Herbaceous by Pencil First Games appears to be a pleasant little game. Themed around collecting different herbs for your collection. In order to complete this, you have 4 single-use containers. You fill these up by mixing herbs from your private garden and the community garden.
Herbaceous has an interesting way of building up the gardens. Each turn, you draw a card and then decide to put it in a communal area or your private area. You then draw and place a second card in the one you didn't choose. This gives the game a nice amount of interaction and means you need to watch what everyone else is building up.
This is where the game shows its teeth. You are trying to build up your 4 containers to be large scorers. Each scores differently, however. One rewards multiples, one rewards different pairs, one rewards different, and one just rewards special numbered herbs but is limited to 3 (and you can score bonus points if you get 3 different special herbs). And for all of these, you need to constantly pace yourself with the game timer, other players, and what is available in the communal garden.
Herbaceous doesn't have many rules and is a small footprint. But the communal garden you are constantly forced to gives other players opportunities. It is a game of pacing, timing, and sometimes pushing your luck. It isn't going to light the world on fire, with games playing out similarly game-to-game (but there is a mini expansion that can help with that), but it is always enjoyable.
4.5 out of 5 smelly waffles.
Showing posts with label Board Game Review. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Board Game Review. Show all posts
Sunday, 9 June 2019
Saturday, 4 May 2019
BOARD GAME REVIEW: CENTURY EASTERN WONDERS
Century: Spice Road was a game that was a big hit. Although I wasn't the biggest fan of it, it still saw allot of play as it was quick, simple, and could easily be introduced to groups. My main complaint is that one mechanism doesn't make a game, and it was really hurt by the lack of any non-obvious victory point pathway (such as end game goals or achievements).
So when I heard Eastern Wonders was meant to be a gamer's version of Spice Road, I was excited. And it does indeed add some additional mechanisms such as a tech-tree of sorts and end game scoring. While Spice Road is a card and hand-management game, Eastern Wonders is much closer to a pick-up-and-deliver game. It also has the benefit of being able to be combined with Spice Road.
Eastern Wonders, however, felt like a two-steps-forwards/three-steps-backwards situation. The game adds a bunch of extra steps to set-up (including putting the board together, which should've really have had an included play-mat) and to each turn. In addition to this, the graphic design to see all the information is lacking, with the structures you build always obscuring important information you are missing.
But, for me, I guess this also suffers from a fatal flaw like Spice Road. In Spice Road, the lack of end-game or alternate scoring pathways left it feeling much less exciting than things like Splendor (with the noble tiles). Here, it is that the map remains pretty static for most the game. If you can spot a route that you can turn over resources quicker by travelling in circles, there is very little outside sources that can stop you.
This is alleviated by combining Spice Road and Eastern Wonders to form a larger game, now requiring hand management and board management. The problem with this is that it turns into the same price as an expensive big box game, and you still have the graphic design issue. At this price, the game needs to be stellar rather than just good for what you are physically receiving. Unfortunately, it just isn't.
So in the end, Eastern Wonders wasn't for me. I prefer Spice Road because it plays quicker and is easier to set-up and teach to new players. However, for me, the Century series feels like a series of games that isn't for me as they miss essential ingredients of what makes the style of games fun. Maybe if they release a reasonably-priced box for the combined games than it may be more worthwhile.
2 out of 5 wondrous waffles.
So when I heard Eastern Wonders was meant to be a gamer's version of Spice Road, I was excited. And it does indeed add some additional mechanisms such as a tech-tree of sorts and end game scoring. While Spice Road is a card and hand-management game, Eastern Wonders is much closer to a pick-up-and-deliver game. It also has the benefit of being able to be combined with Spice Road.
Eastern Wonders, however, felt like a two-steps-forwards/three-steps-backwards situation. The game adds a bunch of extra steps to set-up (including putting the board together, which should've really have had an included play-mat) and to each turn. In addition to this, the graphic design to see all the information is lacking, with the structures you build always obscuring important information you are missing.
But, for me, I guess this also suffers from a fatal flaw like Spice Road. In Spice Road, the lack of end-game or alternate scoring pathways left it feeling much less exciting than things like Splendor (with the noble tiles). Here, it is that the map remains pretty static for most the game. If you can spot a route that you can turn over resources quicker by travelling in circles, there is very little outside sources that can stop you.
This is alleviated by combining Spice Road and Eastern Wonders to form a larger game, now requiring hand management and board management. The problem with this is that it turns into the same price as an expensive big box game, and you still have the graphic design issue. At this price, the game needs to be stellar rather than just good for what you are physically receiving. Unfortunately, it just isn't.
So in the end, Eastern Wonders wasn't for me. I prefer Spice Road because it plays quicker and is easier to set-up and teach to new players. However, for me, the Century series feels like a series of games that isn't for me as they miss essential ingredients of what makes the style of games fun. Maybe if they release a reasonably-priced box for the combined games than it may be more worthwhile.
2 out of 5 wondrous waffles.
Monday, 25 March 2019
BOARD GAME REVIEW: DREAM HOME
Dream Home is a pretty simple game. In effect, you are drafting cards that are a combination of a room and a special card (that gives an ability, points, etc.). You then effectively place the cards in a tableau to make your house.
Dream Home really is a nice little game. The decisions aren't deep but it plays quickly and gives you good decisions throughout the whole game. You are waiting to get the right cards for your house, as you get bonuses for making rooms bigger and having the home be functional. However, collecting a matching roof is also worth allot of points, which may make you choose a sub-optimal room.
The one thing that it may lack is replayability. The cards are pretty straightforward but the variety sometimes feels lacking. While it is an enjoyable gameplay loop, the game mechanisms sometimes feel a bit too straightforward, particularly towards the end. The other thing is that constantly refreshing the display can feel a bit fiddly.
The artwork in the game is great, with each room looking different. In addition, you have decor items which you can place on top of the rooms, which also look great. The artwork and the appeal of making your own house appeals to younger gamers allot.
At the end of the day, this game is a nice game. Despite concerns about it being fiddly and potentially lacking replayabiltiy. the core gameplay loop and choices involved with what combinations of cards you take keep the tension up in the game. It is definitely a game worth checking out.
4 out of 5 architectural waffles.
Dream Home really is a nice little game. The decisions aren't deep but it plays quickly and gives you good decisions throughout the whole game. You are waiting to get the right cards for your house, as you get bonuses for making rooms bigger and having the home be functional. However, collecting a matching roof is also worth allot of points, which may make you choose a sub-optimal room.
The one thing that it may lack is replayability. The cards are pretty straightforward but the variety sometimes feels lacking. While it is an enjoyable gameplay loop, the game mechanisms sometimes feel a bit too straightforward, particularly towards the end. The other thing is that constantly refreshing the display can feel a bit fiddly.
The artwork in the game is great, with each room looking different. In addition, you have decor items which you can place on top of the rooms, which also look great. The artwork and the appeal of making your own house appeals to younger gamers allot.
At the end of the day, this game is a nice game. Despite concerns about it being fiddly and potentially lacking replayabiltiy. the core gameplay loop and choices involved with what combinations of cards you take keep the tension up in the game. It is definitely a game worth checking out.
4 out of 5 architectural waffles.
Tuesday, 19 March 2019
BOARD GAME REVIEW: KEMET
Kemet by Matagot Games is a war game based on area control and battles. Set in Ancient Mythological Egypt, it is a game of conquest. In fact, you are awarded handsomely for winning combats and are punished if your forces are left weak, able to be crushed by the enemy.
The basic engine behind it is a mix of action selections and power allocation (similar to Blood Rage or Cthulhu Wars). You get a certain number of power per turn to spend recruiting and getting technology upgrades. You then also have to move your forces around, trying to win fights and capture key locations.
There is allot Kemet does right. The map is great, with everyone 3 spaces from everyone else regardless of location. It does this and still makes the spaces and territories make sense (mostly). The other good thing is the combat system, which is fast but still gives plenty of decisions and ways to manipulate the outcome for your benefit both immediately and in the future.
However, Kemet does two glaring things wrong that come up in a game this long far too often. The first is that it is very easy to play kingmaker. With how turn order works and the ease points can be taken, people can very easily end up having to choose who is going to win. This is somewhat relate to the second big problem in that you can be stuck losing slowly and it is no fun.
At the end of the day, board games are a big time investment. A bad start that can cripple you in a video game means you can easily hit restart. A board game requires time commitment and so most my favorite games (that aren't co-op) tend to be games where you can still work on things or have fun when losing. Kemet tends to only have kingmaking as something the losing players can do.
So that is it. Kemet is a game with allot of cool mechanics and premise, but the game just takes too long for these issues. I know I am in the minority but it is a game that I think ends up being pretty average.
4 out of 5 mummified waffles.
The basic engine behind it is a mix of action selections and power allocation (similar to Blood Rage or Cthulhu Wars). You get a certain number of power per turn to spend recruiting and getting technology upgrades. You then also have to move your forces around, trying to win fights and capture key locations.
There is allot Kemet does right. The map is great, with everyone 3 spaces from everyone else regardless of location. It does this and still makes the spaces and territories make sense (mostly). The other good thing is the combat system, which is fast but still gives plenty of decisions and ways to manipulate the outcome for your benefit both immediately and in the future.
However, Kemet does two glaring things wrong that come up in a game this long far too often. The first is that it is very easy to play kingmaker. With how turn order works and the ease points can be taken, people can very easily end up having to choose who is going to win. This is somewhat relate to the second big problem in that you can be stuck losing slowly and it is no fun.
At the end of the day, board games are a big time investment. A bad start that can cripple you in a video game means you can easily hit restart. A board game requires time commitment and so most my favorite games (that aren't co-op) tend to be games where you can still work on things or have fun when losing. Kemet tends to only have kingmaking as something the losing players can do.
So that is it. Kemet is a game with allot of cool mechanics and premise, but the game just takes too long for these issues. I know I am in the minority but it is a game that I think ends up being pretty average.
4 out of 5 mummified waffles.
Tuesday, 5 March 2019
BOARD GAME REVIEW: SPACE PARK
Space Park is a game Keymaster Games that seems to be fitting into that ever so crowded genre of light-medium games, or gateway games. It is of the same weight as games such as Splendor and Ticket to Ride. It has a couple of rules and plays quite simply.
In this game, you are travelling around a board (which forms a circle), taking actions to collect gems. You use these gems to trade in for points (either directly or by victory point cards). The cards here also can give you special abilities. It is a victory point race like Splendor, with the game ending once a victory point goal is reached.
The components in the game are really good. The space-rock-gems are great, are a good size and easy to handle. The spaceships moving around the board are also great. The cards and board look really nice, with nice big artwork and also thought given to maximise there usability. The only complaint is that the fast travel and xp tokens could have done to be a little larger.
In terms of gameplay, it is a gateway game. Very few rules, non-complex interactions between the rules, and some player interaction but a lack of heavy take-that. The game plays very quickly as the board only gives each player 3 choices per round, effectively limiting analysis paralysis. This all makes the gameplay smooth and fast, which is good.
In the end the game is good. It doesn't really put a step wrong. It doesn't quite have the potential for big surprising plays that other games do. Although it never really sets out to accomplish this, it does hold it back from those high ranks. Instead it is just a really fun, solid little game.
4 out of 5 whizzing waffles.
In this game, you are travelling around a board (which forms a circle), taking actions to collect gems. You use these gems to trade in for points (either directly or by victory point cards). The cards here also can give you special abilities. It is a victory point race like Splendor, with the game ending once a victory point goal is reached.
The components in the game are really good. The space-rock-gems are great, are a good size and easy to handle. The spaceships moving around the board are also great. The cards and board look really nice, with nice big artwork and also thought given to maximise there usability. The only complaint is that the fast travel and xp tokens could have done to be a little larger.
In terms of gameplay, it is a gateway game. Very few rules, non-complex interactions between the rules, and some player interaction but a lack of heavy take-that. The game plays very quickly as the board only gives each player 3 choices per round, effectively limiting analysis paralysis. This all makes the gameplay smooth and fast, which is good.
In the end the game is good. It doesn't really put a step wrong. It doesn't quite have the potential for big surprising plays that other games do. Although it never really sets out to accomplish this, it does hold it back from those high ranks. Instead it is just a really fun, solid little game.
4 out of 5 whizzing waffles.
Saturday, 2 February 2019
BOARD GAME REVIEW: SEA OF CLOUDS (2016)
Sea of Clouds is a game that takes a couple of mechanisms
used in other games. It then mashes them together and makes something that is
just a little bit special out of them. Regardless, it does have some flaws (like
any game).
Sea of Clouds is a pirate-themed game from IeLLO. It mashes together an “I split/You Choose” mechanism from games such as piece of cake. However, the twist here is that it is done in sequence and you only see the back of the cards to start with. This then gives it a Small Worlds type mechanism where every time you pass over a card, you add another card to it. And finally, battling is done similar to 7 Wonders (fight each person besides you).
Sea of Clouds is a pirate-themed game from IeLLO. It mashes together an “I split/You Choose” mechanism from games such as piece of cake. However, the twist here is that it is done in sequence and you only see the back of the cards to start with. This then gives it a Small Worlds type mechanism where every time you pass over a card, you add another card to it. And finally, battling is done similar to 7 Wonders (fight each person besides you).
Ultimately, it all comes together really well. Seeing the
back of the cards and knowing what type of cards there is gives you just enough
information. It makes me wonder if Seven Wonders would benefit from something
similar (knowing what types of cards are coming up means you can start building
with direction). Combat is powerful but
because it only happens 4-5 times in a game keeps it from becoming too
annoying. And the tough choices about skipping a pile, knowing the next card
may make the stack amazing. And the artwork and components are great.
There are a couple of downsides, however. One of the main
ones is that analysis paralysis is real, especially if there is pile someone
doesn’t want but would be great for the next person. Be prepared for a bit of
waiting or attempted negotiation in this case. The other problem is that it is entirely possible to run out of cards at 4 players, meaning you are just shuffling pirate heavy stacks back into the supply. A few extra cards would've really mitigated this allot.
However, overall, the game plays really nicely. The problems
are far outweighed by the good, and it is a nice light game to start of finish
off the night. It has some good meat on the bones as well to not feel like a
throw-away game.
4 out of 5 heartily-enjoyable waffles.
Monday, 31 December 2018
BOARD GAME REVIEW: DUELOSAUR ISLAND (2018)
Duelosaur Island is a game that is a sister game to Dinosaur Island in the same way 7 Wonders and 7 Wonders Duel are related. This is a two-player game that shares the general idea of the larger games, but changes the mechanisms to more suit a two-player game.
Duelosaur Island is a mixture of a card-drafting and dice-drafting game. You are trying to collect cards that can be dinosaur attractions, facilities, or specialists to give you powers, income (both in visitors and coins) and special powers. You then collect money and dinosaur attractions to give you more excitement. At the end if the game, most visitors wins.
At its core, the game sounds exciting. Each player choosing the specialists available and the dice position to give different combinations of bonuses. However, this is definitely a game of one too many steps. Compared to really good 2 player games such as Raptor and 7 Wonders Duel, it plays very slowly as one player chooses all the combinations to go out. Unfortunately, this is also the only place any real interaction comes.
Add to the slow pace and lack of interaction in this game is the production errors. From the PR marker where you can't see what is underneath it (something you need to do quite often) to all the errors in the rulebook, this game feels rushed out. It is a shame, because the core idea sounds okay. It just needed a bit more development to streamline it a little bit and get rid of all the production errors.
2 out of 5 duelling waffles.
Duelosaur Island is a mixture of a card-drafting and dice-drafting game. You are trying to collect cards that can be dinosaur attractions, facilities, or specialists to give you powers, income (both in visitors and coins) and special powers. You then collect money and dinosaur attractions to give you more excitement. At the end if the game, most visitors wins.
At its core, the game sounds exciting. Each player choosing the specialists available and the dice position to give different combinations of bonuses. However, this is definitely a game of one too many steps. Compared to really good 2 player games such as Raptor and 7 Wonders Duel, it plays very slowly as one player chooses all the combinations to go out. Unfortunately, this is also the only place any real interaction comes.
Add to the slow pace and lack of interaction in this game is the production errors. From the PR marker where you can't see what is underneath it (something you need to do quite often) to all the errors in the rulebook, this game feels rushed out. It is a shame, because the core idea sounds okay. It just needed a bit more development to streamline it a little bit and get rid of all the production errors.
2 out of 5 duelling waffles.
Wednesday, 19 December 2018
BOARD GAME REVIEW: ARCHITECTS OF THE WEST KINGDOM
Architects of the West Kingdom is a game by the maker (Shem Phillips) of Raiders of the North Sea. They also made some other games I didn't enjoy nearly as much as Raiders, so the real question is how does this compare? I really enjoy Raiders so is Architects just as good?
Architects does something Raiders also does well. It does worker placement, but puts its own little twist on it. Here, you start with 20 workers. Then, you slowly use them up during the game unless you sacrifice an action to get them back. Outside of this, it is a pretty standard game of collecting resources, turning them in to complete building goals for points, hiring crew with special abilities, and doing one or two other things.
The other things you can do are what gives the game some more flair. One of the actions is capturing workers and sending them to jail (or just rounding up your workers again). This is because the more workers you have out at a spot, the stronger the action you have. This also makes them more tempting targets for capturing. The other action is using the black market, where you lose virtue in order to get more immediate bonuses. But if you are caught there during a raid, your workers go to jail and you lose more virtue.
Virtue is important and is one of the few ways the theme comes through. The virtue track means at higher virtue you can work on the cathedral but at lower virtue you may lose victory points but you also get a discount on actions. Apart from that, the theme is quite generic as a standard conversion of resources to points via the most efficient means possible.
This lack of theme isn't bad. But Raiders had the theme come through allot stronger with the progressive raids, your crew and the skulls. I think Architects is different from Raiders and the mechanisms are as strong. However, Raiders you had allot fewer boring turns. Architects has those building up turns which are a bit quick and boring, especially if you just need to get people out of jail. It does move slightly quicker than Raiders, with a much more deliberate pace and more direct player interactions. I also like the virtue track. I would probably place them pretty equal depending on what type of game you prefer.
4 out of 5 well-designed waffles.
Architects does something Raiders also does well. It does worker placement, but puts its own little twist on it. Here, you start with 20 workers. Then, you slowly use them up during the game unless you sacrifice an action to get them back. Outside of this, it is a pretty standard game of collecting resources, turning them in to complete building goals for points, hiring crew with special abilities, and doing one or two other things.
The other things you can do are what gives the game some more flair. One of the actions is capturing workers and sending them to jail (or just rounding up your workers again). This is because the more workers you have out at a spot, the stronger the action you have. This also makes them more tempting targets for capturing. The other action is using the black market, where you lose virtue in order to get more immediate bonuses. But if you are caught there during a raid, your workers go to jail and you lose more virtue.
Virtue is important and is one of the few ways the theme comes through. The virtue track means at higher virtue you can work on the cathedral but at lower virtue you may lose victory points but you also get a discount on actions. Apart from that, the theme is quite generic as a standard conversion of resources to points via the most efficient means possible.
This lack of theme isn't bad. But Raiders had the theme come through allot stronger with the progressive raids, your crew and the skulls. I think Architects is different from Raiders and the mechanisms are as strong. However, Raiders you had allot fewer boring turns. Architects has those building up turns which are a bit quick and boring, especially if you just need to get people out of jail. It does move slightly quicker than Raiders, with a much more deliberate pace and more direct player interactions. I also like the virtue track. I would probably place them pretty equal depending on what type of game you prefer.
4 out of 5 well-designed waffles.
Saturday, 15 December 2018
BOARD GAME REVIEW: CODENAMES DISNEY
Codenames is a game I really enjoy. It is a nice filler party game where perhaps it greatest strength can also be its greatest weakness (people trying to bend to rules or it overstaying it's welcome), but it is great as a starting or ending game on a game night. I'm not the only one who has enjoyed it, with the games getting a bunch of spin-off variants.
Disney is one of these variants. In this game, you are doing the normal Codenames thing of giving clues to guess the right stuff on a grid. But what you are trying to guess now is not words, but Disney pictures. This means you have pictures from Disney films such as Hercules, etc. and your clues have to relate to them.
My most glaring problem with this is that the pictures just aren't really that good. Most the pictures are really close-ups of a specific character or the like. I would have liked if the pictures were allot broader so you could relate more things together (i.e. taking objects from the background). It would've been really good if the cards were a bit bigger to accomodate this, but this is where being stuck to the Codenames card size is a detriment.
The card issue is compounded by the fact it loses allot of its accessibility. Now, you need to know obscure characters from movies in order to compete with those more knowledgable about Disney films. This issue is compounded by the previous issue of the extreme close-ups limiting the scope of the clues you can give, thus eliminating the clever word plays originally used.
That isn't to say this game doesn't do some good things. The intro/kid variant is a neat idea and the Disney background gave a wealth of iconic moments to draw from. Unfortunately, the price it pays in order to slap the Disney tag on this makes it feel like a cash-in on the Codenames and Disney brands.
2 out of 5 Frozen Waffles.
Disney is one of these variants. In this game, you are doing the normal Codenames thing of giving clues to guess the right stuff on a grid. But what you are trying to guess now is not words, but Disney pictures. This means you have pictures from Disney films such as Hercules, etc. and your clues have to relate to them.
My most glaring problem with this is that the pictures just aren't really that good. Most the pictures are really close-ups of a specific character or the like. I would have liked if the pictures were allot broader so you could relate more things together (i.e. taking objects from the background). It would've been really good if the cards were a bit bigger to accomodate this, but this is where being stuck to the Codenames card size is a detriment.
The card issue is compounded by the fact it loses allot of its accessibility. Now, you need to know obscure characters from movies in order to compete with those more knowledgable about Disney films. This issue is compounded by the previous issue of the extreme close-ups limiting the scope of the clues you can give, thus eliminating the clever word plays originally used.
That isn't to say this game doesn't do some good things. The intro/kid variant is a neat idea and the Disney background gave a wealth of iconic moments to draw from. Unfortunately, the price it pays in order to slap the Disney tag on this makes it feel like a cash-in on the Codenames and Disney brands.
2 out of 5 Frozen Waffles.
Wednesday, 5 December 2018
BOARD GAME REVIEW: PAPER TALES (2018)
Paper Tales by Stronghold Games came out of nowhere a bit. A simple card-drafting, tableau-building game on the surface, this game wears its 7 Wonders inspirations on its sleeves (in terms of wars, resource generation, etc.). However, in this case, inspiration does not mean it is just a poor mans copy.
Paper Tales does a couple of things very differently. Firstly, you have to place your units in a front and back rank to determine who fights and who doesn't. For the most part, this doesn't really play a big part as you just stick powerful units at the front and weaker units (resource generating) at the back. The main thing it limits you on is your military strength. Eventually you can play a fifth unit by upgrading a building, which is a really good idea.
The big change, however, is the aging mechanic. Most cards only stick around for a couple of turns (generations) before growing old and dying. Add to this a very tight coin income (unless you specialise in coins at the expense of other things), only 4 rounds to build buildings (the main source of VP outside of wars), and only 4 battles, you have a very tight game.
This is a very tight game and the hard choices start immediately and only get harder with time. Do you use up your limited income to fill up with 4 units in round 1 or save a bit to try to get a stronger unit in round 2. In addition, you always have to keep in mind people can hate draft against you and keep the strong units from you. The only round that has some easier choices is round 1 as most times you want to get as much out as possible. However, this can be easily solved by drafting an extra card on the first round if so inclined. I never found it much of an issue as the first round gave plenty of other choices already.
Playing through the round also goes very quickly. Drafting, everyone takes turns simultaneously and at only 4 rounds, there are plenty of options you can explore to score points and alternative pathways you can take in following games. Add to that the variable buildings and great solo mode from the expansion, this game is a real winner.
5 out of 5 tearable waffles.
Paper Tales does a couple of things very differently. Firstly, you have to place your units in a front and back rank to determine who fights and who doesn't. For the most part, this doesn't really play a big part as you just stick powerful units at the front and weaker units (resource generating) at the back. The main thing it limits you on is your military strength. Eventually you can play a fifth unit by upgrading a building, which is a really good idea.
The big change, however, is the aging mechanic. Most cards only stick around for a couple of turns (generations) before growing old and dying. Add to this a very tight coin income (unless you specialise in coins at the expense of other things), only 4 rounds to build buildings (the main source of VP outside of wars), and only 4 battles, you have a very tight game.
This is a very tight game and the hard choices start immediately and only get harder with time. Do you use up your limited income to fill up with 4 units in round 1 or save a bit to try to get a stronger unit in round 2. In addition, you always have to keep in mind people can hate draft against you and keep the strong units from you. The only round that has some easier choices is round 1 as most times you want to get as much out as possible. However, this can be easily solved by drafting an extra card on the first round if so inclined. I never found it much of an issue as the first round gave plenty of other choices already.
Playing through the round also goes very quickly. Drafting, everyone takes turns simultaneously and at only 4 rounds, there are plenty of options you can explore to score points and alternative pathways you can take in following games. Add to that the variable buildings and great solo mode from the expansion, this game is a real winner.
5 out of 5 tearable waffles.
Monday, 12 November 2018
BOARD GAME REVIEW: SPLENDOR (2014)
Splendor is a game about collecting gems in the form of poker chips, and then trading them for cards. These cards then give you discounts to help you get better cards which are worth more points or nobles, which are worth points. First to 15 wins.
That all sounds simple and even a little boring. However, Splendor is a game near the top of its weight class. The mechanisms that drive the game are smooth, and there is enough variability with end-game point scoring between the nobles and the large point cards to make the game exciting to the very end.
The components are also really good. Obviously, the tactile nature and weight of the poker chips means that they have immediate appeal. The insert is also great to help organise the box, although they could have easily halved the box size if they compacted it a bit more. The only downside is I wish more cards had unique artwork.
It says something for a game when people are still trying to claim it has been killed 4 years later. Splendor is still going strong, with enough variability and excitement in the base game alone to still make it hit the gaming table often. It just works as a gateway game and a deeper game that plays quickly.
5 out of 5 splendid waffles.
That all sounds simple and even a little boring. However, Splendor is a game near the top of its weight class. The mechanisms that drive the game are smooth, and there is enough variability with end-game point scoring between the nobles and the large point cards to make the game exciting to the very end.
The components are also really good. Obviously, the tactile nature and weight of the poker chips means that they have immediate appeal. The insert is also great to help organise the box, although they could have easily halved the box size if they compacted it a bit more. The only downside is I wish more cards had unique artwork.
It says something for a game when people are still trying to claim it has been killed 4 years later. Splendor is still going strong, with enough variability and excitement in the base game alone to still make it hit the gaming table often. It just works as a gateway game and a deeper game that plays quickly.
5 out of 5 splendid waffles.
Tuesday, 23 October 2018
BOARD GAME REVIEW: LET'S MAKE A BUS ROUTE
Let's Make a Bus Route is a game from Saashi and Saashi that has been released in a time where Roll and Write games seem to be one of the hot board game mechanisms. But here, it is flipping a card instead of rolling, and you are all writing on a shared board.
Sharing a board isn't the only cool trick that this game pulls off. However, it is probably the most interesting. In this game, you are working to, over the course of 12 cards, build a route for your bus to take. You are aiming to pick up people, drop them off to their destinations, and earn points for this.
There are two things that the shared board gives. The first is traffic. You are aiming to avoid where other bus routes are going to avoid negative points for traffic. The second is related to global objective cards, in that it is effectively a race to earn 5 elder commuters first.
Apart from this, the scoring is as good as, say, Ganz Schon Clever. Each commuter scores differently, with some providing bonuses to others. However, you also have to watch your route to make sure you can deliver them to their destinations otherwise you earn no points for all that effort. Add to that your private objective and public objectives pulling you towards different directions and you have a very fascinating game.
My only criticism is that everything is double sides, with English/Japanese language sides. However, I feel that they missed an opportunity to make these sides alternative boards/routes (say an English and Japanese city and bus company) that makes things play out differently. I am a bit concerned if this game has much legs. However, this issue hasn't come up yet.
4.5 out of 5 commuting waffles.
Sharing a board isn't the only cool trick that this game pulls off. However, it is probably the most interesting. In this game, you are working to, over the course of 12 cards, build a route for your bus to take. You are aiming to pick up people, drop them off to their destinations, and earn points for this.
There are two things that the shared board gives. The first is traffic. You are aiming to avoid where other bus routes are going to avoid negative points for traffic. The second is related to global objective cards, in that it is effectively a race to earn 5 elder commuters first.
Apart from this, the scoring is as good as, say, Ganz Schon Clever. Each commuter scores differently, with some providing bonuses to others. However, you also have to watch your route to make sure you can deliver them to their destinations otherwise you earn no points for all that effort. Add to that your private objective and public objectives pulling you towards different directions and you have a very fascinating game.
My only criticism is that everything is double sides, with English/Japanese language sides. However, I feel that they missed an opportunity to make these sides alternative boards/routes (say an English and Japanese city and bus company) that makes things play out differently. I am a bit concerned if this game has much legs. However, this issue hasn't come up yet.
4.5 out of 5 commuting waffles.
Saturday, 13 October 2018
BOARD GAME REVIEW: KOKORO- AVENUE OF THE KODAMA
Kokoro- Avenue of the Kodama is a game by Indie Board and Card Games that came out about a year ago. It was just ahead of a big wave of Roll and Write-style games (well, more Flip and Fill in this case).
The game is played on a players white board of which a grid map is drawn. Every turn, you have to flip a card and fill in a pathway on the board to try to connect huts to butterfly and caterpillars features. Every round, the hut changes. The trick is, however, that each time you score must be greater than your previous score, otherwise you score negative points.
This is an entertaining filler-style game. The game plays quickly, has a lack of downtime, and can accommodate between one and eight players quite easily. It also has a few neat tricks, such as the scoring and the end game scoring. In addition, you can flip the boards to introduce some random set-ups or play with a random special rule to keep it fresh.
Unfortunately, there is one thing that holds it back. That thing stems from one of the clever things it does, which also unfortunately limits a players options. The long and the short of it is that the best way to win is to make the longest continuous pathway to make sure your score keeps going up. That means that players often put down very similar pathways for a big portion of the game and stymies the creativity into just trying to make the longest path.
And that is unfortunate. In some ways, the game either didn't go far enough in limiting scoring the same features multiple times or went too far in restricting the scoring to be ever increasing. It is even more unfortunate because this could also lead to a runaway leader (although the game is pretty short to not be a problem). In the end, the game is okay but is unfortunately held back by limiting a players options.
3 out of 5 flipping waffles.
The game is played on a players white board of which a grid map is drawn. Every turn, you have to flip a card and fill in a pathway on the board to try to connect huts to butterfly and caterpillars features. Every round, the hut changes. The trick is, however, that each time you score must be greater than your previous score, otherwise you score negative points.
This is an entertaining filler-style game. The game plays quickly, has a lack of downtime, and can accommodate between one and eight players quite easily. It also has a few neat tricks, such as the scoring and the end game scoring. In addition, you can flip the boards to introduce some random set-ups or play with a random special rule to keep it fresh.
Unfortunately, there is one thing that holds it back. That thing stems from one of the clever things it does, which also unfortunately limits a players options. The long and the short of it is that the best way to win is to make the longest continuous pathway to make sure your score keeps going up. That means that players often put down very similar pathways for a big portion of the game and stymies the creativity into just trying to make the longest path.
And that is unfortunate. In some ways, the game either didn't go far enough in limiting scoring the same features multiple times or went too far in restricting the scoring to be ever increasing. It is even more unfortunate because this could also lead to a runaway leader (although the game is pretty short to not be a problem). In the end, the game is okay but is unfortunately held back by limiting a players options.
3 out of 5 flipping waffles.
Tuesday, 2 October 2018
BOARD GAME REVIEWS: MANSIONS OF MADNESS 2nd EDITION
Mansions of Madness Second Edition is a story-based game. It is a sort-of sequel, sort-of re-implementation of the First Edition, but makes one major change that makes the game its own thing. That is by including an app.
The big change is the app. This takes care of all the upkeep, randomisations of monsters. But more importantly, it changes the game from a one-versus-all game to a co-operative game by taking care of all the monster and story telling elements.
The game is a dungeon crawl. It has mainly dice-based resolution based on character traits, with each character having a special ability. The game is pretty standard in this regard. The only wrinkle is that the you also track your sanity, with you getting a secret insane goal that may put your at odds with the rest of the team.
However, having an app handle all the storytelling and book-keeping really makes this game shine. The fact it is co-operative and the app automatically randomises and adjusts the scenarios is great. At its heart, it is a story-telling game and the app is great for this.
The one downsides are that the dice mechanics are really generic. The components are also very ordinary for the price, particularly the miniature bases. For a storytelling game, these actually actively detract from the overall atmosphere. For the cost of the game, these really should've been better.
4 out of 5 Mad Waffles.
The big change is the app. This takes care of all the upkeep, randomisations of monsters. But more importantly, it changes the game from a one-versus-all game to a co-operative game by taking care of all the monster and story telling elements.
The game is a dungeon crawl. It has mainly dice-based resolution based on character traits, with each character having a special ability. The game is pretty standard in this regard. The only wrinkle is that the you also track your sanity, with you getting a secret insane goal that may put your at odds with the rest of the team.
However, having an app handle all the storytelling and book-keeping really makes this game shine. The fact it is co-operative and the app automatically randomises and adjusts the scenarios is great. At its heart, it is a story-telling game and the app is great for this.
The one downsides are that the dice mechanics are really generic. The components are also very ordinary for the price, particularly the miniature bases. For a storytelling game, these actually actively detract from the overall atmosphere. For the cost of the game, these really should've been better.
4 out of 5 Mad Waffles.
Thursday, 30 August 2018
BOARD GAME REVIEW: HARVEST DICE
Harvest Dice is from a genre of games that seems to be gaining in popularity recently. These are Roll 'n Write games, where you roll some dice (or draw cards or some other randomizer) and then use the results to mark a sheet of paper depending on different criteria for final scoring.
Harvest Dice has a farming theme. In it, you are drafting dice to fill in a grid with three vegetables. Atternatively, you can feed unusable dice to the pig to build up a bonus track to manipulate dice. At the end of the round, one unused dice that is left increases the points earned from that type of vegetable.
It is a pretty simple game. It is a spatial optimisation puzzle on your paper. However, the market mechanic means there is a good amount of interaction. This also leads to some good decisions because to increase the scoring of a vegetable means (by necissity) having less of that vegetable on your pad.
This is a very simple game. Even the "advanced" variant isn't too hard. In addition to this, the game is fairly inexpensive. My normal complaint here is I would prefer laminated sheets and dry-erase markers over sheets of paper. However, for the price, I am quite happy to simply laminate my own when my supply of game sheets runs low.
Overall, I really enjoyed this game. It had a nice market mechanic that gives indirect interaction and led to hard decisions, even in the solo mode. While not the deepest of games, it is easy to teach and set-up and is allot of game in a small package. It is also a great travel game to take around.
4 out of 5 harvesting waffles.
Harvest Dice has a farming theme. In it, you are drafting dice to fill in a grid with three vegetables. Atternatively, you can feed unusable dice to the pig to build up a bonus track to manipulate dice. At the end of the round, one unused dice that is left increases the points earned from that type of vegetable.
It is a pretty simple game. It is a spatial optimisation puzzle on your paper. However, the market mechanic means there is a good amount of interaction. This also leads to some good decisions because to increase the scoring of a vegetable means (by necissity) having less of that vegetable on your pad.
This is a very simple game. Even the "advanced" variant isn't too hard. In addition to this, the game is fairly inexpensive. My normal complaint here is I would prefer laminated sheets and dry-erase markers over sheets of paper. However, for the price, I am quite happy to simply laminate my own when my supply of game sheets runs low.
Overall, I really enjoyed this game. It had a nice market mechanic that gives indirect interaction and led to hard decisions, even in the solo mode. While not the deepest of games, it is easy to teach and set-up and is allot of game in a small package. It is also a great travel game to take around.
4 out of 5 harvesting waffles.
Monday, 30 July 2018
BOARD GAME REVIEW: ADRENALINE
Adrenaline is a game that is at once exactly what it says on the cover and also nothing like what it says on the cover. This is a game that bills itself as a board game version of a first-person shooter.
In some ways, that is exactly what it is. Each turn, you can take two actions to pick up ammo, new weapons, move, and shoot. Each shot damages an opponent. Each shot you take damages you. However, the more damage you get, the more your adrenaline pumps and the more powerful your actions can be. There is a cool variety of weapons, each broken in some way.
However, how damage works is decidely non-first person shooter. Yo are in effect engaging in a game of area control, but each of your areas is the other player. This is because of how damage works. You score based on the majority of your damage markers being on your target, so the game is all about timing an dtring to block out your opponents, rather than a run-and-gun style affair. In fact, some of your turns can become quite cerebral.
I personally think that the choice to do this makes this game unique. It would have been simple to do a dice-chucker-type game. Instead, they made a bunch of unique mechanisms based around achieving the goal of making it a more thinking-type game. Although it does play slightly slower than I would like, and I would've liked to see some more variety in power-ups, I think the core gameplay is very interesting and the weapon combinations always make it interesting to play.
3.5 out of 5 hyper waffles.
In some ways, that is exactly what it is. Each turn, you can take two actions to pick up ammo, new weapons, move, and shoot. Each shot damages an opponent. Each shot you take damages you. However, the more damage you get, the more your adrenaline pumps and the more powerful your actions can be. There is a cool variety of weapons, each broken in some way.
However, how damage works is decidely non-first person shooter. Yo are in effect engaging in a game of area control, but each of your areas is the other player. This is because of how damage works. You score based on the majority of your damage markers being on your target, so the game is all about timing an dtring to block out your opponents, rather than a run-and-gun style affair. In fact, some of your turns can become quite cerebral.
I personally think that the choice to do this makes this game unique. It would have been simple to do a dice-chucker-type game. Instead, they made a bunch of unique mechanisms based around achieving the goal of making it a more thinking-type game. Although it does play slightly slower than I would like, and I would've liked to see some more variety in power-ups, I think the core gameplay is very interesting and the weapon combinations always make it interesting to play.
3.5 out of 5 hyper waffles.
Saturday, 21 July 2018
BOARD GAME REVIEW: FLASH POINT FIRE RESCUE
Flash Point: Fire Rescue is a game where you take on the role of a team of firefighters. In this game, your goal is to save enough people from the building before either the building collapses or the occupants are 'overcome' by the fire.
This game works similar to games like Pandemic. On each players turn, you perform 4 actions. These can be used to save people, move, or put out fires. Then, you advance the fire by rolling a new fire area. If you set off explosions, you may knock out parts of the building.
Flash Point is a simple game at heart. It is in the gateway area of board games, similar to Pandemic and the like, where the rules are relatively simple. Each player does there actions, fires advance, and you move on. There are a couple of little rules tweaks, but these mainly come in the expansions.
But underneath its weight and simplicity, this game is brimming with theme and life. Saving people and putting out fires is something most people can easily get behind. And although the game can feel a bit samey after awhile (easily fixed with expansion maps), the simple yet variable system of fire advancement makes allot of games feel fresh.
This is a game I really enjoy. The theme and mechanics complement eachother really well and it all makes sense. One of my complaints with it is easily addressed by grabbing an expansion or two for some new maps and more variability. The other issue is the alpha gamer issue, which occasionally rears its head (like Pandemic). This is an issue allot of pure co-operative games struggle with, and this hasn't done much to alleviate the issues. You could implement an only talk on your turn policy for this, but keep that in mind when busting this game out.
4 out of 5 Fire Fighting Stars.
This game works similar to games like Pandemic. On each players turn, you perform 4 actions. These can be used to save people, move, or put out fires. Then, you advance the fire by rolling a new fire area. If you set off explosions, you may knock out parts of the building.
Flash Point is a simple game at heart. It is in the gateway area of board games, similar to Pandemic and the like, where the rules are relatively simple. Each player does there actions, fires advance, and you move on. There are a couple of little rules tweaks, but these mainly come in the expansions.
But underneath its weight and simplicity, this game is brimming with theme and life. Saving people and putting out fires is something most people can easily get behind. And although the game can feel a bit samey after awhile (easily fixed with expansion maps), the simple yet variable system of fire advancement makes allot of games feel fresh.
This is a game I really enjoy. The theme and mechanics complement eachother really well and it all makes sense. One of my complaints with it is easily addressed by grabbing an expansion or two for some new maps and more variability. The other issue is the alpha gamer issue, which occasionally rears its head (like Pandemic). This is an issue allot of pure co-operative games struggle with, and this hasn't done much to alleviate the issues. You could implement an only talk on your turn policy for this, but keep that in mind when busting this game out.
4 out of 5 Fire Fighting Stars.
Thursday, 14 June 2018
BOARD GAME REVIEW: TERRAFORMING MARS
Terraforming Mars is a game that came out around when there seemed to be a bit of a streak of Mars games. It is a competitive game where you are cooperatively trying to terraform Mars.
The game is essentially a card game. You use cards to build your tableau, which gives an income and powers to give an advantage over your opponents. How you get points is mainly by Terraforming Mars, which also gives you income and triggers the end game. So it all forms a big circle.
And it is a very good circle. The game is essentially a sandbox-style engine builder. You build up combos in your cards and on the board to our score your opponents. You are managing your money to make sure you can afford everything. And just in case it feel solitaire-like, there is also activating the game end and achievement scoring.
The biggest downside is that it feels like a game Stronghold didn’t expect to do well. Compared to similar games, the game feels quite cheap. Thin player boards, bad artwork/pictures, and bad component design makes me believe this was originally a throwaway game.
Another downside is that it can feel slightly too long to get going and that randomness can lock you out early in the game (unless you play with the drafting variant). The drafting variant should also always be used with people who know how to play to mitigate the luck of the draw. With that, this game is one of the better economic engine building games out there. I just wish more care was given to the components.
3.5 out of 5 Terraformed Waffles.
Saturday, 19 May 2018
BOARD GAME REVIEW: ROLL PLAYER AND EXPANSION
Roll Player is a really intriguing game. It is a Dice allocation game, where you are trying to build up a Dungeons and Dragons character. You are filling out their backstory, weapons and feats. The expansion also adds monsters that you can hunt (or to keep with the theme, I like to think of them as monsters you have hunted in your past).
It is an intriguing game. There is a constant push-pull about what you want to do, the risks you want to take, and what you want to go for. The expansion really brings this out, as hunting monsters really adds something else you can focus on.
This is a game where simple mechanics give you choices. You have only limited number of rounds (around 10, dependent on player count) to do your stuff. Here, you have to balance your income. In addition to this, the expansion means you also have to collect trophies and experience to get bonuses against the final monster, which can also be a good source of points.
It isn’t perfect. There is some luck involved. Sometimes your set collections don’t come out or come out the one time you don’t have money. Similarly, the final boss is based on luck (for the expansion). However, this is an intriguing game that gives plenty of options and is definitely worth trying.
4.5 out of 5 rolling waffles.
Monday, 16 April 2018
BOARD GAME REVIEW: MAJESTY- FOR THE REALM
Majesty: For the Realm (hereafter referred to as Majesty) is the latest game from the designer of Splendor (I believe). After the disappointment of Cities of Splendor, does Majesty recapture the magic. The short answer is: yes. The longer answer: it is perhaps one of my games of the year.
Majesty is a simple game. You have a set of locations in your empire. Everyturn, there is an offer where you choose a card. You have to pay to skip the cards at the beginning of the row and get other stuff (sometimes better, sometimes worse).
In addition, there is some attacking. Attacking is very non-personal and the game is so short that, even if you get caught out by attacks, it never feels too personal. Also, there are multiple ways to mitigate against attacks, so it doesn't feel overly important.
As you draft cards, you activate various combo's and effects in your tableau. At the end of the game, your non-injured cards score for majorities and variety. Every card you draft gives you something, and although it is a short game, the decisions feel pretty meaningful.
The only criticism is that perhaps by the end of the games, it might feel a bit samey. That is where alternate locations come in. This keeps the game feeling fresh. In addition, you can come up with your own combinations of location cards to explore different set-ups (although the balance might not be there).
This is another great game in the same style as Splendor. Simple rules, quick playing, but engaging decisions. This has slightly more interaction than Splendor due to attacking, but doesn't overdo it. A great game that entertains a wide variety of people.
5 out of 5 Majestic Waffles.
Majesty is a simple game. You have a set of locations in your empire. Everyturn, there is an offer where you choose a card. You have to pay to skip the cards at the beginning of the row and get other stuff (sometimes better, sometimes worse).
In addition, there is some attacking. Attacking is very non-personal and the game is so short that, even if you get caught out by attacks, it never feels too personal. Also, there are multiple ways to mitigate against attacks, so it doesn't feel overly important.
As you draft cards, you activate various combo's and effects in your tableau. At the end of the game, your non-injured cards score for majorities and variety. Every card you draft gives you something, and although it is a short game, the decisions feel pretty meaningful.
The only criticism is that perhaps by the end of the games, it might feel a bit samey. That is where alternate locations come in. This keeps the game feeling fresh. In addition, you can come up with your own combinations of location cards to explore different set-ups (although the balance might not be there).
This is another great game in the same style as Splendor. Simple rules, quick playing, but engaging decisions. This has slightly more interaction than Splendor due to attacking, but doesn't overdo it. A great game that entertains a wide variety of people.
5 out of 5 Majestic Waffles.
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