Christian Board Game Review – Portals and Prophets

“Jesus said to him, ‘Have you believed because you have seen Me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.’” – John 20:29

This verse is a comfort to the multitude of Christians who have come to faith after Christ’s ascension. But if we were to be truly honest with ourselves, many would probably jump at the opportunity to take a time machine back to Jesus’ day to see Him in person.

Fortunately for you, as the Portals and Prophets rulebook explains, the Alpha and Omega time travel company is here to do just that—and more. They’re looking to hire a guide who will bring tour groups back through time to witness important events from the Bible, from Genesis to the New Testament era. You and other players compete as finalists for the position. And you’ll prove that you’re the best person for the job by traveling back in time and racing all across ancient Israel, showing you have what it takes to lead this expedition through biblical history.

Of course, there are a few challenges along the way.

Sure, anyone can show up in Bethel, or Bethlehem, or Beersheba when not much is going on. But, as Ecclesiastes says, there’s a time for every matter under heaven. So you’ll need to make sure you’re not only in the right location of a biblical event—but also the right century. Because if you can’t manage that, well, you’ll be waiting quite some time to read about it in the Bible.

Components

Portals and Prophets comes with a seven-page rulebook. It also includes four different decks of cards: 18 brown “Genesis” cards, 75 green “Old Testament” cards, 22 white “New Testament” cards and five blue “Portal” cards. A handful of tokens for tracking progress on the board and 10 colored pawns (two of each color) close out the rest of the materials.

Gameplay

Portals and Prophets sends up to five players back to the time of the book of Genesis, and then slowly brings them, century by century, to the New Testament era. Each player holds five cards in his or her hand, with each card depicting an event from the Bible (as well as where and in what century it took place). As the centuries tick by (designated by a token moving along a timeline on the board), players run from location to location, hoping to be in the right place at the right time to play those event cards for points. Then, players can draw more event cards from the deck so they can hopefully score those, too. And whoever has the most points at the end of the game wins.

Players will also want to consider scrapping cards: Some cards contain a “fuel value,” wherein discarding those events adds fuel to the time machine. With enough fuel, players can score points even if they don’t happen to be in the correct century for that event. For instance, if the game has progressed to the 9^th century B.C., but the “Fuel Boost” indicator is on “2,” then players can play event cards that occurred up to two centuries in the future or in the past (in this case, anywhere from the 11^th to 7^th centuries).

Players can also earn points by scoring cards from different areas of Israel. The gameboard is split up into five regions: Judea, Samaria, Galilee, Coastal and Distant Destinations. For bonus points, players should witness events in all five.

Additionally, cards are grouped into categories (“Ancient,” “Royalty,” “God Speaks,” “Miracle,” “Battle” and “Mountain”). The card “Daniel Interprets the Writing on the Wall” (Daniel 5), for instance, is classified in as Royalty, Miracle and God Speaks. Players with the most cards representing a category will earn extra points at the end of the game.

Spiritual Elements

In a game where players sprint around Israel (and nearby locations, such as Egypt and Babylon) to witness biblical events, you’re going to learn a bit about the Bible itself. Each game card references an event, along with the location and century in which occurred. The cards likewise contain an artistic depiction of the event and a relevant Bible verse describing it. And while even nonbelievers will recognize some of these events (such as a card depicting David and Goliath), other events may be obscure enough to encourage families to open their own Bibles to read more about the event and its significance.

Noteworthy Potential Concerns

There isn’t too much to sully this Christian gaming experience. However, some cards reference moments from Scripture where people died, which may feel a little weird to think about bringing tour guides to watch. (My first trip back in time certainly wouldn’t be to see the “Amorite Kings Executed.”) Likewise, iconoclasts may take issue with some New Testament cards’ depictions of Jesus.

Conclusion

Portals and Prophets is actually quite fun. We had a blast racing to reach our next destination before each century ended to watch biblical events come and go. And, to add an additional fun challenge, the game’s rules stated our player pawns couldn’t pass through or stand on the same place as another player’s, causing a few of us to (unintentionally and intentionally) sabotage each other.

Portals and Prophets will appeal to the family who wants an easy-to-learn game that still allows for a bit of strategic planning. The seven-page rulebook is a breeze to get through, and gameplay scarcely lasts more than an hour.

And for parents who’d like to use this game as a deeper teaching tool, consider this: When the points have been scored and the game is over, take a look at the cards each player has played, and ask your kids which card they find the most interesting. Then, open your Bible to where that event takes place. Read it and teach it to your child in its full context. Each time you play, pick a new card and read the Bible passages related to it.

By doing so, even if you don’t have a time machine of your own, you may just find yourself whisked back in time anyway.