Freshwater Fly (2019) review
Bellwether Games is a publisher who gained recognition with the game Coldwater Crown. A game rather interesting and perfect about fishing. They are now back with a new Kickstarter, this time, Freshwater Fly. No surprise, it rests in the theme of fishing. While the first game was intended to plunge you into a world tournaments, the second offers a more intimate approach, more solitary. Indeed, in Freshwater Fly you go fly fishing in a slightly mountainous area, with friends. Just that, your whole program. Indeed, I like games that offer original themes. This one is one of those. However, I have to admit, not being a fisherman myself, I have not mastered the jargon specific to this passion. Freshwater Fly is a game of Brian Suhre. All the visual was done by Darryl T. Jones. The game was available in small quantities at Essen 2019 and sometimes in a few shops. But the stock quickly melted. Hard to get your hands on now. The theme played a big part in the success of the title, especially in a current production that is struggling to renew itself. But what about the game itself? Freshwater Fly invites you to play as a fisherman. Here, no religion. No, a real fisherman, with his rubber boots, his overalls, his gloves, his bucket hat... In short, all you need to not catch a death by cold from facing the currents. With your fishing rod, you and your friends decided to start a small competition. The subject of the competition: angling. The goal: to get the most points at the end of the game. Simple, basic. Fishing rod in hand, let's go. Me, I dig my saplings, to go fishing, musette on the shoulder, sausage, cold beer. (french song "LA PÊCHE À LA LIGNE" - RENAUD) Settled in my little corner of paradise, I'm ready. First thing to do, choose my fly. There are six flies available, each corresponding to a color, which itself corresponds to the hatching tokens. It is important to study the game board in order to choose a color that corresponds to your target fish at the risk of telling the story of how the big fish got away. Each player, in the order of the turn, will prepare their rod carefully. In Freshwater Fly, there is no lap count. You have the time, as this requires practice. Although ... the first to catch their seventh fish, will end the game. It remains a race. Monitoring the progress of others and catching up is a good idea. Just be contemplative and enjoy the water and clean air. Each player has an individual board representing their abilities and reel. This is not a simple accessory that challenges but represents a real pretty ingenious and well inserted in the theme. The central board corresponds to the whole accessible end of the river and gives you a visual of the catchable fish. And essentially with which bait to catch them. At each round, you will roll a number of dice based on the number of players. The dice are at the heart of the game. In turn order, you will choose one of the dice still available and perform a force action equal to its value. There are three main actions available: casting, reel or finesse +2. First of all, you'll need a target, a whipping fish (no Igor, put that whip away!). For that, nothing more simple. The chosen die will show you a column on the board. In this column, you will be able to choose a position among those available (paying attention of the rocks). But for your prey to be attracted, you must have a fly of the same color as the hatching token at the bottom of the river. If this is the case, you must go to the second step: catching your fish. For him to bite the hook, you will have to show skill ... not in fact, it's more luck but in a controlled way. There is a small deck consisting of four cards. Among them, is a card "fish caught". You mix this deck, and if you have a hook of the same color as a hatch, you draw one. If this famous card is drawn, bravo you can go to the next step. If you missed your fish, do not panic. Concentrate. Do you see your fineness level on your personal board? If you have any, you can spend one (you slip your token one step to the left) to take another card. Still missed? Decidedly, this fish is tough. You can even do it again, if you really lack luck (perseverance is a good virtue). But what happens if you miss your fish? The current will move your line will drift one step to the left. If you were already in zone 1, too bad for you, you will have to retry your luck on your next action. In other cases, if your hook corresponds to a hatching token you can try again to hook a new fish. Take back the cards, shuffle them and ... this time you do not shoot one but two cards. Yes, it is like that. You want this fish! If, after this second chance, you have not succeeded, your action is lost. In case your hook does not match the hatch token, it's a little less convenient. If this is your first run, your line drifts down a notch. You can only try your luck if your hook matches the hatch token. If it still does not fit, you still drift one step to the left. With each drift, you have the right to try your luck to catch the fish. But be careful, after the second drift or after the second attempt, your turn is over. Small bonus of a drift, it is not one but two cards that you will draw. Sometimes, going farther can be a good strategy. Once your fish is hooked, you have it at the end of your cane. It took the fly, which may tend to annoy it. But expert as you are, it's not a problem. So you take the corresponding fish and position it on your personal board according to its color. Each color corresponds to a step in the capture. The more difficult a fish is to catch, the more points it makes. You also take the hatching token (which will serve at the end of the game) and of course you place a fish in the space of the one that your caught. If by chance you have caught it next to rocks, draw the first card from the pile. These are bonuses that will help you greatly during the game. Finally, the reel is positioned on its starting space. Which brings us to the second possible action. Play the reel to tickle this stud. In short, bring the fish to the surface. Your reel has five spaces. Each corresponds to a specific action:
To use your reel, you will have to select a remaining die. You decrease the value of the die by the resistance strength of the fish and you advance your reel by that many spaces. Once this is done, you can use the power indicated on the space. There remains a third and last action available, focus. You can take any dice and regardless of its value, to move your fineness slider two notches to the right. This is the best way to ensure future success or desired power. There are also bonus actions that depend on your rock cards (permanent but once per turn), your speed tile (one-shot) or your situation on your ability (lower your fineness by one step to the left). These actions can be done in addition to the main action. The end of a round occurs when there are no more dice available. To determine the first player, you’ll calculate the value of each die you used, the smallest total is prime. Being first can be important. This is also one of the ways the author tries to convince you not to just take the big numbers. The end of the game comes at the end of a round where a player fishes their seventh fish. You’ll then count the points. Starting with the fish, then public goals and after private goals. Finally, the points from rock cards are added and the one that has the most wins. Contrary to what it seems, Freshwater Fly is not a complicated game. Everything seems quickly logical and the rounds are linked in a rather important fluidity. In front of the small choice of available actions, the wait between turns is quite limited. Thematically, the game is really exemplary. Everything breathes the theme. That it is the material but also the mechanisms. Special mention to the idea of the reel. We found ourselves with the impression of raising fish at the end of our lines. A little cricket singing in the background, relaxing music with water streaming and you're there. The rules are in the majority quite clear and the components is relatively correct (some problems may be on some material). You’ll quickly identifies your objectives and the fish that you wishes to catch. Moreover, the idea of having personal boards with asymmetrical objectives is excellent. Everything is well indicated and it is not necessary to go back in the rule book. The duration of a game is not very long. I must admit that it is sufficient. Longer, the game could have become quite boring. Because yes, it is not free of defects. Already, the game seems pretty scripted. This feeling finally agrees well enough with the theme, but we quickly feel forced. One of the things you need to do first is hook a fish. When you do not have fish, the rest is impossible. Then, once you have one at the end of your line, you will have to go back up, so you will do almost this action. And so on. Finally, you take a dice, you take a fish, you spin your reel. However, this repetitiveness of actions and especially choices fits perfectly into the theme. How else would you have wanted it? To have wanted to stick too close to the theme, the author may have forgotten that this is a board game and that playfully non-fishermen could quickly get bored. Luck is present. But it is relatively discreet and most of the time controllable. Once again, you could have liked unforeseen events (fish snaps the line, the wind reverses the current, etc.) which would have broken a little this playful monotony. The dice, in turn, play a role that is ultimately rather minor. The game will sometimes be a race to the one who will be able to take the strongest dice first (hence the interest of being the first player). Collect dice of small values quickly finds its limits. The replayability of the game is theoretically good. However, it can quickly become a problem if your resistance to do more or less the same is low. The game offers a solo mode that has the merit of existing and remains interesting. Not convinced by cons, once realized, we return with great pleasure. I was really attracted to the theme that was off the beaten track. I would have loved to love this game. It is pleasant but unfortunately far from what had sold me, at least in my imagination. Maybe I was expecting too much? Far from being a bad game, it is not unforgettable either. If it had not had its original theme, would it have been so successful? Nothing is less sure. Freshwater Fly is a pleasant game with a refreshing theme and incredible thematic respect. But even if it has interesting mechanisms, the game suffers quickly from gaps. Shortcomings that will be quickly forgotten if you are fans of fishes, or that will be important if you search more than a theme. This points race could finally be compared to a long calm river. A known place, relaxing but not surprising. Technical score 8/10 Many good things in this game. The graphics, the material (even if some things are disproportionate or just below the rest), the rules, everything is clear, clear and thematically respected. The reel is a small gadget that has its charm. We hoped for a finish on some elements, for a little less generic look. My BGG score 7/10 (Good likes from time to time play) The strength of the game is its theme, rather its thematic respect. On it, the work of the author is remarkable. However, when you touch such a special passion, you have to know how to balance. Focusing on it alone can quickly knock out those who do not have this fiber. Paradoxically therefore, the game suffers from the thematic omnipresence that prevents it from coming out of the currents. A current sometimes too linear. Combined score 7.5 / 10 And now, it's up to you to play ...
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Red outpost (2019) first impressions
(Remember, this is a first impression and not a final review. The game was played on a well rendered prototype, of an upcoming Kickstarter game. These words and thoughts are of a one-time play play with a 3 player count.) If you're looking for a game with a unique theme and gameplay, here is a game that should pique your interest. Theme wise, Red Outpost is about the Russians winning the Space Race. And instead of going to the moon, they crash on another planet and start inhabiting it. Mechanics wise, this is a worker displacement, resource gathering and and Influence scoring game. Where are all the workers and resources are shared between all players. But this is no “co-op game” by any shape or means. Players are going to be scrambling to manipulate these workers for their own benefits and mainly trying to hold the others back from doing the same. Each, trying to keep their head about the water, at the same, submerging the heads of others. The ruleset for the game is very simple. You’ll move an unused worker to a unique empty location, place one of your influence tokens on that workers image, possibly change the mood of that worker, before taking the action as indicated on the location. As simple as that. Although so your first game, you may occasionally forget to place out your influence token. This can sometimes screw up the game. Or at least your score, if you forget to do so. But that's an easy player error to make in your first game. Quickly forgotten in this very rapid, slick, elegant game. To help the game run smoother, it has its own simple to read, iconography at each location. This, players will pick up very quickly and make your gaming experience run very smoothly. But with all that being said, this game is easy to pick up and play (with a possible error...lol) but is no easy game to master. The game is played over 2 rounds, which represents 2 days. Each day is broken down into 5 phases. Morning, first half of the day, lunch, second half of the day and evening. All of the six unique workers will start their day in the barracks, sleeping. Waking up from they're wonderful dreams and preparing for that hard but yet satisfying day of work. In the morning, lunch and evening phase, each player will be able to move a worker to a new unoccupied location. Whereas as in the first and second half of the day, players will activate all available workers until they have all been utilised. This may mean at certain player accounts, some players will activate two workers while others only one in this phase. Here there are some little thematic ideas that play into each of these times of the day. For example, any workers that are not moved in the morning phase will sleep in and instantly be satisfied, augmenting their mood level. That's true in the real world, yes? The kitchen space is only open at lunchtime, but you're not obliged to send a worker out there to elevate their mood. Again in the evening, the barracks is the only place that you can send a worker. And not all workers will go there, but any that do will have their mood increased. To add a bit of variety to this, the game comes with 3 morning and evening tokens. These can be placed out randomly or in set locations, rendering them closed for that part of the day. Reducing the amount of locations during two phases of a round. This is not as restrictive as it sounds, although it will make a few players feel claustrophobic, as they become first play and have free reign of the board. But that one action they want to do is not available! But it will add a little more to your thought process from game to game. Plus with the restriction of only one worker being able to move to an unoccupied location, will consume a little bit of your grey matter. Let's talk a little bit about these locations and what they do. Most of the locations will gather resources, like wheat from the fields or coal from the coal mine. A few of them will allow you to draw cards to see whether you collect resources, like whether you catch a fish from the lake. All resources are pooled together the storehouse. For each resource your worker collects, you will move your token on the production wheel. Once it passes a certain space, you're received two points and a crystal, which is its own unique resource. More about these crystals later. If at the end of your turn, you have added a third resource of the same type already stored there, you’ll score some additional points. This is an action that can be stolen from you by other players, so don’t try to think too far ahead. Two of these resources are removed while the other is placed on a resource score track. At first, this track will only give you one point. Over time, as more players contribute to this resource gathering, that score we'll go up to a level before caping itself to a solitary point. Making resource gathering important but at the same time only at certain stages in the game. As the game goes on, players may be forced to collect resources and add them to the pool, which in turn may lead to another player scoring off of that action. Other locations may require the aforementioned crystals. Going to the beer house will allow you to spend a crystal that will allow you to manipulate the mood tracks of 2 of the workers. While going into the palace will allow you to drop off a crystal to contribute towards the construction. Leading to another way to score. If at the end of the game you have contributed the most, there are some bonus points up for grabs. Going to the storehouse will allow you to use the resources to manipulate mood or collect crystals. Going to the administration will allow you to move other players influence around. This all sounds great and well, but most of these locations also have benefit or malediction depending on the worker that is sent there. Again this ties in with the theme of the game and can lead to some interesting decision making. Let’s say you send the minor to go mine at the mine (that's a lot of mines). This will benefit you with 2 coal resources and no penalty. As the minor is used to working in the mine and will not be upset with the working conditions. Send any other worker to the mine, and as they are not at proficient as the minor, they only collect one coal. And as they are not accustomed to working in the mind, and their mood will decrease by 2 to. Making them a very sad bunny. And that's how most of the locations work. They will give you something but they also may change the mood of the worker that you have used to do that task. Each space thematically ties in with the worker. Another example is the commissar, who will lose morale if they visit the beer house (dull chap) but will gain morale every time another worker goes to the palace to contribute to the construction. So I have done a lot of talking about morale, moods and influence. These are all important at the end of each day, as they will also add points to your game. Or lose them! Once the workers have gone to bed, your tally each of your your influence markers that you have used on each of the workers. If you have the most or are joined for the most influence on one of these meeple, you will gain or lose points depending on their mood. This adds an entire heavier level of planning in regards to just sending “so and so” over there to do this or that. It also prevents a player from using the same I'm working over and over again, due to too many of the locations making them sad rather than happy. Added to that is the restriction of only six different workers, which will force players to play dirty. Maybe leaving behind the last worker for you to influence, knowing they are on negative points. Just like real life, if we are all contributing to make this world better, but stabbing each other behind their backs. This influence and mood scoring track is probably the hardest ball to juggle in the game. Sometimes it feels just like luck that you have been left with a certain meeple to manipulate or a certain location due to others being occupied. But that's part of the give-and-take of the game. Using a character and figuring out how to get a special bonus in a special location but also penalizing yourself we'll have you head scratching for awhile as you search to see if it is beneficial in the long run. But this can be overthrown by another who is quicker or wiser enough to manipulate the workers moods. Is this all sounds too simple for you, then don't fret. There are also some special cards that you can add to your game that will make your decisions a bucket load more interesting. At the beginning of the game you can be dealt two cards. One location and one worker. Each has its own extra benefit when you either visit that location or use that worker. This variant of the game that we played with, did make the decision making process of your action a hell of a lot more interesting. Adding an additional level of though as you want to use that power, but it may hamper other benefactory ideas further along. Also these cards are open knowledge to all the other players, they may deliberately occupy that worker or location, just say you can't benefit from your special powers. I would definitely recommend playing with this variant if you have a group of experienced gamers. So this game has a lot of interesting and thematic ideas in tangled inside it's small framework. And left me with the sensation of playing a kind of Mediaeval Academy meets Outlive hybrid. Even though the artwork and theme were reminiscent of Scythe. And a game does seem to be a cold logical puzzle, where you are having to adapt to what is available and whatever the other players are doing. Saying that, one detractor from the game is the luck factor. There are two small decks of cards located next to the lake and the spaceship. Going to these locations is a bit of pot luck, as some of the cards don't contain resources, but a whopping big red “X”. Meaning there is nothing there and you have practically wasted an action. This can definitely sting you. And players adapted to this by not going to the spaceship or they use the fisherman and only the fishermen to go fishing at the lake. This guaranteed a resource. And then there's the nasty action which a player can take. Sending the bureaucrat to the administration office. Or spending crystals to create mood swings,not only to the workers, but also the players. This then just blatantly let's them move one of your disks of influence from a worker that will probably get you lots of points to another that's going to give you negative points. This can sometimes feel like a real kick in the nuts action to take. Even if it costs a crystal. Points win the games, while crystals can also contribute. Apart from that, this is a real solid and interesting euro game. It seems well balanced in how you get points. Either from scoring from resource collecting and crystal depositing. To the influence and mood scoring. Though some players may have trouble trying to manage this second part of scoring or losing points, as it is player dependent. Plus it's a mechanism that is not frequently used, worker displacement and influence. Have to play with the leftovers of other players feels refreshing and also a little confusing. Possibly not everyone's cup of tea. Even for a prototype, the components are very well realised for a euro style game. The rule book was very easy to digest, with a few added corrections and clarifications, it is near perfect. And the footprint of the box itself will not eat up a lot of shelf space. But saying all that, some of that is subject to change depending on the Kickstarter. There may be other components that add to the size of the book. Other rules that will add to the replayability or upgrades. These we will see in time. But if you're looking for a different type of solid and fluid euro, that has you thinking in a different fashion, as well as being fantastic themed, this is one you should be clicking on. The Girl and the Robot: The Card Game
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Designer :
Salim Larochelle Artist : Ayaka Nakamura Published: Flying Carpets Games 2 - 4 player 30-60 minutes Ages 10+ language dependant : a little Written by Guilou |
It all started in 2013 with a successfulKickstarter campaign for the video game The Girl and The Robot. It took three years of development to see the light of day on PC and consoles. A video game based on the puzzle / exploration game that immerses you in a universe that recalls some tales.
The Girl and The Robot follows the adventures of a little girl released from prison by an old man. She then tries to escape and in the process, bind a medallion to a Robot, who will become her bodyguard. This is the beginning of the video game. Of course, in the card game, you learn more about the story.
The little girl is actually the princess of the kingdom (of an unknown name) and the daughter of the king. The king was a good person and concerned about his subjects. Along with his wife, he allowed his people to flourish and be happy. Unfortunately, one day, a strange illness seized the queen. This queens health would deteriorate little by little. Desperate, the king finally accepted a pact with a demonic presence to save the soul of the queen. Once the pact was sealed, the kingdom fell into a strange silence. Several years later, a rumor spread that the kingdom fell into the hands of a demonic queen and an army of robots. In this kingdom, living out of sight, locked in a prison, the princess grows up. One day, the doors that were closed, open. The little girl then undertakes an adventure in order to escape from this cursed kingdom. But the demonic queen does not want her to escape. She will then do everything to recover the little girl (the why is not explained). During her escape, she will make friends with a robot who, strangely, does not obey the Queen's orders. Both will then oppose demonic hordes to regain their freedoms.
As you can see, the universe is not necessarily original and takes a lot of things in what is known. This does not prevent you from enjoying it and it has the merit of existing. Especially that it must be admitted, the presence of the theme is not necessarily the highlight of the game (I'll come back to that).
At the time of writing, the game is currently being running on Kickstarter. It has just reached his funding. A French version is potentially under way too. The volume in terms of text is quite limited. The Girl and the Robot is a little card game drawn from the video game. The game created by Salim Larochelle and illustrated by Ayaka Nakamura, is published by Flying Carpets Games.
Depending on the number of players, the game play is slightly different. The two-player mode is a face-to-face clash. At four, it can play in a team of two, head to head. There is also the possibility of playing three, with two against one.
The game system is quite simple. Each player starts by choosing a character. For the two-player mode, the demonic queen will be opposed to the little girl. With three players, this will be the girl with the robot facing the queen. Four players, the girl and her sidekick will be opposed to the queen and a robot of her army. Each player then receives a basic sword card. Everyone starts with a weapon. You then receives a hand of cards and go.
Cards are divided into three categories: actions, objects and abilities. There is a fourth kind of card, the demons, which are not going to be directly used by the players but which will correspond to the permanent threat of the end of the game and the game over. When your turn comes, you can play as many cards as you want.
Actions are, “one shots” that once used join the discard pile. Actions allow you to anticipate threats, better prepare, avoid drawing cards, recover used cards, go after your opponent directly, help your teammate (in team mode).
The objects will be positioned (face up or not) in front of you. They will serve you to defend against the demons. The objects remain in front of you until they are used, unless another player steals them. These cards are among the most important. Having several guarantees you a lot of advantages against your opponents.
Each character has their own abilities. To activate these abilities, players must use the enabled cards. These cards correspond to numbers: from 1 to 3. Each capacity requires a different cost that must be paid by discarding the correct number (whether in one or more cards). A used capacity at the right time can save your life. It is also true that some are more interesting than others. Unused bonus points are lost at the end of a turn.
In turn, you can play any number of cards and in any combination. Collecting new cards is not a simple thing and can be double-edged. So be careful not to reveal too much at once. At the end of a turn, the active player draws the first card from the deck. If it is not a demon, they keep the card and play continues with the next player. If it's a demon, then there are two possibilities. If the player has a weapon in front of them, they sacrifice it to repel the demon. The demon card is then put back into the deck, face-up at any position desired by the victim player. If they have no weapons, they are then possessed and the game ends. The player or team that falls victim of the demon, loses the game.
A reading rules, I will not hide that I thought that this was a duplicate of Exploding Kittens. Everything is there or almost. The use of the Russian roulette system, the “take that”, the cards that can protect you ... But are they the same game?
With two players, the two games are relatively close and the sensations are very similar. The durations of games are very variable. It can be played in less than 10 minutes, but it can last around 30 minutes. This time is explained by the speed or not the appearance of demons, the presence of weapons. Because yes, the luck of the draw plays a key role in the game. The strategic side is often put forward. However, with two players, it is the luck factor that occupies an omnipresent place. Basically, if you have the right cards you win. But it's quite inherent to games that use the Russian roulette system. It can easily appear to have a sense of injustice in the face of repeated bad luck. One can also end up just drawing, without playing anything and waiting for the announced death of the other. Even if it is playable at two, this mode is clearly not what gives the charm of the game
The four-player mode is the more interesting version of the game. Players do not play in their corner, but must consult, act together and help each other against the opposing team. The tension is not the same. The possibilities are a little more important and fun is here. Notably because the game may have time to build up. Of course, this is the same game. The importance of luck is always there, but it is lessened by the distribution of the bad luck side. Being able to help each other allows for good combinations. Turns can last a little longer. As a team, the game has a different interest and can keep you indulge a little longer.
The theme is, for its part, is abundantly absent. You end up just playing your cards while trying to escape the card that will end the game for you. Besides, why would demons want the queen to lose? Has not she succumbed to their powers? Yes, I may be pushing the interpretation too far. But when you try to embed a game of this type with a theme that potentially holds the road (without being original), why not stick to it? Moreover if we push the thing even more. What is the relationship between demons and robots? Is it a metaphor that technology is evil? A priori, the video game does not answer these questions either (or no one has looked at them). In short, I’m go astray.
Graphically, the game has a real charm. The cards are clean. The illustrations, while being cartoonie, offer a very pretty pastel tone. The whole thing is trying to plunge you into this magical world and would get there if the gameplay followed. For her first work on a game, Ayaka Nakamura makes you want to follow her future visual productions. In terms of quality, cards are good quality and pleasant to handle. The rules are pretty well presented but not always very clear.
The big highlight of the game and on it, they did not lie to us, is the ease of learning. The game is explained in a very short time. The understanding of how to play is also very fast. From the first part, you know what to do and pray that you do not fall on demons while trying to take on others.
If you are convinced by the potential of the game, you can already pre-order the game on Kickstarter (the French version seems to depend on the success of the campaign) or wait for its availability in store in the future.
Star Scrappers: Cave-in (2018) Review
Designers : Filip Miłuński, Jan Zalewski Artists : Łukasz Witusiński Mateusz "Draegg" Stanisławski Publisher : Hexy Studio 2 - 4 players 45 - 75 minutes 12 and up Written by Guilou |
For several years, the authors of Eastern Europe have continued to distinguish themselves by games with original themes and refreshing mechanisms. At this level, the two people we immediately think of are Vlaada Chvátil and Ignacy Trzewiczek. But behind these two great talents, many other authors have managed to impose their styles like, Oleksandr Nevskiy (Mysterium), Adam Kwapiński (Nemesis), Michał Oracz (Neuroshima Hex!), Adam Kałuża (K2). And I'm not talking about illustrators who are more and more numerous and who also bring their own styles. Not to mention also the publishers who have found their places on the international scene as Awaken Realms, Czech Games Edition, Rebel, Portal Games ... As such, Poland is a country that tends to pull out of the game. Authors and creations are constantly increasing. And best of all? The majority of these games are good or very good. Faced with a current production that constantly seeks to renew itself, the contribution of these new visions offers a significant fresh wind.
I discovered the game I'm going to talk about today thanks to the Institut Polonais de Paris. For more than three years in particular, this institution seeks to highlight the board game made in Poland. And rightly so. Present especially during events like Paris is Ludique (French games festival), it is above all players who seek to share their passions playful. If like me, you like Polish productions, I can only invite you to get closer to this institution to discover more because the Polish ludique landscape deserves to linger and devote time to.
Star Crappers: Cave-In is a game produced with Kickstarter. The game is now finally available in 2018. Released to a bit of anonymity, this game made by Filip Miłuński (CV) and Jan Zalewski (Andromeda) is published by FoxGames and Hexy Studio.
As often in games from Kickstarter, the game has benefited from exclusive elements. My version being a "retail" version does not have this additional material. Some are only aesthetic as an improvement to the faction busts, but others are used in gameplay as new objective cards. It is difficult for me to judge their contribution and their interests without having played. That being said, let's get to the game itself.
Star Scrappers: Cave-In is a futuristic apocalyptic game. Fifty years after the last interstellar war, civilizations have found common ground and live in relative peace. The commercial war thus ignites the universe especially after the discovery of a new resource: Xendryd crystals. These resources offer power and influence to those who possess them. This is how many companies, coming from all different races, meet on the moon of the planet Cyrkon Prime: Corund. You end up at the head of a mercenary company. Your mission is to extract as many crystals as possible in order to impose yourself and sell to the highest bidder.
The installation of the game is fast enough especially if you ask the other players to contribute. Once done, each player starts by drawing three cards (one level 2 and two level 1’s). At random? Yes. Do not leave, not only is it a very small bit of chance but especially it is the only bit of chance in the game (except of course the pick at the resets, but hey, if you weigh on it we can not do anything anymore for you...).
Armed with your three cards, the game will begin. On your turn, you will be able to perform two actions. Sometimes, some cards will allow you to perform an additional action. The two actions are chosen from four available. With our normal actions, it is forbidden to do the same twice. But nothing prevents it if you have specific bonus actions. Example: for my first action, I extract a crystal. In my second action I can not do it again unless I have a card that tells me precisely "you have an action to extract more crystal". If so, I can do another different action with my second action.
The available actions are:
- Recover new mercenaries
- Acquire an artifact
- Extract crystal
- Use the abilities of a member of your team.
The main game engine is the management and use of its cards. Star Scrappers offers an interesting mechanism for this management. We are dealing with a mix of Splendor and deckbuilding. The cards recovered in hand will be played to carry out the actions. Cards recovered during a turn can be played directly after the action. The combo factor is therefore important in this game.
Here, no decks or picks. The cards played will be discarded face up in front of you and accumulate. Each discarded card is placed over the previous card. This is your base. The card visible, so above your stack, will become your leader. There can only be a maximum of seven cards in your base, which also corresponds to your maximum number of cards. This principle is very important to assimilate well in the game, but we will come back to this. Thus, each action will ask to use certain combinations of cards according to their colors or their numbers.
To recover new mercenaries, you have to pay the price. The mercenaries are divided into four levels. They form a pyramid, therefore you have more level 1 than level 4 cards for example. At the end of the round, if a mercenary has been recovered, it is replaced by another of its level. This feels a little like Splendor. Each mercenary has several values and informations to take into account. Already, there is its level which corresponds to a number going from 1 to 4. Then, one finds its color (depending on its race). Finally, each mercenary has a capacity that can be immediate or permanent. These three bits data are important depending on the action you want to take later. To recover a character, it is enough to pay his cost by discarding mercenaries from his hand. A level 1 requires only one action. A level 2 requires an action and a card (any color) with a minimum value of 1. A level 3 is an action and a value of two and finally level 4 is an action and a value of three (this can come from several cards). The choice of recruitment is important throughout the game. The chosen card goes directly into your hand and it becomes available right away. Discarded cards join your base.
Mercenaries in hand, can now go in search of victory points. The first way is the acquisition of artifact. These cards are face-up and can be purchased by all players. Their cost varies according to their importance. Each card is divided into two parts. Most often, the artifacts are a way to win victory points and has a power or a very interesting ability to help players (improved action, cost reduction, ...). The subtlety is found at the time of the purchase of such a card.
When a player acquires it, they must choose one of the two sides and position it under the card of their faction so that everyone sees only one of the two texts. It will match the chosen capacity and can not change for the rest of the game It has to be said that both sides are very interesting and that the choice is sometimes very difficult. To recover one of these cards, you must pay the cost with mercenary cards. Regardless of the color and the number of cards, it is sufficient that your total value corresponds to at least the number written on the artifact (you can discard for more). Artifacts are often expensive to buy but offer abilities or ways to score very important points. It is important to take those that best fit your way of playing and not necessarily leave them to other players.
After all that, maybe you will have to get a little work done. You're not there for sightseeing, are you? So you will be able to send your mercenaries to harvest the precious minerals. A little like the mercenary cards, the crystals are arranged in a pyramid on the other side. They correspond to four levels. Levels 1 are easier to acquire than Levels 4. To recover a crystal, you must discard mercenaries from your hand. The value of discarded cards must be equal to or greater than the value of the crystal. But that's not all. The color of the cards played is important. Indeed, all the cards discarded must be of the same color between them and of the same color as the wanted crystal. The crystals yield victory points shown on it. But beware, not all crystals are the same. Some have symbols that at the end of the game, will offer more significant points, depending on the different symbols obtained.
The last action focuses on your mercenaries. Each card has a special ability. These abilities most often allow you to circumvent the prohibition to perform the same action twice. But it can also be a bonus cost reduction during your turn. To benefit from a capacity of a mercenary, it is necessary to play the card for its power. Small exception for your leader, if it has a permanent power, it will be active all along when it is not covered by another card. At first glance, this action does not always seem the most important. And yet, it can allow you to make some pretty interesting combos.
We have gone through the normal actions available during a game turn. But, there is one that gives, almost alone, all the peculiarity to this game. This is the action "Attack a base". Attacking a base is an action that requires you to spend both your actions on your turn. In other words, unless you have an additional free action, you will only do this. Yes it's expensive, especially for a game where the concept of race for victory points is important. You are free to target any base. It can be an opponents or yours. Yes, you can attack your own base (I do not see thematic logic, someone explain please). But what can this serve? Besides the fact that it adds a little interaction, this action allows essentially more strategy. After choosing the targeted base, you automatically win. Obviously, they are too busy with their mining to protect their achievements. But being attacked is not so punitive.
Already, the defender recovers their leader into their hand. This card is never lost. This notion is very important during the discard phase of your cards when you are playing. Benefit from a permanent power or protecting another card ... The choice of your leader is in itself an important notion. In exchange, the attacker receives the leader token of the faction's color. Attention, not the player but the recovered leader mercenary card. Owning a leader token to a permanent reduction of 1 during the crystal extraction action on the same color. Finally, permanent ... until you no longer have the faction counter in your possession.
Then, the attacker can steal as many cards available from that base and fill their hand to their card limit. Remember that a base is limited to seven cards, and that the hand is also limited to seven cards. The hand can never exceed seven. If you have to draw a card while you are full, it's impossible, simply. Paying attention to your hand is a very important notion.
The action attack a base is one of the most interesting things in the game. Far from penalizing other players (especially that it is possible to target oneself), this action is very strategic game-wise. You have to know how to play it at the right time and maximize the gains it can bring you. At the same time, knowing this, you will be led to think more about how to play your own cards and especially when. Wait for the right moment, when the other players have well-filled hands to try to recover their cards the next round. Try to create an unattractive discard pile to prevent others from coming to you. But to do so means to deprive oneself of actions that can be powerful to you.
This notion is finally quite new and little used, even if it is not non-revolutionary. These hesitations offer a quite fun experience. Because in the end, even if you steal the cards you have patiently accumulated, you can steal them at the right time. Without going through the system of bluff / counter-bluff, this system adds a little tension and some tasty moments of reflections. Not to mention that it is one of the main factors of the interaction of the game. A real good find this mechanism!
But how does it end? By dint of drilling everywhere, the stability of the moon is less and less assured. On some crystals, there is a cave-in symbol. When one of these crystals is extracted, the collapse marker is advanced one notch. This is also the case when one of the slots becomes empty. Once the marker reaches the number of players (shown on the central board), this is the last turn before the site collapses.
Star Scrappers: Cave-In is a surprising game. At first glance, the game seems to correspond to a kind of inverted deck building with a strong connotation of Splendor. Until then nothing extraordinary. But the addition of the choice of artifacts and the method of using them (goal point of victory or permanent bonus), the method of recovering crystals and the way to use cards make it an interesting game. I was not counting the fact of this adding a layer of pleasure. The Attack the Basics action gives the game a sizeable hint of additional strategy and optimization. And this, without necessarily complicating the whole or weighing it down.
Star Scrappers is indeed a fluid game. In turn, the number of available actions are not important, however each mistake can be expensive. Under its few aspects of game development and card management, Cave-In is a race. A race for victory points but also against time. You have to be able to optimize your choices so that everything works for the better. But it's not so easy. With a chance close to zero (except in the appearance of cards), the game offers a highly interesting challenge.
With its gaming system, it goes off the beaten path and offers an experience, not new, but different. With a relative simplicity of approach and mastery, the game offers significant depth.
But the game is not free of defects. You can sometimes blame it on it’s repetitive side when everything goes according to your plan. Finally, if you summarize it, roughly you could assimilate it to "I take a card, I get a crystal". "I take a better card and I get something else." But that would be to forget a big part of what gives the charm of the game. To make abstraction of the present tension and some, not so easy choices to realize.
Being a little picky, we can also blame a little lack of theme and similar illustrations too. Indeed, even if the work of Mateusz "Draegg" Stanisławski and Łukasz Witusiński is interesting and gives a certain atmosphere, it is regrettable that too many cards have the same artworks (method well known fans of FFG licenses). A little more customization would have added immersion. Especially when we see the talent, we want to have more.
Star Scrappers is unfortunately a game that has not had the success it deserves. I'm not generally fond of this kind of optimization game. And yet, the sauce really sticks well. Simple, fluid, accessible, it offers a very appreciable challenge. Unlike many games of this style, it brings through its mechanisms an interesting and welcome interaction. The world of the game is inspired by a miniatures game developed by Hexy. An interesting universe that deserved to be more highlighted.
The replayability of the title is present by the implementation and the fact that at each game the available factions are not always the same. Another good idea lessening the winning combo. I can only advise you to try this game and discover the system of "discard-building game" (that's what they call it, not me).
Star Scrappers: Cave-In is a game that can put you directly in the mood and competition. Simple to access, it offers a pleasant depth. It also benefits from a fairly soft price choice, especially compared to the pleasure it brings. Playable from two to four, it is pleasant to play in all configurations. A very good surprise for a surprising game.
Technical note 9/10
It is unfortunate in view of the artistic quality of the illustrators to benefit only to have the same cards with illustrations so similar. More variety and customization would have been a bonus, especially for immersion. The rule is well written and the iconography is clear.
My score BGG 8/10
(Very good, enjoy playing and would suggest it.)
For this style of play, Star Scrappers offers one mechanic and an interesting challenge. Not devoid of any defect, it tries to transform known mechanisms to obtain a rather original play style. Without renewing the genre,ise proposes a style of its own, fluid, simple and yet worked. A nice surprise to try without delay for those who like the genre.
Combined score of 8.5 / 10
And now it's up to you...
Clash of the Ardennes
(2020?) First Impressions
Designer : Elwin Klappe Artist : Elwin Klappe Publisher : Himlself Kickstarter 2 players 30-90 minutes 12 and up Written by Guilou |
The Second World War is a global event that has deeply touched the minds and souls. We find this represented many times in board games. Indeed, many games are released each year on this theme. The vast majority of them propose mechanisms close to Wargames, either with figurines or cardboard elements. Sometimes authors choose this period and decide to think outside the box at the level of mechanisms. This is the case of Clash Of The Ardennes.
First of all, I want to say that the game I had the chance to try is still what we can consider to be a prototype, even if it is already well done. Some things can still change after the Kickstarter. Because yes, this is a future Kickstarter scheduled for September 10.
Clash Of The Ardennes is a game by Elwin Klappe. This is a game based on the battle that took place in the Ardennes. It offers two players to compete for control of the territory. The game is scheduled to go out in stores in 2020. The Kickstarter will offer three different formats. The first is to be able to acquire the game as a deck of cards. For the second and third, during the Kickstarter and only for the quickest of clickers, a classic version and another wooden collector edition will be available. The classic version will be limited to 500 copies, while the Collector at 100 copies. The version we played was a wooden prototype, as you will see in the pictures, which seems to be closer to the classic version.
Clash Of The Ardennes is a game that wants to immerse you in the heart of the famous battle that took place in the Ardennes. Each player embodies one of the two camps: one will take the allies (and more specifically the Americans), while the other will take the Germans. Each player will have the same pieces, each corresponding to divisions of the army on the spot.
The game board is divided into seven rows. Each row is 18 slots long. A player wins the game if he takes three rows. For a row to fall into the hands of an army, the player must have his troops cross the battlefield and one of his divisions must touch the opposite side of the board. But it's not as simple as it seems to be. The fight will be fierce between the two camps.
Like any good war movie, before entering the thick of the battle, we must review the available troops.
- There is no war without infantrymen. The soldiers of each army are represented by helmets. They occupy two locations once in play. They are themselves divided according to their rank. Indeed, you will have 6 soldiers and 3 officers. The more helmet on your character, the more the soldier is graded. You also find on the bottom their decoration (not always easy to distinguish especially among Germans).
- The infantrymen will be supported by armored units (7 in number). These occupy three locations. Tanks are represented by tanks.
- There will also be the possibility of installing mines on the battlefield (5). Mines occupy a single location and have a mine symbol is drawn on it.
But your regular troops will be helped by special divisions specifically dispatched for this battle. Each camp has the same. Special units have a color or symbol that distinguishes them from normal ones.
- Your army has a general. This is represented by a pawn of five spaces. You can see a cap and helmets as well as his specific decoration.
- You also have at your disposal a special tank. The latter, when it comes into play, will be able to shoot, not only in front of itself but also on the sides. This pawn has arrows to remind you. It occupies three locations like a normal tank.
- In order to have effective firepower, your army is also equipped with a mortar. It occupies two locations. It’s ability is marked on it.
- Finally, each camp has a spy. Stiletto heels for the American, suit for the Germans, both have a pistol. The spy occupies a location.
You will each have 21 standard and 4 special pieces. This is a totally symmetrical game. At the beginning of the game, both players have the same abilities and the same chances. Now, put on your thinking caps ... uh your weapons.
Each camp starts on its own side of the board. The goal is to bring one of your units to touch the opposite edge. For this, players in turn have four action points. The available actions are very simple.
You can call reinforcements. This is like putting a piece into play. It costs you 1 action point. No matter the size of the unit, it's the same price. The troop must be placed in an unconquered row and in the continuity of your own troops. You never go backward, always forwards. If for any reason there is a space in the back, but you still have troops further along that road, you must place them in front of those. Pay attention to the size of your divisions, to join the battlefield, your company should benefit from enough space to be deployed.
To make room, you can call a troop from the front lines for 2 action points. Attention, it must be a unit installed directly at the front, not between two other pieces. This division is returned to your personal reserve and is available again immediately.
To retreat a troop that is directly in contact with the enemy, in a situation of being, will you cost 3 actions. Yes it's expensive. But hey, to return a troop while it fights is not an innocuous action.
Finally, to save time, launch a lightning attack. It will you cost 2 action points. The lightning attack is simply to take the troop located at the back of a row and bring it in front that row. Being limited in units, this action allows you to delay and try to gain ground without spending too much on resources. But be careful, bring a unit from the back necessarily forms holes. And if you lose your available troops in front of you, you will start that row again.
The actions are pretty clear and everything is quite fluid once they are known. But who says war, battles or clashes. It is true that, for the moment, I have not spoken about it yet. I will not correct the shot.
The attack is a very simple thing in this game. No dice, no cards, no specific abilities. In fact, there is a bit of a “rock-paper-scissors” system. It's not as complicated as that. I reassure you right away, there is no room for randomness and we do not use our hands to do it. In fact, the soldier beats the mine but the mine beats the tank that beats the soldier. If two identical pieces are in contact, then both are destroyed. Exception to the same soldiers rule. As I told you in the troop review, the soldiers are not all identical. If two soldiers of the same ranks meet face to face then yes, they both die. On the other hand, if the two are of different ranks, then the hierarchical man survives and the other dies. When a troop dies, it simply returns to the player's pool and is immediately available again. Thematically this explains the fresh troops from the rear who come into battle.
There is also the case of special pieces that must be seen in detail. Indeed, they are a little special hence their names.
- The general functions as a soldier in front of the armor but in front of another soldier it is the highest ranking necessarily. He survives, then.
- The special tank acts in the same way as a normal one except that it also touches the infantry located to the left and right of the arrows.
- The spy is the most powerful piece of the game. Like any good spy, it has not been unmasked. As a result, it is able to kill any other unit. It can only die by the hands of another spy (except a small exception). This makes it the most crucial piece to play at the right time and try not to get stuck without it.
- The exception for the spy is the mortar. The mortar is the most strategic piece to play for it to be really effective. The mortar is activated if a soldier is at least two spaces away. I mean soldiers and not rank. If it is, then the mortar shoots. If on the second space it touches a simple soldier then it destroyed. It then carries on, destroying the pieces which were in front (if there was one of his camp) and that could be a mine or a spy. It's a not-so-easy unit to play but that can save you the day.
The fight is automatic, it does not cost actions. It snaps when a piece is placed in contact with another. But only if this piece is of equal or greater value. The piece destroyed then returns to the players reserve. Pay attention to the placement of your units. Indeed, the fights can become really deadly especially in case you have laid several units of the same type one behind the other. If a piece is destroyed by contact with another of the same value, it does not matter. On the other hand, if a division of superior force destroys a weaker troop, then all those of the same category directly behind are also destroyed. This forces you to pay attention and to vary the shots.
If I put an infantryman against an enemy infantryman both pieces are removed no matter what is behind. But if I put a tank in contact with an enemy infantryman then the soldier dies and the other soldiers placed directly behind him are removed too.
Another case, if I put an infantryman in contact with a tank, then the two pieces remain. This is a situation of blockage.
And blockages, there will be some. It is better to prepare because the game plays a lot on it. Blockages force players to change their strategy or change their way of seeing. These situations are very expensive, especially for those who want to unblock. So, the reflection will be more intense to push the other to make a mistake. The heart of the game will finally end up there. Clash of the Ardennes is a blocking game, an abstract game that is reminiscent of games like Chess. You will soon find yourself in contact and everyone will try to immobilize the other to be more free in their movements on other battlefields. Each line then embarks on a sort of trench warfare (which would have finally corresponded very well to the theme of the First World War). What may be interesting for some, may become frustrating for others.
On some games, we found ourselves launching light attacks, which were countered, then re-encountered, then canceled and then renewed and counterattacked ... These situations are especially true from the moment when the players start to have gained points from roads and that their available units decrease. Sorry ? Oh yes, I did not tell you. When a player seizes a road, all their units remain there until the end of the game. Impossible to recover them. So be careful not to lose your spy early, or spend too many troops just for your first point.
Composant level, it is difficult to give a definitive opinion since it is a first printing. We received what will correspond, in view of the photos, to the classic wooden version. It does not hide anything, playing with such material is very nice. The box is beautiful, the illustrations are directly laser inlaid. Light, the box contains all it takes to play. Everything is in it. We open easily and everything is ready to play. Just remove the pieces from the trenches. The pawns are handled well and everything fits easily and easily removed. The box is easily transportable and the fact that everything fits in offers a chance to play everywhere.
We could still criticize some things that may be improved later.
Already, for the more clumsy, to have small notches or locations within the trenches could be a plus, to prevent the units moving about and remove the fun to remembering where they were.
Then, it is sometimes difficult to pay attention to which road is taken or not. A flag or pawn system to be inserted at the beginning of a road to indicate a players point could be a good idea that would facilitate visibility.
Some might blame the readability of the pieces themselves, but after two games, there are no more worries. You will finally recognize who is who. By cons, for the box version, insert a small clasp on the outside could be a plus, especially for those who take their games with them in their transport. This could prevent premature opening of the box and the release of material in an untimely place.
Finally, having to fold the rule in two to put away the box is a shame. Although this is understandable in view of the fact that everything goes to the millimeter.
At the general graphics level, the game is fairly simple in terms of hardware. The rules, on the contrary, offers illustrations a little like the old American manuals for soldiers. It may be a bit confusing at first but it's pretty good and it works well. The rules are rather well written, even if there are some mistakes (or things forgotten) that will certainly be corrected in the final version.
So hard to talk about the card game version as I do not know at all what it will bring or how it will be played, even if I guess it's the same game. By cons, the wood version is very pleasant. Whether aesthetically or practically, this edition will appeal to fans of this style of game.
Clash of the Ardennes is finally a perfect abstract game for those who like to think and find themselves facing situations of blockage where the only way to win it effectively is to take advantage of an opponent's mistake. I advise you to play with people of the same level as you, at the risk of quickly finding yourself in a situation of imbalance. Not due to the game, but to your way of playing. Clash of the Ardennes is a game without chance. Everything is controllable. Suddenly, from one party to another, there can be no novelty or no surprise. All information is visible and known to all. It is a pure strategy game where everything will be based on the global evaluation in real time of the situation, the laying of the pieces but especially the establishment of long-term action plans. Plans that can sometimes be harmed by expensive blocking, but necessary for the slowdown of the enemy advance.
Easy to play, Clash is not less difficult to master. It is typically the game that will require several plays to begin to make those good decisions. I'm not talking about winning or grabbing lines but doing it the best way. Optimize your costs while taking calculated risks. It is a game that in a simple aspect can finally put off the less patient or those looking for a game that tells a story. Because even if sometimes we can imagine the attacks and counter-attacks of the time, the theme is just an accessory. An accessory that participates in the coating but does not allow for full immersion. I enjoyed playing it but it's not necessarily a game where you come out of a game saying "I had fun." Or in a calculating way (if such a fun can be measured), almost neural.
Clash of the Ardennes is a well-thought-out game that deserves special attention if you like the puzzle genre or blocking abstract game. Each part will put your senses and your capacity for anticipation and reflection to the test. The wood version is a big bonus (pay attention to the delivery date) undeniably. I admit that without this version, I'm not sure that I would have enjoyed it as much. But even if it's not necessarily my style of play, I enjoyed playing and replaying it. Easy to play, explain and carry, for those who like the genre go for it! You will find your pleasure.
This is an original idea for an abstract game. The theme carries it in part, as technically it is getting from one side to the other, which is reminiscent of the other abstract game Quoridor. Simple in its idea and and elegant in the mechanisms of simply placing pieces in front of pieces but also having your opponent go head-to-head against you . Tie in the visual aspect of each piece being a different size plus each piece being part of a rock scissors paper system and you have some interesting combinations. Added to that are some unique pieces that can change up the game and immensely.
Although it does fall into the same trappings as other games of this ilk. Which is the stalemate scenario. Weather is a lot of to and fro, while competing for that final road. This is unless you're playing against an inexperienced player. This is a perfectly designed two player abstract game, which will please anyone in terms of its mechanisms. And also in terms of aesthetics, this could be a wonderful item to have on your coffee table.
Batman: Gotham City Chronicles
(2019) review
Designer : Frédéric Henry Artist : Georges Clarenko, David Demaret, David Finch, Jim Lee Publisher : Monolith 2-4 players 60-90 minutes ages 14 and up Written by Barry & Guilou |
What can I tell you about Batman: Gotham City Chronicles that you don't already know. I've already told you that it's a Kickstarter from Monolith, who have produced such epic games like Mythic Battles: Pantheon and Conan. As well as the recent Claustrophobia 1643. I've already given you my first impressions after playing a game with the designer Fred Henry. And I've giving you my 10th impressions after playing the game 10 times and demoed it more than 20. So why am I here to talk about it today?
Because I have a final production copy on my table with more than one scenario and many more figurines. Some alternative modes. A Rulebook and final art.
So let me run over very quickly what this entails. Batman: Gotham City Chronicles gives you the chance to play out some of the highlighted scenes from the graphic novels. Whether you are battling in the Ace Chemicals Warehouse against the red hood gang. Which was inevitably the demise of their leader, who possibly falls into a vat of acid, transforming into the possible Joker. Or defending Wayne Manor against the armies of The Owls. Preventing them from entering the Batcave and putting an end to Bruce Wayne's carree. With 23 scenarios in the base game alone, there is a lot to play through.
Talking about the base game, unlike many others, it comes in two very large boxes. Each one holds either the villains or the heroes, plus all the boards, bits and books. Which is far better like this than in previous Kickstarters, where all the stretch goals were in one box and the base game with another. Everything was all mixed up and you didn't know how to put two and two together. Here, each box contains a figurines for one of the sides, all nicely decorated on the exterior to show you which character goes where. This benefits the setup process of the game, making it quick to lay everything out and find. Plus it always helps when the characters cards look like the Miniatures. Big bonus points here. Although the tokens and tiles do not have a designated base that hold them, you will quickly improvise with a baggy and place them in the nearest convenient hole.
Setup of a game still does take a little bit of time after, but not as much if the organisation was not this good, once you’ve chosen a scenario. But some of this slowdown comes from the choice that the hero players can now make. Scenarios will give players the options of several Heroes to choose from, all related to the storyline of course. And as well as their choice of heroes there is also the choice of which items they will pack in their utility belts. Well, those from the bat family anyway. Other characters will have pre designated tools and weapons. The hero player board is practical and visually stunning to look at, with its recessed areas for energy cubes and space for the character cards to slide in and out of. And they contained a bio of the character, so if you are unfamiliar with batcow, you can read up on her. While the villain player has a cool plastic command console to install their troops and cubes. Yes, this is a One vs many strategic combat game. But it also has a one on one mode which I will talk about later.
With setup complete, you'll need to then learn how to play the game. Unfortunately this is not as easy as it should be. I did enjoy watching Batman in the 60s and 70s but one thing that I did not enjoy reading this rule book, that seems to have come from the same era as well. The format of the instructions is a very cold and old numeric paragraph system. Lots of flow charts and lots of repetition. Yes, I know it’s trying to be like a Bat-computer readout, but it doesn’t work. I have a Babylon 5 board game on my shelf which I cannot play due to this system of writing. And it is possible that this game will sit on players shelves collecting dust as well, due to the unfriendliness of the layout. But the good news is that all the rules are inside. And once you get to grips with the game, any problems you run into can be resolved quite quickly by referring to this tablature of information.
Now there is a steep learning curve for this game. That's due in part to its ingenious resource management system which you don't really find in a game of this ilk. Once you understand that, there is then the chore of remembering what all the icons do. And there are a lot of them. The only way to find out what they mean is to dig up the rulebook, something you’ll be doing continuously at first. Then searching for the icon, as they are all alphabeticalized instead of associated with an action. Which would have made it quicker defined a power associated to punching for example, if they're all on the same page (this has now been updated by Monolith in a PDF). So expect a rough ride for your first few games as you adapt to the new system and the iconography. But once you get going you're in for a roller coaster ride like no other.
Scenarios will see the hero players teeming together to thout the villain player's plans. While the heroes have the possibility of creating their team with characters and Bat-gadgets, our villain player will be stuck with their lineup and objective. As I've said many times before this game brings a lot of communication between the hero players. They will have to work hard together to defeat the enemy. While the villain player will have to use their brain power and economize there energy spending to slow the heroes down. And although there is quite a lot of dice rolling, which players may find to random for the strategic planning they have prepared, it's this randomness that leads to the excitement. Obviously being a good calculator of chance, will help you defy the odds. As there will be times when every dice roll seems to be against you, but that doesn't mean that you'll be down and out. Either side has a bucket load of opportunity and options to still achieve what they need to do. Changing your strategy slightly to adapt to these minor pitfalls is always suggested for either faction. Although, speaking from experience, not selecting the right tools for the job can impede your success.
Let's talk about the versus mode which is totally new to me. This mode let's 2-players go head-to-head in a scenario based skirmish. Each player will have a control panel, the second one is provided in this Vs expansion. Once again you are given the opportunity to create your teams, with a slight restriction, as you can only have two main characters. One will become the Leader and have a new special power applied to them. While the other is their General. The other spaces of your command post will be taking up by level 1 and level 2 troops. Setup the skirmishes is very rapid once you know the base game rules. Plus there are a few tweaks due to the fact that the hero characters are now on tiles and their special abilities are limited to 3 things. Going back to not selecting the right tools for the right job, this did apply in my playthrough other scenario, which cost me dearly. Giving my daughter an easy Victory. But it was still refreshing to playthrough. Added to the normal command post rules is a new set of energy gems. Everytime you activate a tile from your river, you'll spend the same amount of these new energy gems as the amount of tiles you've already activated on your turn. Plus the amount of normal energy for the position in the river, as in a normal game. Giving you two resources to manage. It balances the control panel perfectly, meaning players won't constantly be activating their cheapest units turn after turn. This mode definitely beats playing a two-player game where one player will be controlling multiple Heroes. It's the same game but in a slightly different light. Maybe a dark light!
So far my experiences of Batman has been pleasant, exciting and totally fun. There is a real sense of being in the Gotham universe, not only when Robin has been pounded to smithereens by a group of Thugs and it's Batman that swings into the rescue. But from the get-go of reading out the scenario, that comes from the mouth of Jim Gordon or Oracle or someone else. I was transported into the pages of some of these crime fighting, multi-millionaire, dynamic duo shoes. My daughter enjoyed Conan, but loves this. With its strong female character list, she enjoys assembling a strange team to beat the snot out of me. Not really a Suicide Squad. More about daddy beating squad.

Although there is some slightly bent based minis this game is visually stunning and perfectly put together. Everything fits nicely back in the box, with the little help from baggies. Unfortunately letdown buy a slightly unfriendly Rulebook.
My BGG score 10/10
(outstanding - will always enjoy playing)
I love playing this game. The mechanisms are so different and so much more realistic in my eyes, for how a character can and should act in a game. If only dungeon crawling to take a page out of this game. Plus, this is Batman. My family needs are well met. If only there was some real puzzles inside for the detective in me to solve, this would be an 11/10.
Combined Score 9.5/10
Now it's over to you...
All the little defects of rule or understanding that could be found in Conan were erased. All points of contention have been improved. The material has been greatly monitored at the level of its production and it shows on the realization. The figures are very effective. The apprehension of the choice of the plastic or the variety of colors has disappeared. The details are present. The different colors according to the camps allow a quick for visibility on the board. The command board is much more optimized and pleasant to use. The art is superb, these boards stuffed with small details.
At the gameplay level, the game is fluid, fun, very well thought out. The interaction is ubiquitous. As the “good guys”, you’ll pay attention to what the character is thinking and try to keep the focus on the goal. As a villain, you’ll try to distract the other players while trying to knock them out. The middle ground is hard to get and it's very fast. Every shot is important. The number of scenarios is quite important and seems to be open enough to have good monitoring (in terms of quality and quantity). The balance of scenarios has been revised and for the majority of scenarios, it becomes very tense and imposing. The pleasure is tenfold. Playing the role of the “bad guys” or the “good guys” are two extremely pleasant things. Once the game is over, you’ll just want to go back for more. Another positive point, each scenario offers the possibility for the “good guys” to choose their heroes from a selection. It changes the given powers freely (or almost) allowing you to use the figures that you desired. It also offers a very welcome replayability and variety in the stories.
It must be admitted that the Batman license plays a lot into the immersion. Batman: Gotham City Chronicle is a game with hybrid mechanisms. You will find the epic moments and the dice rolls to be Ameritrash and the optimization and meticulousness side closer to the German games. This crazy mix works perfectly here. Where, sometimes, Conan was more mechanical than thematic, in Batman immersion takes precedence. You will live the adventure. The license certainly plays an important role but the effect is there.
Another very positive point is the addition of the new game mode: Versus mode. As much to tell you that this way of playing justifies itself in the purchase of the game, if you play often as two. It's a real treat to select your team, prepare it and play with your characters. The system works perfectly. Bravo Fred! By taking the same mechanisms, this mode almost makes it possible to play another game. Another way to do, to see, to feel pleasure, to vibrate to the sound of Kapow!!! and Bam!!!, to laugh or growl following successes and failures. These parts are very tense. It is often difficult to predict a winner before the end, except big mistake during the game. The Versus is really the icing on the cake.
But is Batman: GCC a perfect game? Unfortunately no. It has a lot of positive points, it is certainly part of the inevitable, but …
The rule of the game are very indigestible for the those who does not know. There is not really a lack of or fuzzy moments in the book, it’s just badly presented and quite heavy (especially for the video generation). Two booklets presented in the manner of the majority of FFG games could have been a good idea. The YouTube video-rules are good, but it's not worth a good written explanation, neither easily or quickly navigate in case of doubt (and everyone does not like having to go on a screen to learn a game ).
The whole game is based on iconographies. This notion is interesting ... from the moment players have something to navigate. This is not the case. The tiles of the villains are sometimes a little confusing especially during the first games. The back and forth in the rule eventually damage the pages. Even if after several plays, we got our bearings, the fact that there was not originally a game aid or memo on separate sheets, this is a big oversight (although Monolith has reacted very quickly by offering to download a game aid on their site).
The scenarios are very generic. If one can understand the will behind this choice, it can still take the player out of the immersion. The absence of a campaign mode is also a bit unfortunate. There was so much to do (possibly a rights issue, they maybe could not).
It's a shame that Monolith did not think of a specific storage for all the figurines, you’ll have to walk with all the boxes each time (even if the illustrations are beautiful).
Another unforgivable point, you can not play as the BatCow in Versus mode! What? Nobody cares? Pfff!!! ok I'm the only one ...
Batman Gotham City is a very pleasant surprise. Since I received it, it rarely leaves my table. The versus mode is an excellent innovation and a big plus to a game that already had serious advantages. Even if it is not free of defects, it would be a pity to miss this game. The Dark Knight's world is very well presented and at the same time, it offers enough freedom for a players who are having more trouble with other licenses, to enjoy playing. The game manages to mix the mechanisms while offering an immersive experience. Having played a lot, it is clearly the best Batman board game that exists. If you like the license, go with your eyes closed. If you like fun, you can go here too. If you do not like Batman, you have no taste it's a fact, but you can still enjoy this game. In the genre, Batman: Gotham City Chronicle has serious arguments to prevail as a playful reference.
Everything is almost perfect. I feel that there has been a time and work invested behind the illustrations, figurines, trays, command boards, character cards ...
Too bad a few details spoil a near perfection.
My BGG Score 10/10
(Outstanding - will always enjoy playing)
It is possible that the license plays a very important role but the game is really very good. The versus mode brings a touch of extra pleasure. Batman Gotham City Chronicle is a perfect mix of genres. Simple, fluid, captivating, tense. I have only one desire, to replay a game.
Combined Score 9.75 / 10
Now, it's your turn to play ...
Hate (2019) review
Designer: Raphaël Guiton, Jean-Baptiste Lullien, Alexandru Olteanu, Nicolas Raoult Artist : Edgar Skomorowski, Adrian Smith Publisher : CMON Limited, Guillotine Games | 2-6 players 60-120 minute ages 18 and up Written by Guilou |
At the origin of the game, there is a book. Hate: The Chronicles of Hate is a graphic novel published by Image Comics from the imagination of Adrian Smith. In a universe all in black and white, the author / illustrator plunges us into dark fantasy pure and hard. With very little dialogue, we follow the misadventures of Ver, a character without much charisma or stature who through a hazardous choice will become the champion of Mother Earth. This one will do everything to release it. While accompanying him, we will discover a gloomy world where Man lives only for war and violence. In this primitive side, the woman is nothing but a vulgar object, almost invisible.
Despite a somewhat (too?) classical scenario, Adrian Smith depicts a dark world (some would say too much because of the strong presence of the black color), a violent and ruthless world. The absence of dialogue "forces" us almost to study each square of this graphic novel well to understand the history. War, violence, witchcraft, charismatic characters, monsters of all kinds are on the program and all with beautiful illustrations.
This book is a cult book for any fan of Dark Fantasy. Even if he does not reinvent the genre, he offers a very tasty black and white adventure, as well as colorful characters.
Adrian Smith was famous for his participation in the Warhammer 40000 universe, notably by illustrating Dan Abnett's books and role plays. For a few years, he has been working closely with the game publisher CoolMiniOrNot (since 2017 he is also the main artist) where you will also find his talent in games like Blood Rage, Rising Sun, The Others.
It is therefore logical to find Adrian Smith’s illustrations behind the game Hate. He is assisted by Edgar Skomorowski (Solomon Kane, Rising Sun). Hate is from a Kickstarter. It's even unique to Kickstarter. Indeed, judging this project too mature, CMON decided to make it an exclusivity of this platform.
To adapt the universe of the book as a board game, CMON has called on several designers. Raphaël Guiton (Zombicide), Jean-Baptiste Lullien (AT-43), Alexandru Olteanu (Kick-Ass) and Nicolas Raoult (Massive Darkness) had the heavy task of making a game like the book. This is not the first time they work together especially with regard to the three French authors (including the former excellent publisher Rackham).
So back to the campaign. The campaign offers you a follow-up of your successes or failures. The tribe with the most victory points at the end of the required number of clashes (for two players, the campaign is five clashes) will prevail. This tracking is found using a sheet representing a map of all available territories. At the beginning of each fight, the attacking player indicates which territory they wish to seize. It must be connected to a region that they already have. If the territory is virgin of all tribes, they chooses their defender. If there is already a tribe installed on it, it is this one which becomes the defender. The winner of this first fight takes possession of the territory. They indicates the name (or that of their tribe) on the map. Then, during the second fight, it is up to the defender to become an attacker and thus choose their destination.
The map is composed of several zones: the outer circle, the inner circle and the capital. Each zone offers different bonuses but above all the available scenarios are not all the same. The choice is therefore important according to these two bits of data. The bonuses of a territory are usually used at the beginning of a clash or the first fight. Each territory possessed offers a number of victory points, more and more important at the end of the game, according to whether one approaches the capital or if one moves away from it. But for that, you still do to have them.
Participating in a campaign allows for a very interesting experience. Besides the map that will change according to your victories or defeats, there will be a constant evolution for your tribes.
Each player has a leaf associated with their tribe. This leaf represents your village. There are buildings like the torture chamber or forge, that will serve you during your games. It is possible to upgrade existing buildings and unlock new ones by recovering resources or completing missions (depending on rewards). Villages will evolve based on your successes and actions during a game. They are mostly used during a campaign. The more your village grows and develops, the more it will help you in your battles.
The game proposes to put us at the head of one of the available tribes. There are eleven, all different.
Each tribe is composed by miniatures of a prince (the leader), a champion, a shaman, six warriors (two of whom have different postures) and two young bloods (the novices who are identical). Each figurine has a colored base to better locate it according to its battlefield. The Prince, the shaman and the champion are unique figures. Each tribe has its own character-design. No tribe is like another. Each miniature is associated with a card that represents it’s abilities: number of attack dice, defenses, displacement value, powers (innate or won). In addition to this, each tribe has its own improvement cards (8 in total). Finally, note that some tribes have a capacity of clans.
To vary the pleasures, you also find the presence of mercenaries. These figurines, all unique, are really strong. It is possible to recruit mercenaries during specific missions. But the task is not easy. Once a mercenary has acquired your cause, he joins your army and can be engaged during a battle. He replaces then a warrior or a young blood of your tribe (this one is not dead but will remain in the village). But for this, you will have to unlock your Hall of Heroes, present in your village. You will only have a maximum of two mercenaries (if you have room for). Once one of these warriors dies, they leaves your tribe. When they die, they die.
At the end of each battle, what is called an "intermission" takes place. Prisoners can be eaten or tortured at this time. These acts are not insignificant because they bring you resources or hate and more. The resources (which can also be recovered from the trees during the scenarios) allow your village to improve. Hatred can unlock new improvements, whether general or specific to your tribe. It is also at this time that players update the campaign but also and especially the attribution of the scars of war. Each character knocked out during a scenario and not captured (or released for lack of space) must make a roll of three dice. Depending on the result, they will receive, or not, scars (loss of an eye, hand cut ...). This passage, and especially the way these wounds are described, is very second degrees and rather well brought. A scar is ok, a second and it's death. At the end of the intermission, you move on with the second battle or redo a new clash.
Be careful, a captive that is tortured or eaten, dies. A dead person in a first battle can not participate in the second (if it's a new clash no problem) and at the end of the campaign there is a loss of points. A dead character is reset. In other words, we remove all its scars but also its improvements. Sometimes it can hurt. Especially near the end as you’ll attach yourself to your warriors. It can be frustrating to see your favorite, a survivor of all battles, die and become a mere novice again.
Improvements like scars are represented by cards. Each character is supposed to have sleeves (pity there are only a dozen that are included, not enough for all). The changes are slipped into these card protectors. Your character has updated info in real time. And from one game to another, nothing is easier to see your evolution in the campaign and especially to keep it up to date. It is unfortunate that these cards are a bit fragile and that mixing them may lead to damage (that's what happened to me).
The fights propose very simple resolutions. Each character has an attack and defense value. This value represents the number of dice to throw. Added bonuses are available (forging, support of other units, cards). The number of successes is the number of injuries. The defender does the same and you’ll compare. If the attacker touches at least once, the defender is knocked out. If the defender equalizes or exceeds, nothing happens. A knockout figure is not dead yet and stays on the board. Among the available actions, a warrior close to a KO figurine (friend or foe) can capture it. It is then put on their character sheet. They stay there until the end of the battle or until the warrior in question is also knocked out. During an intermission, these captured figurines can be eaten or tortured. So be careful, there is no friendly neighborhoods in this wild world. A young blood can as well kill a veteran Prince if luck is on his side.
On the dice, there's the traditional face "hit", "defense" but also a joker face. There is also another, the skull. This one corresponds to savagery. Normally, except for some tribes, they get five savage pawns per turn. These are the pieces that allow you to activate your miniatures. Except for Princes and mercenaries who ask for two, a savage pawn activates a miniature. Dice with savage sides will add new pawns to your supply. Each model can only be activated once (except forging power or cards). You’ll leave these pieces next to, to show that they have already played. An activated character can make a movement then an action (and not the other way around). Among the available actions, it is possible to: harvest resources (if you finish your move next to a tree), try to loot a hut (you have to finish moving in a hut), do nothing, fight or pick up a body.
Looting a hut can be profitable but dangerous. Some have warriors ready to defend themselves against the invader. Others, on the other hand, offer no resistance.
When a character is knocked out, the attacker gains a hate. Hates are one of the two resources of the game. They allow, as we have already seen, to benefit from improvements.
At the end of the number of clashes required, according to the number of players who participate, you’ll move to the counting of points. During the campaign, you’ll evolved on two tracks. The first is the resources, the second the hate. To know how many points you have, you take the one you have the least of. This is you base point score. Victories are added to the battles, the dead are taken away from your tribe. And there you go. Whoever has the most, wins. So you have to be careful not only to try to keep your warriors alive for as long as possible, but also to strike a balance between resources and hatred. This condition to gain points (found in many other games) is very clever. It prevents focusing only on the murder aspect or only on the gathering of resources.
With Hate, component quality level, CMON sets the bar very high. The 32mm figurines are awesome. They are without imperfections (even if some players have had breakage following the transport). They are teeming with details. It's really the most beautiful I've seen in the world of the board game and they largely equal to those that can be found in the world of the figurine. The chosen scale makes the thing even more pleasant. On the board, the rendering gives a really good look. The box is full of components and yet everything is simple and quick to install.
The huts, the trays and the trees in 3D, available only during the campaign (and that I did not take this….sniff), make it possible to add relief to a deserted landscape.
The illustrations are beautiful. Little more with the figurines that look like the illustrations. The graphic universe is respected (which seems logical). Nothing is watered down. The dark, gloomy and crooked atmosphere is there. By its theme, it’s an adult game.
In a concern for detail and especially perfection, some black spots could occur with the components. For color-blind people, the possible lack of ease of visibility (the color stands can not necessarily be adapted).
The principal board is too sober, but this side is ultimately in line with the installation mechanics scenarios. Since landscape content can change with each battle (and not the landscape itself), this lack of original customization works perfectly.
The difference in height zones can be a bit difficult to spot. But we end up getting use to it.
Still in the details, the Feast token are a bit hard to see compared to the rest of the plastic components.
Finally, the inserts for upgrade can be fragile (I have some damaged) and it is a pity that CMON did not supply enough to protect all cards characters (it lacks a dozen).
As for the mechanisms, they are simple. There are good ideas, even very, very good ideas, all in the service of simplicity. The parts are fluid. Possible actions are logical. Zombicide managed to simplify the board games, Hate managed to simplify the skirmish games.
No complex actions, no movements to take cover, no measure of distance ... This is all very simple. But not simplistic. The reflection is present. The choices are sometimes Cornelian. On the other hand, those allergic to luck, I can only say to you: “FLY, YOU FOOLS !” Luck is omnipresent. At once, everything can switch around. I really like the possibility for a weak character to kill a strong character on a single stroke. It reminds you of the cruel side of this universe and the fact that no one is safe. But it's clearly not going to please everyone. Heroic actions are present. The reversals of situation also in a battle but even more during a campaign.
The diversity in the scenarios offers a variety of pleasant situations. Even though there are only a few, their choice will depend on the areas to attack, so you can easily avoid the fact of constantly replaying the same way. Not to mention also that it is possible for players to create their own scenario (we have begun to try this).
The duration of a game is pretty amazing. Sometimes it can go very fast. On average, battles can go up to an hour, but war a lot longer. The system of savagery to activate our figurines forces us to make choices, and to regain them makes it possible to surprise the others.
The campaign mode is very pleasant to play. The evolution of our characters is simple to perform. But even here, the choice is important. The intermissions are fun to perform and the scarring system is very fun. The tracking on the map is a small bonus. We find ourselves telling stories, to follow our characters and get attached to them.
Hate is more than a very nice surprise. It's a game with simple rules and extremely fun. It's also a really beautiful game. Just the illustration on the box is amazing! I really like what Adrian Smith does, so when combined with incredible figures. Wow! It is a real pleasure to dive into again and again in this gloomy, violent and addictive universe. I didn't really expect it. And yet, I find it really great. Not in the complexity or in the reflection that it could generate, not in a potential puzzle to solve. No, Hate is pure fun. Simple, brutal, violent as the universe it lives in. If you like skirmishes a little bit, I can only advise this to you. For me, it is clearly an essential game for those who love the ameritrash.
The miniatures are awesome! The cardboard quality is good, the cards are nice. This is close to faultless, as some minor defects however prevent it.
My BGG Score 10/10
(Exceptional, still wants to play it)
Maybe not the most strategic, nor the most tactical, but it is clearly fun in the pure state. Simple, easy to set up, a well done campaign system. A success.
Combined Score 9.975 / 10
And now, it's your turn…
Alone (tested)
(2018) |
Tested - Liked - Want to play again soon
As you can tell, this is a team game or a solo affair if you wish. Both experiences make a little difference. Play on your own and you’ll be 100% engaged, but may miss certain clues or not be able to think out of the box. Playing in a team, your engagement level is as high as you want it to be. The more you participate, the more you get out of it. Being timid may leave you on the sideline, wishing you said “yes” to TI4 instead. And the more minds there are, the better the chance of succeeding at this puzzle. As this is what the game is. A tangled puzzle of what he said, she said, this clue, that clue and “I think it was…”
But as I said, you will start with just one location or one character. By interacting, you will open up new locations and other characters. The game comes mainly from a very smart app that you will have to download to play. It holds a selection of stories for you to play and there are more in the works. Where as the table will hold a board, that houses locations, clues and characters. Everything has a QR code that you’ll scan into your smart device. A very intuitive system, where if you want to go to a location, you scan it and voila, your there. To talk to someone, scan them and they are now talking to you. But they need to be in the location that you are in. Ask someone about something, scan that person then that item. Scan, scan, scan. There is a lot of scanning in the game. More so at the beginning of the game, as you are collecting evidence and clues to a story you know not much about. There’s so much scanning, you may forget that this is a board game.
Talking of scanning...
I’d say that around 70% of the game is on the device, the other 30% is at the table or in the imagination of players, trying to piece together this mystery. The game tries to get everyone at the table involved in the form of a light virtual reality, search the crime scene segment. One investigator will be given the app and using it, look around the location, calling out thing of note to the rest of the team. While the team will be flicking through a deck of clue cards, trying to find cards that correspond to what the investigator is seeing. The cards are vague in substance. Stating “bags” or “decorations.” The vagueness works well as player can discuss and debate whether it was a clue or not. It also leaves this items open for use in another scenario, as they could be shopping bags, hand bags or luggage bags.
The virtual reality that the game uses is like a 360 degree image that the investigator can either scroll through with a finger and zoom. Or if you have purchased the Kickstarter addon of the 3D glasses, you can slip these onto you screen and look around the interior of a bubble image. A very nice use of technology in a board game, as it inserts the player right into the world they are playing in. A time limit is added as well, meaning you will frantically be shouting out all kinds of things, in vain hope that your team can find the right clue cards. This adds some of the tension to the game, because as the titles states, you are up against the chronometer.
Every action you perform with the app, costs “in game” time. Your case may be on a time limit, were every minute count. As a team, you’ll be talking back and forth about what to do and what questions to ask. Every question, location change and search of a crime scene costs a different amount of in game time. Before you know it, it’s the evening, in game that is. And each character has a real life in this virtual world. Bob may be found in his Camden Town office during the day, but at night, he is at a little bar in Soho. And because of the way the game is written, Bob may be happy talking to you, up to a point. But asking him about one particular thing may result in him taking a dislike to you or maybe not wanting to see you at all. He may disappear entirely from the game. And that’s a hat tipping moment of the game, to the writers and programmers. You feel this world is alive.
The scenarios and dialogue are top notch. Nothing overwhelmingly complicated but still intriguing deep and perplexing. When characters speak, it’s not pages of exposition. It’s short, sweet, to the point and laced with clues. The language is not overly elegant like in Doyle’s Sherlock, but more in the realm of a TV sitcom, meaning everyone will understand what is being said. And everything that is said will make you go, “oooh!” In the scenarios I have played, there always seems to be a myriad of possible suspects or interwinding connections between the cast. The more you learn from the world, the more the path becomes clear. And before you know it, you are debating with your fellow detectives, that your account of the story is the correct one. Once you’ve persuaded them to take you to the station, to file your report to the chief, your in end game mode. You’ll answer a collection of question about the scenario, scanning the appropriate responses. Finally, you’ll get to see if your deduction skills have paid off, with a final score. This score will be made up from the correct answers plus the time that is took you to complete the story.
Each story will, after a time of discovery, get conversations started at the table. You’ll be recounting the events, drawing lines and connections between all the suspects. Laughing, arguing and brainstorming all the possible events that have come to pass, that have lead you to your conclusion. A real team game, where you may be making notes, taking names and placing bets on the outcome. You’ll soon forget that you are sat around a table will a smart device in your hand. You’ll actually feel that you are in New Scotland Yard, with Inspector Morse, Columbo and Jessica Fletcher.
Once you have completed a scenario successfully, it’s gone. You can replay it if you wish, but you’ll not be surprised by anything. Even if you play with a different group, months later. Something will trigger a memory and the answers will come flooding back. You could hold your tongue and let the others discovery the wonders of the game, but there’ll be nothing in it for you. Making replayability null and void. Although, replaying a scenario you failed at miserably, is a little more rewarding. But like the Choose Your Own Adventure book, when you die and restart, you’ll be zooming through the starting pages of text because you already know it. Until you get to that branching point in the story were you find something you didn’t see before or get a different response from a character. It is still satisfying when you finally get the correct conclusion. But again, unplayable after. A nice touch is that if you do fail, there is no obligation to replay, as there is an option to see the solution. Clicking on this option and you’ll get the who did it and why. So if your friends can’t come back next week, they have some closure to the story.
One other bug from playing a set in stone story is that, sometime you may miss a clue, not shown the right clue to the right person and feel that you have walked into a dead end. Not sure of where to go and what to scan, you do this frantically until something falls into your lap. Or not. The game does try to help you in the form of, if you pass a certain amount of in game time, you’ll receive a text from the chief of police. This will inform you that maybe someone else has been killed, and you need to get your ass to a location to interview someone. This puts pressure on you, but also help the story move forward. But if you are prudent about your scanning and not wanting to waste time, you may pass a lot of real game time, look blankly over the table, retracing your actions. What did you miss? Luckily, there are four, on hand experts that you can call on, who deal with forensics, medicine, data information and phycology. Always a phone call away. Another nice feature in the app is the ability to go back through the history of your scenario, reading everything that was said and done. A great feature if you have to stop playing for lunch, to recap “previously on…” And useful if you are all clued out.
Technical score 9.5/10
The presentation of the game is extremely well put together. From the wonderful (slightly to big) box insert to the simplistic rule set. And the artistic palette used in the locations and characters is pleasing to the eye. Cartoonie, but relatable. The fact that everything can be reused in another story and be something different. Like the characters, who are like actors. In one story, character 52 is a gardener and in another story, the politician. There are even linked stories that continue off from the previous ones. With the same roles designated to characters and seeing the repercussions of you solving a case. There is infinite stories that can be told with just this base box, as long as there are more available for download later on. And the app handles really well. Any bugs that crop up are cleaned up quickly, thanks to the quick response from the team at Luck Duck. Although the app lacks one small thing that will help immerce the players into the game further. Sound effect. The music is good (yes, I’m kissing my own ass as it was me that did it) but very repetitive. Many will just switch it off. Shame!
My BGG score 8/10
This is why we get around a table. To debate, discuss and have fun. And that’s what this games does. Although there is a long period at the start of every game of silence and scanning. Are real detective game that feels like a detective game. Just needs either a random element or a bucket load of scenarios to play...right now! =)
This game is my cup of tea
Driving at breakneck speeds
This new version of thel Rallyman from Jean-Christophe Bouvier, is being brought back to life, after it’s first sellout tour, and now on Kickstarter. Holy Grail Games, who are no stranger to this platform, have been closely working with the original designer to bring this game to the masses, with a slightly refined mechanism. And when I say slightly refined, I mean it. In fact, to my recollection, the only thing that is gone are the cards, that would keep count of your time around the track.
Now admittedly, I have never played the original Rallyman from nearly 10 years ago. And having only played a few games of this prototype, I must admit that I am tempted to play solo. Against my previous times. Just like in a rally. But the real fun will come from playing against other players. As this is a real battle of strategy and pushing the boundaries of what is possible. With just the aid of the dice, your be plotting your trajectory and seeing if you can hold that course.
The game holds a very simple rule set, that makes getting into the game very speedy. Although there are a few speed bump along the way to slow the game down, it runs very smoothly. Let me light your route.
Players, then in turn order, will perform two actions. First, plot the route they wish to take along the track. This is done with six sided dice. There are six speed dice, numbered 1 to 6, plus three break dice and two coast dice. You’ll place these on the track, in front of your car, in sequential order. Either making your car go faster or slower. The coast dice act like jokers, sustaining the speed value of the dice place before it. And the break dice are used to jump the order of sequence by one extra. So, to break from speed 5 to 3 would require one break die and the speed 3 die.
This is the tactical part of the game, as you only have a limited amount of dice. This limit will change depending on your tyre set up, the weather and if you have taken any damage. Plotting your course, around bends and other cars can get tricky. To pass an opponent's car, you need to be going at least the same speed as them. And some corners will need to be taken at a certain speed. Leaving you to play out several scenarios in your head.
Whenever you roll too many Hazard signs, you will reference your dashboard, that has your tyre type. There is a table, that you cross reference with the terrain in your location and the speed you were driving at. This will indicate the severity of the accident that has taken place. You may have just spun out on the track or came flying off completely. Meaning that you will miss a turn, as you roll back onto the track. As long as no one is occupying that space. Making you lose another turn, until that space is available again. The fast you come off the track, the more chance there is of you damaging your car. Damage comes from drawing a number of tokens out of a bag.
These tokens can be green flag, which do nothing. Yellow flags stop players overtaking the crashed car. Weather tokens changes the driving conditions from clear and sunny to slippery with rain, and vice versa. Which can be funny if the player after the one that’s accident causes this change, has planned to break hard on a bend. No longer will they be able to if the rain sets in. Sending them also, off the track. Finally, there are the dice tokens. For each one of these you have, you’ll be restricted on using that coloured dice. Drawing two black dice tokens will penalise you on the amount of speed dice you can use on your turn. Pitstoping will cost you a turn but allow you to remove all this damage and maybe change your tyre set up. These dice tokens, I find are fitting in the realm of theme. As you will find your car hobbling along the track after taking massive damage. The weather token, not so fitting.
The other way to go about it, is to take your time. Roll each die, one by one and stop when you feel there is a chance of too many Hazard signs showing up. This is a steady and sure way to get around the course without danger of crashing. The sole risk comes from breaking. If you have used a break die to reduce the speed die, these dice get rolled at the same time. So, there is a chance of spinning out of control, even more so if you are hard breaking from from speed 6 to 2. This is where the Focus Tokens come into play. These can be spent, so you can remove dice before you roll them, making them natural success. Meaning no chance of a Hazard sign. The value of each die you remove in this fashion augment by a value of one. Removing the first die costs 1 Token, the second 2 Tokens, so on and so on. This is a great way to get around the circuit, as long as you have them. And to get them, you need to go Flatout from time to time.
After a few turn, the game becomes fluid and before you know it, someone is approaching the finishing line. The pressure is on to get there before them or the same time as them, but with a little more gusto, as you simultaneously cross the checkered flag. And the winner is decided, much like the starting player. Fastest. Furthest. Inside lane. All exciting fun, unless you have walked under a ladder with a black cat.
All in all, an enjoyable and sometime frustrating racing game with solid dice driving mechanic, that is otherwise a realist simulator. The art on the tiles is wonderful and sets the setting nicely, although in prototype form, the cars are nice too. With the hexagonal tiles, there is infinite coursed to make and with the promise of more cars, tiles, dice being unlocked in the the Kickstarter, the more I can’t wait to play again.
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