher's Stone, sprinkle magic into every turn. Crafted for strategy lovers, Favor blends approachable rules with endless replayability, thanks to its colorful cast of characters and intricate card interplay. The game's lavish design, from its ornate artwork to its evocative symbols, sweeps players into a realm of royal intrigue where every choice carves your destiny. Will you outfox your siblings and bask in the Queen's favor, or will your dreams of the throne crumble in this exhilarating game of wit and valor? -description from the publisher