Massive presentation of Ierusalem Anno Domini in the church of Sant Miquel with the presence of the Archbishop of La Seu d’Urgell
More than 100 people attended the event, held during Easter. The game, designed by Carmen G. Jiménez and edited by Devir, recreates the episode of the Last Supper.
Coinciding with the celebration of Easter, Devir has presented its latest own title, the board game Ierusalem Anno Domini. More than a hundred people have attended the event, held in the church of Sant Miquel, in La Seu d’Urgell (Lleida). Joaquim Dorca, CMO of Devir, Carmen G. Jiménez, the author, and David Esbrí, editor of the game, spoke during the presentation of the act. Among the attendees, the presence of Archbishop Joan-Enric Vives and the Minister of Culture of the Catalan government, Natalia Garriga, stood out.
At the beginning, Archbishop Joan-Enric Vives stressed that: “Presenting this game here, in this church, and during Easter, which is the big week for Christians, is a joy and an honor. Thanks to all of you who have made it possible." On the other hand, Carmen G. Jiménez, professor and theologian as well as game designer, said: “I have two passions in life, one is the life of Jesus of Nazareth and the other is board games. I thought this might have a lace and here it is. The Last Supper also seemed like a good theme to focus the game on, because it highlights the most human part of Jesus: enjoying a meal with his friends”.
In this sense, Joaquim Dorca explained that: “The choice of theme in board games is becoming a field with more competition. That's why at Devir we try to find risky themes for our games; last year we did it with Lacrimosa, based on Mozart's famous lastRequiem, and this year we do it with Ierusalem, based on the Last Supper”. In the presence of the Minister of Culture of the local government, Natalia Garriga, the speakers claimed the importance of board games as a cultural element.
The same weekend that the game was officially presented, the seventh edition of the Festival del Joc del Pirineu was held in La Seu d’Urgell, a fair that programmed dozens of activities and which closed with a record number of visitors. A total of 8,000 people filed through the multiple spaces set up over three days to listen to lectures, participate in demonstrations and play board games.
Challenge, rigor and respect
Ierusalem Anno Domini, designed by Carmen G. Jiménez and illustrated by LA Draws, Enrique Corominas and David Esbrí, proposes that players take control of a community of followers of Jesus of Nazareth who gather in the city to get closer to Jesus and his apostles during the Last Supper. Through the management of cards and resources, players will be able to do favors, listen to parables or situate themselves in the dining room of the Last Supper to try to reach the highest score. All this while the patience of the Sanhedrin, the religious court of the time, runs out, which triggers the end of the game. Designed to offer a challenging experience to the most experienced players and also to those new to the hobby, the game treats with respect and rigor a topic that could be sensitive for some people.
The game has an evocative graphic section that combines the realistic style of Enrique Corominas from Valladolid and LA Draws from Nigeria with the Romanesque-inspired iconography by David Esbrí that give it great personality.
Since the news of its development was made public, during the international fair in Essen, in Germany, Ierusalem Anno Domini had aroused great interest among the board game fan community. The bold commitment to an unusual theme, combined with the most innovative mechanics of modern board games and evocative art, make this title one of the most important releases of the year for Devir.
Devir is an international publishing group founded in 1987 specializing in the publication of collectible cards, board games, graphic novels and role-playing games. It currently has a catalog of 300 live board games on the market and publishes about 60 a year. Among them, those of our own production stand out, which have been distinguished with prestigious international awards and have been licensed around the world.