Scales of Fate – A Two-Player Duel of Deduction and Deception

In Scales of Fate, a two-player deduction game, nine demigods are sent into the mortal world, each trying to earn the favor of the gods. But both players control them, making every move a careful balance of strategy and misdirection. Will you guide your hidden demigods to greatness, or will they be cast into the abyss? With secret identities, shifting renown, and plenty of mind games, every decision matters. Let’s take a closer look at how it all plays out.

👥 2 players, ages 14+
⌛ Playing time: 30 minutes
📝 Designers: Max Anderson, Zac Dixon & Austin Harrison
🎨 Artwork: Harry Conway

🏢 Publisher: IV Studio (review copy provided)
Check out the Kickstarter campaign by clicking here

Gameplay Overview

The game takes place over three eras. At the start of each one, a new era card changes the board setup and determines the placement of quests and action spaces. Both players are given two secret demigod cards, and by the end of the game, their positions on the renown track will decide your score.

On your turn, you have three options. You can place a demigod by selecting one from the pool and assigning it to an action space. Some actions will earn you servants, while others let you manipulate the abyss by either sending a demigod into it or shifting the abyss marker to change their fate.

You can also place a servant, which influences the renown of nearby demigods. Servant tokens are placed on the board and activate quests. Servants of Penance and Vesper trigger all light or dark quests in their row, while a servant of Hadria only activates the specific quest it is touching. Depending on the quest, this can boost or lower the renown of demigods in adjacent action spaces.

The third option is using a god power. These are powerful abilities that let you shake things up by swapping demigods, stealing an unused servant from your opponent, or banishing a demigod to the abyss. However, each of the three god powers can only be used once per game, so timing is crucial. On top of that, using a god power comes at a price. You will lose one point for each power you invoke.

An era ends once all action spaces are occupied and all servant tokens have been placed. When that happens, the abyss is resolved, renown is adjusted if needed, and both players must answer a question from the current era card. The answer is simply yes or no, depending on whether it applies to one or both of your secret demigods. After that, the board resets based on the next era card, and the game moves into the next round.

At the end of the third era, players make their final guesses about which demigods their opponent secretly controls before revealing their actual cards. Scoring is based on where your demigods ended up on the renown track. If both are on the same space, you score that amount in points. If they’re on different spaces, you gain points based on their difference. If you correctly identify both of your opponent’s demigods, you get three bonus points, but if you guess both wrong, you lose one. Any god powers you used throughout the game will also subtract from your final score. The player with the most points wins.

Game Info

Scales of Fate is a two-player deduction game designed for players aged 14 and up, with a playtime of around 30 minutes. It was created by Max Anderson, Zac Dixon, and Austin Harrison and is set in the Veiled Fate universe, offering a condensed two-player experience with a similar feel.

The game is launching through a Kickstarter campaign on March 18, and the team at IV Games was kind enough to send over a prototype copy for us to try. That means everything you see and read here is still subject to change, but it gave us a solid feel for how the game plays.

If you like games that mess with your head, where every move feels like a chess match wrapped in a psychological battle, then this one might just be for you.

Components, Production, and Artwork

Before discussing how the game plays, let’s talk about the components and production quality, because even though this is a prototype, it’s already looking sharp.

The dual-layered game board is compact and well thought out, keeping everything in place so pieces don’t slide around mid-game. The box and board have a sleek gold finish, which makes it feel like something special as soon as you open it.

The wooden components are no joke. The action tiles, quest tokens, and servant tokens are thick and sturdy. And the demigod meeples, abyss marker, renown markers, and first player token all feel weighty, with screen-printed icons that make them shine. It’s the kind of game where the tactile feel of the pieces adds to the experience, which is always a plus.

The cards, including demigod cards, age cards, and guide cards, already feel like good quality in this prototype. The final version is expected to have even sharper artwork on the game board and a full-color scorepad. Speaking of artwork, Harry Conway’s illustrations really bring the demigods to life, bringing a sense of mystery and grandeur that fits the theme perfectly.

How It Plays

For us, one of the best things about Scales of Fate is how easy it is to jump into. The rules aren’t overly complex, so you’ll be making meaningful decisions right away. But don’t mistake that for simplicity. The game’s depth comes from how well you can read your opponent and control the flow of renown without giving yourself away.

At its core, this is a pure deduction game with zero randomness. Once play begins, every decision is fully in the hands of the players. That means no dice rolls to bail you out, no surprise card draws to shift the momentum. It’s all about how well you play.

And make no mistake, Scales of Fate will have you second-guessing yourself constantly. You’re trying to figure out which demigods your opponent controls while making sure your own remain hidden. Ideally, your two demigods will end up far apart on the renown track, but not in an obvious way. Trying to land them on the same space is a high-risk move. It might seem clever at first, but trust us, it can backfire in ways you won’t see coming.

Every move is a gamble, because you’re not just trying to boost your own demigods. You also need to adjust the renown of others, which could mean accidentally helping your opponent if you’re not careful. And sometimes, you’ll need to pretend you don’t care about a demigod that’s actually yours, just to throw them off.

Replayability & Depth

One thing we really appreciate about Scales of Fate is how each new era keeps the gameplay dynamic. Each game unfolds over three eras, with a different setup each time, making sure no two games feel identical.

There’s also some flexibility in how you play. If you want a more straightforward deduction experience, you can use a single deck of nine demigod cards, which makes it easier to rule out your own demigods as you try to uncover your opponent’s. If you’re up for a challenge, you can use two separate decks, which means both players might control the same demigod without realizing it, leading to some unexpected moments.

Whichever way you play, the more you dive into the game, the deeper the mind games get.

Final Thoughts

Every session of Scales of Fate felt like a tense, strategic duel. Most of the time, we could confidently identify one of each other’s demigods, but the second one? That was always a 50/50 toss-up, leading to a lot of nervous last-minute guesses.

We found that the better you know your opponent, the trickier the psychological battle becomes. You start recognizing how they bluff, when they hesitate, and what their usual strategies are, which means you have to constantly switch things up to keep them from figuring you out. And honestly, that’s where the real fun is.

The game really shines when both players are actively engaged, trying to outwit and misdirect each other. If one player plays too cautiously or passively, the experience isn’t quite as gripping, but with the right opponent, it’s a true battle of wits.

It’s also incredibly interactive, since you’re directly influencing your opponent’s demigods whether you mean to or not. The era-based setup keeps the game from feeling repetitive, and the one-time-use god powers add a level of risk vs. reward that makes every decision count.

That being said, early mistakes can be brutal. If you make a bad move at the start, climbing back from it might not be easy, which might frustrate newer players. But once you’ve played a few times, you start recognizing how to adapt, and that’s when the game really clicks.

What we love about Scales of Fate is how it turns deduction into a constant battle of wits, where every single move has weight. It’s easy to teach, quick to play, but has so much room for mastery. And let’s be honest, nothing feels better than watching your opponent confidently make a move, only to realize they just helped you win.

Is It for You?

This is a game for people who love deduction and mind games. If you enjoy trying to outthink your opponent and can handle a little bit of psychological pressure, you’ll probably love it. If you prefer games with more randomness or a less intense head-to-head experience, this might not be your style.

Every time we played, Scales of Fate felt like a tense and rewarding battle. Sometimes it was frustrating, always engaging, and never predictable. And there’s nothing quite like that moment when your opponent thinks they have you figured out… but they’re completely wrong.

📝 We received a preview copy of the game from IV Games for the purpose of this review.