BOARD GAMES EVERYBODY SHOULD...
  • Home
  • Board Game soundtracks
    • The 7th Citidal
    • Kemet
    • Titan
    • Abyss
    • Claustrophobia 1643
    • The 7th Continent
    • Lucky Duck Games
    • Poule Poule
    • Syrinscape
    • Last Night
  • Board Game Talk
    • Reviews in English
    • Reviews en Français
    • Kickstarters
  • Burky & Badger podcast
  • Contact me

RECENT REVIEW THUMBNAILS

Barry has just played... 

Picture

Those who will play, greet you

5/21/2019

0 Comments

 

Gorus Maximus (2018) Review

Picture

Designer : Conor McGoey
Artist : Kwanchai Moriya
Publisheur : Inside Up Games


1 à 8 players
20 - 45 minutes
Age 13 and up


Write by Guilou
Picture

Gorus Maximus is a card game published by Inside Up Games. Coming from the 2018 Kickstarter, the game went to retail at Essen the same year. The designer, Conor McGoey brings with this game a revisit of the traditional Trick Taking game.

Let's dive into the theme of the game. Close your eyes and here you are in Ancient Rome, in 66 B.C. more exactly. To satisfy the people and to win the favor of the crowd, rich patricians decide to organize the most bloody games ever made: the Gorus Maximus. You play as people who are power hungry. Do not we say: "a happy crowd, is a crowd conquered"? To become the most influential politician, you call on the best Lanistes (gladiator owners and coaches) of the Republic. They are eager to offer you their best gladiators but also their most cruel and hungry animals to ensure a good show. Now set up the game and may the best Lanistes win?
Picture

The first thing that surprises with this game is the graphics. The very violent and gore bias fits perfectly with the desire to thematize the game. As such, Kwanchai Moriya (Catacombs (Third Edition), Dinosaur Island) brings his personal touch. The game wants to be family style, the illustrator chose to keep the desired on the gore side, while the sweetener with a cartoon style more than assumed. This results in a fun rendition, bloody but not disturbing. It's beautiful and colorful without being overloaded.

The game in itself plunges you back into the traditional game of Trick Taking. It will make you very quickly think of the Belote for example. On the program, you have five schools of sixteen gladiators. Each school corresponds to a color (or a symbol). Each gladiator has a number ranging from 0 to 16. Not all cards will be played at each game. The setting up depends on the number of players. The more you are, the more cards will be there.
Picture

Each player will have a ten card hand. The first player will play a card of their choice. It will become the favorite school of the moment, in other words, the trump. Like any Trick Taking, the trump is the strongest card and must be played unless you lack it’s color for example. Continue until all players have played a card. In each round, the one who won the previous trick starts the new one. At the end of a round, you’ll count the points. Whoever has the most, wins a favor from the crowd. The first to have three wins the game. Simple, no?

Yes... But without counting the talent of the author. Gorus Maximus has a twist that will upset the established order. In your turn, you are obliged to play a card of the same color as the first played. Unless you put a card of the same value (and therefore not necessarily the same color). There is a change of mood in the audience. The favorite school changes in favor of the one just layed.

In other words: a blue five has been laid. The trump is red. The second player plays a red three (for now it is they who lead). The third player places a green three. The trump changes in favor of the green school. So it's this players that lead, for now.

It can be even more cunning. If we take the previous example. The third player leads with their three green (become trump). The fourth player plays a blue three. As a result, the asset changes color (in favor of blue) and the first player becomes the leader of the next hand.


This simple twist makes it possible to invigorate the parts and reversals of situations can occur at any moment. Of course the more numerous you are, the more these situations will be able to multiply.

In addition to that, each card does not earn the same number of points at the end of a round. Some like the "eight", will even lose points to those who own them. Be careful when you pick up tricks. We also talked about the presence of a "zero". At the end of a round, the zero is worth zero points ... unless the color of the favorite school at this time is the same. And that's five points in the pocket!
Picture

Your simple Trick Tacker becomes a game much more cunning and clever. The game is really fluid. Simple in the rules and in the implementation, it promises a lot of twists. Of course, the more players there are, the more interesting it will become. Below four players, the game can be played but the surprises and twists will be less. It will be more about the classic, a race to one who will avoid the "eight". It will become a little less replayable. At more player, you have more possibilities and more fun. It is also possible to play as a team. The game then takes on another flavor. Smart and well thought out, this little game can make you happy like a big game.

The system of what could be called the double trump: the color but also the number, offers you the opportunity to get out and upset the established order. It creates tension and good laughs.

Available in two editions, basic and deluxe, the composants are really quality. The cards are very pleasant to handle and resist time and touch. The author also thought of inserting in his box the means to turn your game into a travel game. It is a very laudable intention and it works pretty well. Big plus too, the price, it is not expensive. It is in line with its category, despite a quality of material well beyond the standards. Variations of the game exist, play in teams, but also other unofficial, like count the points after each round.
Picture

The game is however not free of defects. It’s weak point will be in the games with less than four players. It could even in some configurations look long and repetitive. Turnarounds or negative cards are few. Be careful, I'm not saying it's bad, just that it's not with this configuration that it reveals its potential and its true interest. Graphics can also sometimes work against it. For a family game, some families can see the presence of blood (even cartoonesque and not in the sense of gore) of an evil eye. But to limit oneself to that would be to miss a good set of Trick Taking with original mechanisms. The theme is also very quickly forgotten. Afterwards for a game of this category, it is often difficult to incorporate a theme that is very end-to-end.

In teams or with many players, Gorus Maximus will be able to entertain you. Multilingual (including English), if you like this genre, it would be a shame to miss out.


Technical Note 8 / 10

The quality of the cards is really great, they are very pleasant to handle. Poker chips add a refined touch. The material is good. The transport box (premium version) is very well thought out.

My BGG Score 7 /10
(Good to play)
Easy to play, easy to carry everywhere, for all types of players, smart and fast. Be careful when you play it in the right configuration to make the most of its flavors.

Combined score 7,5 / 10
​
And Now, it's your turn...
0 Comments

Your comment will be posted after it is approved.


Leave a Reply.

    Picture

    Authors

    Barry &
    Guilou & Arnauld

    shortcuts

    All
    1st Impressions
    99 Monkeys
    ABACUSSPIELE
    Act In Game
    Alderac Entertainment Group
    Ameritrash Games
    Arnauld
    Asmodee
    Atalia
    Aurora Games
    Barry
    ​Bellwether Games
    Blackfire
    Blackrock Games
    Blog
    Blue Orange Games
    Bombyx
    Bonjour Games
    Burky & Badger
    Buzzy Games
    Catch Up Games
    Choice Provisions
    Clyde & Cart Press
    CMON Limited
    Cool Mini Or Not
    Cosmo Duck
    Cranio Creations
    Cryptozoic Entertainment
    Czech Games Edition
    Draco Ideas
    Druid City Games
    DV Giochi
    Eagle-Gryphon Games
    Eclipse Editorial
    Edge Entertainment
    Eggertspiele
    Elwin Klappe
    EmperorS4
    Essen Spiel
    Events
    Fantasy Flight Game
    Filosofia Editions
    Flying Carpet Games
    Flying Frog
    Funky Sheep
    Game Brewer
    Game Works
    Gen Con
    Gigamic
    GMT Games
    Golden Egg Games
    GREIFERISTO
    Grimlord Games
    GRRRE Games
    Guillotine Games
    Guilou
    Haba
    Hasbro
    Helvetiq
    Hexy Studio
    Holy Grail Games
    Homosapien Lab
    Homosapiens Lab
    Horrible Games
    How To Play
    HUCH!
    Iello
    Imperial Publishing
    Impressions
    Inside Up Games
    Interview
    Intrafin
    Itten
    Japan Brand
    Jeux Opla
    Jolly Dutch Productions
    Jolly Thinkers
    Jumping Turtle Games
    Junk Spirit Games
    Karma Games
    Kickstarter
    KOSMOS
    La Boite De Jeu
    Last Night
    Lifestyle Boardgames
    Lucky Duck Games
    Ludonaute
    Ludonova
    Mandoo Game
    Matagot
    Meeple City Games
    Modiphius
    Monolith
    Monthly
    Moonster Games
    Morning
    MOZI Game
    My Cup Of Tea
    Mythic Games
    Nauvoo Games
    Next Move Games
    Norsker Games
    North Star Games
    Nürnberger-Spielkarten-Verlag
    Oink Games
    Oka Luda Editions
    Osprey Games
    Oya
    Ozaku Brand
    Oz Editions
    Pandasaurus Games
    Paris Est Ludique
    Parker Brothers
    Pegasus Spiele
    Pixie Games
    Plan B Games
    Player 3
    Podcast
    Precisamente
    Preview
    Quantum Quiz
    Queen Games
    Renegade Game Studios
    Review
    RUNES Editions
    Say Cheves
    Schmidt Spiele
    Second Gate Games
    Serious Poulp
    Sit Down!
    Sorry We Are French
    Soundscape
    Space Cowboys
    Spielworxx
    Steamforged Games
    Stronghold Games
    Superlude Editions
    Super Meeple
    Sweet Games
    Tasty Minstrel Games
    Tested
    The Flying Games
    ThinkNoodle Games
    Tiki Editions
    Top Ten
    Treefrog Games
    Twitch TV
    TWOPLUS Games
    UK Gaming Expo
    USAopoly
    Weta Workshop
    White Goblin Games
    Yoka By Tsume
    Z-Man Games

    RSS Feed

Picture
Picture

Contact me

Proudly powered by Weebly
  • Home
  • Board Game soundtracks
    • The 7th Citidal
    • Kemet
    • Titan
    • Abyss
    • Claustrophobia 1643
    • The 7th Continent
    • Lucky Duck Games
    • Poule Poule
    • Syrinscape
    • Last Night
  • Board Game Talk
    • Reviews in English
    • Reviews en Français
    • Kickstarters
  • Burky & Badger podcast
  • Contact me