Zenith Components Overview and Impressions
I’m generally not a huge fan of games that have strong take-that mechanics, which means a lot of dueling 2-player games don’t appeal to me. At GenCon 2025, I had the chance to get a quick overview of how it worked from a Luma Imports representative, and I was actually intrigued. Not only did the game look fantastic, but the card play and engine building looked really interesting as well. It will be the table presence, though, that will get you to stop and look so let’s take a look at the game’s components.
First and foremost, there is no excuse for a two player game to not have fantastic player aids for both players. Forcing players to share in any game is rediculous in my opinion, but that disdain is 10-fold when it comes to two player experiences. Hats off to the design team of Zenith for not only creating player aids for turn order and turn structures, but providing a really helpful card outlining the key parts of the game, including detailed iconography. Even before handling the amazing components, I was impressed.
Card quality here isn’t as good as I’ve seen it in other games, but not bad enough that I would want to instantly sleeve this game. I think they’d hold up well over dozens of plays without wear, but I don’t love the feel of the cards in my hand. That being said, while I prefer linen finish cards, I know that increases the cost of a game exponentially.
The artwork, however, is fabulous. The cards and boards are incredibly bright and vibrant, using a really nice, yet slightly edgy, cartoon design. I also like that this content design contrasts nicely with the slightly ‘dull’ look of the game’s RE-wood pieces, which feel amazing and will be something I play with constantly while at the table.
An impressive design and aesthetic makes me more likely to table a game, and more likely to introduce it to others. I think the look of a game is pretty important to the overall feeling after playing a game, and I’m glad to see so much care and dedication being put into this production by Play Punk!
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Article By Adam Roffel
