 Full Disclosure: I received a review copy of Assembly from Wren Games. What is this game about? Assembly is a short, quick puzzle game set on a spaceship. After a deadly virus kills off most of the crew, you (and potentially one friend) have survived because of your natural immunity. The ship, however, wants to quarantine itself by making sure nothing makes it off the ship alive—and that includes you. There is hope, however! A partially-built ship remains on board, and if you can finish it up in time, you'll be able to escape. The puzzle of Assembly lies in manipulating module tokens so that you can lock them into place on the correct cards (they will have matching symbols). To do this, you'll play through your deck three times, only using one card at a time to deploy modules, rotate them, swap them, or lock them into place. If you can finish locking the modules by the end of the third cycle through your deck, you win. Otherwise, in space, no one can hear you scream—and you won't have any oxygen to scream with, anyway. In addition to some "malfunctions" in the base game, you can play with an expansion called Glitches, which adds difficulty by messing with your best-laid plans. Even if you win regularly, you can try to challenge yourself further by seeing how many cards you have left over at the end—and there is a score chart to help you determine how well you did. How does it play solo? Assembly has both a solo mode and a two-player co-op mode. Solo works very smoothly—you just draw a card, play a card, and reshuffle or manage malfunctions as needed.  All laid out. Overall Thoughts
I have mixed feelings about Assembly. I'll start by saying that there are definitely a lot of things to appreciate about it. The gameplay is very smooth, the puzzle is fun to complete, and it's a quick game with a small footprint. I genuinely enjoyed my plays of Assembly, and I would absolutely try another game from the same designers. Janice and Stu Turner have worked together to form Wren Games, and I think that Assembly is a very good early outing from a small, independent publisher. I also feel, however, that Assembly is a little too easy. Once you get used to the basics of solving the puzzle, you will generally win the game unless you get incredibly unlucky. That means that after enthusiastic initial plays, I burned out on the game too quickly. I also found that while you can challenge yourself to reach higher performance levels in the game, your high score will ultimately depend more on luck of the draw than on your skill in the game. A lot of the more difficult in-game achievements depend on a lucky draw or shuffle—something that I didn't find satisfying. I do suspect that Assembly shines brightest as a two-player cooperative game, rather than as a solo puzzle. The co-op version of this game has some interesting communication restrictions that I think might really give the game some teeth. Do I recommend it? If you want a small, quick puzzler from an independent design team, then maybe. Especially if you plan to play the game solo and co-op. Assembly is truly snappy and fun. But it's not one for the ages. Overall Rating: 3 stars 5 stars — I love it! 4 stars — I really like it. 3 stars — I like it. 2 stars — It's okay. 1 star — Meh.
0 Comments
 Full disclosure: I received a review copy of Rurik: Dawn of Kiev from Piecekeeper Games. What is this game about? Rurik: Dawn of Kiev is an area control game set in Kievan Rus, an area you and your fellow players all seek to rule. Your goal is to earn points in the game and bolster your claim to the throne, something you can achieve by controlling multiple areas with your soldiers, building across regions, and collecting large amounts of goods. The heart of Rurik: Dawn of Kiev is without a doubt its "auction programming" mechanic. In this game, actions are taken in a specific order, and players may carry out more or less powerful versions of the same action. That is because players bid to take actions by placing their advisors on the auction/action board. Advisors are labeled 1–5, and you'll need both high- and low-value helpers to advance your cause in Kievan Rus. A 5-level advisor is more likely to sit at the top of a turn track, ousting other players and allowing you to take the most potent version of an in-game action. However, lower-value advisors get to act first, meaning that you can sneak in and beat someone else to the punch—plus, you can use coins as bribes to give even the lowliest advisor a significant amount of clout. Scrambling with other players to carry out specific actions on the board is one of the most exciting and frustrating aspects of Rurik: Dawn of Kiev. How does it play solo? Real thought went into the solo mode of Rurik: Dawn of Kiev. In a solo game, you play against Sviatopolk, who is leading a rebellion in the area and who will do his best to give you a run for your money. There are four difficulty levels, which means you can ramp up to a higher level of challenge. The game also comes with an AI deck that allows you to place Sviatopolk's advisors according to his shifting priorities, which change from round to round depending on how he is doing against you.  There is a lot to be said for Rurik's table presence! Overall Thoughts
Rurik: Dawn of Kiev is a solid game overall. The auction programming aspect of it is unique and adds some drama to the proceedings, especially in multiplayer. I appreciate that the game's solo mode does a good job of mimicking the surprise, frustration, and tension of placing advisors on the action track, and that while the AI cannot act as intentionally as a human, most of what Sviatopolk does in a solo game at least makes sense according to his priorities of the moment. However, I am also not convinced that Rurik: Dawn of Kiev is a keeper, particularly for solo. It's a solid game, but it hasn't made much of a lasting impression on me—aside from the auction programming, the game feels fairly generic, and the awesome theme (paired with awesome art) doesn't come through in the gameplay. And while much of the solo game works well, the rebellion's attack and movement actions are a little clunky. Movement, especially, is odd, in that the way your AI opponent moves troops actually changes according to his priority. I found myself checking the rulebook more often than I'd prefer. Do I recommend it? In the end, while Rurik: Dawn of Kiev is a solid game, I would not purchase it specifically for solo play. There are wilier and less cumbersome AI opponents out there. That said, it's a solid experience, so if you are super in love with the theme or particularly into area control games, you might enjoy it. Overall Rating: 3 stars 5 stars — I love it! 4 stars — I really like it. 3 stars — I like it. 2 stars — It's okay. 1 star — Meh.  Hey there solo gamers! Kickstarter has a lot going on right now—and I mean a lot. Let's at least talk about a few of its offerings! These projects are ending fairly soon: They also have one other thing in common—they are all projects that I am personally backing with my own money. 1. Everdell: Spirecrest & Bellfaire I think it's finally time for me to go in on Everdell. Worker placement, tableau building, and adorable creatures that remind me of Redwall make a potent combination. I considered it during original campaign, I considered it during the Pearlbrook campaign... and now I'm ready. The game has proven staying power, as well as a deeply discounted "all-in" pledge. Spirecrest will allow for further exploration of the world of Everdell, while Bellefaire centers on a celebration put on by all of the woodland creatures in the game. If you want some Everdell expansions, or are like me and ready to hop in, the campaign ends on October 3.  2. Detective: City of Angels and New Expansion I backed this project on Day 1, and I am genuinely excited about it. I have truly enjoyed the Detective: City of Angels base game, and I want more! I have had fun playing Detective both solo and with my game group, and if you are into detective games, I definitely recommend it. Also, it's a KS exclusive game, so waiting for retail is risky at best. The campaign ends on October 8.  3. Upstairs, Downstairs: An Obsession Expansion
I did not back Obsession the first time around, but I did end up with a review copy—and it ended up being one of my surprise hits of the year! I like Obsession so much that not only am I backing the expansion, but I'm paying for the reprint with my own money. I am looking forward to sipping tea with an even fancier version of this game. The campaign ends on October 15.  What is this game about? Detective: City of Angels is a detective game set in Los Angeles in the 1940s—think L.A. Noire, the board game. You and your fellow detectives, if you choose to play with them, will solve several crimes that take place throughout the city, using a very cool game system to gather evidence and interrogate witnesses. While the first couple of cases are easy to solve, they quickly get more challenging and will give you a real thrill. There are several ways to play Detective: City of Angels. The "default" mode is competitive, in which several players are able to temporarily hoard evidence, bribe each other to see those hidden cards, and listen in on private conversations with witnesses. They also take kickbacks from mobsters in order to pay more bribes. Whoever solves the case first wins, even if they have to play a little dirty to get there! To play this version of the game, you'll also need a player called the "Chisel," who is basically the GM. The Chisel will win the game if all of the detectives lose, so it is in the Chisel's best interests to misdirect the detectives as cleverly as possible. That's right—in this detective game, your suspects can lie. Each suspect could give multiple answers to a question, some of which are more useful than others. It's up to the detective to decide whether to challenge the Chisel about a response. If the detective is successful, they gain "leverage" over the suspect and can force the truth out of him or her the next time they ask a question. If they challenge and are wrong, then the Chisel gains leverage and can prevent the detective from gaining valuable intel at some point in the future. It is also possible to play the game cooperatively, either against the Chisel or against a gamebook that simulates the Chisel. When you ask questions or search locations, you will be directed to numbered passages in the gamebook that match the search and response cards you would use in the multiplayer mode. As in the competitive game, you will receive sometimes-dubious responses from your suspects, and you'll have to decide whether to challenge. Challenge incorrectly, however, and you'll end up taking on stress tokens, which can shorten the amount of time you have to solve a case. How does it play solo? To play a solo game of Detective: City of Angels, you just play against the Sleuth Book, which contains the same information you would find on the search or chisel cards in the multiplayer game. You are directed to numbered paragraphs by a player grid, and you will still have the option to challenge a suspect's response to you. Instead of managing leverage tokens, the solo player must manage their detective's stress levels while they attempt to solve the case in time.  Once you've played several cases, you'll feel like you truly know this town. Overall Thoughts
Detective: City of Angels is truly something special. I love detective games in general, but this one might be my favorite yet (although I will always be a huge fan of Sherlock Holmes: Consulting Detective). The cases come together beautifully, and the puzzles are intriguing and infuriating. The noir setting really comes through in the dialogue, in the flavor text, in the game components, and even in the really fun glossary of period-appropriate terms that is included with the game. In terms of both style and substance, Detective: City of Angels wants for nothing. The real question is one of how you want to play the game. The game works very well in solo mode, and I really enjoyed solving cases by myself. I have played most of the cases this way. But I'd be lying if I said that was the best player experience possible. I think the best role to play when you break out Detective: City of Angels is the role of detective in the competitive mode. The added difficulty and hilarity of racing for evidence, trying to see everything first, and choosing when to pay bribes gives the game an extra edge that you just can't get any other way. The good-natured bickering that results from racing your friends to solve a mystery makes game night extra wonderful. My issue with competitive mode is the role of Chisel. While technically the Chisel should be trying to win by throwing detectives off the trail, I have found that I enjoy the role most when I treat it like being the GM of a role playing game—the kind of GM who is hostile to all, but who ultimately wants the players to have a good time. By keeping the game fun for the players, and trying to make sure that no one detective gets too much edge on the others, you can make Detective: City of Angels a truly magical experience for the people who are playing it. By letting it be not all about me, I've had some really good gaming experiences with people who love games but don't necessarily identify as "board gamers," and to me, that is dynamite. I also don't recommend holding the players too tightly to the time restrictions of the game. That is, even if they run out of time and the Chisel "wins," it's a good idea to let everyone keep playing until the mystery is solved—that way everyone winds up satisfied. I know it's not in the rules, but I am always going to do what makes the players happy. I also do this in solo—if I don't solve the mystery "in time," I acknowledge that, but still let myself see the case through. My primary experience of this game is of solving the cases on my own, then acting as the chisel for other players. This has been a very satisfying way to play, and I have a great love for Detective: City of Angels. The new expansion on Kickstarter right now is an instaback for me. But I also wish that I could be a regular old detective more, with someone chiseling for me. Because wow, that is fun. Do I recommend it? Absolutely. However you choose to play this game, it is truly excellent. I rarely see a game that is so immersive and well constructed. Just know that there is a limited number of cases, and you'll have to make choices about how to experience them. Overall Rating: 4.5 stars Rating Scale: 5 stars — I love it! 4 stars — I really like it. 3 stars — I like it. 2 stars — It's okay. 1 star — Meh.  Full disclosure: Blacklist Games sent me a review copy of Brook City. What is this game about? Brook City is, at its heart, a buddy cop movie turned into a board game. If you've ever wanted to commandeer cool cars, zip around the city, and bust stylish yet troublesome criminals, then this theme may appeal to you. Brook City is designed by Adam and Brady Sadler, and it once again makes use of their Modular Deck System, which also appears in Street Masters and in their upcoming Altar Quest. What this boils down to is that each player will choose a cop deck with its own unique cards. They will also choose a criminal deck, and their battles with that criminal will take place against the backdrop of a case deck, which represents a larger crime you need to solve. (In case you were wondering, yes, this game also shares a lot of DNA with an all-time favorite of mine, Sentinels of the Multiverse.) Solving crimes in Brook City is an abstract process—you'll be following up on leads, gathering clue tokens, and rolling dice to make "progress" against certain criminals until you are able to "bust" them. As in other games designed by the Sadler Brothers, the dice aren't always with you, but they are never totally against you, either. If you don't get successes or critical successes, you'll at least get "hunches." If you already have hunch tokens from a previous roll, any hunch result can be converted to a success. And if you don't, you'll receive hunch tokens that will help you out on future die rolls. Unlike in Street Masters, which had a fairly compact arena to fight in, Brook City takes place across a sprawling city map that you'll have to traverse, mostly using one of the game's many vehicles. While you're working on your cases, the criminals will be working to amass influence in Brook City. If the criminal you're trying to bring down in a given game ever gains enough influence, then you'll lose the game. You can also lose by letting your cops take on too much stress—reach your stress threshold, and you'll be fired and all of the cops will lose the game. Most of your decisions when it comes to dealing with criminals involve making the unpleasant choice of allowing your enemies to gain influence or taking on more stress that you really don't need. You'll need to make the right choices if you want to bring the crime lords of Brook City to justice!  I'll let you guess which criminal amused me most. How does it play solo? Brook City is a cooperative game, and it is no problem to solo the game with a single cop or with two. I recommend playing with two cops so that you can make the most of interactive card abilities, but I do not recommend playing with more than two—like other games that use the MDS, there are a LOT of cards to deal with, and that means a lot to keep track of. Overall Thoughts I have never seen a bad game from the Sadler Brothers, and Brook City is no different in this regard. It's definitely an enjoyable game, especially if you love the cop theme. The different cop decks really do make you feel like you're playing different characters, and each one suggests a new approach to gameplay and provides you with interesting strategies to try. Each cop has a different approach to their work (cautious, normal, or reckless) and the cards you can play from their decks thematically match who they are as police officers. I think the game really shines in this respect. The game also forces you to make some interesting choices—will you choose to manage small-but-vexing criminals, or go after a clue? You won't be able to do everything, and you'll have to choose which in-game goals to pursue and which to let go.  The vehicle minis are nice, too. Brook City also has some delightful gameplay elements. The need to plan your movements intelligently really adds something to the game. Learning how to manage your vehicles—and knowing when to ditch them—is a major strategic aspect of Brook City, and I really enjoyed it. (Also, getting a cool car is never a bad thing in a board game!) I also love the way that die rolls work, in that even a "bad" roll can be turned to your advantage, either immediately or on a future turn.
I also have to say, however, that Brook City is my least favorite MDS game to be released so far. It doesn't have the visceral feistiness of Street Masters or the epic vibe of Altar Quest. (I've only demoed AQ, but I have high hopes.) Part of my feelings on this matter may come from the fact that I don't normally gravitate to cop themes. I am also not totally convinced that Brook City nailed its theme this time, for two main reasons. First, the game can run a little bit long—it doesn't quite have the snap and drama of Street Masters, and I can often see the end of the game coming long before it actually arrives. This is especially true if things aren't going smoothly for the cops. It's still possible for you to win after taking your lumps, but it will definitely take longer for you to do so. Second, while the cops feel varied and compelling, the criminals are fairly static. And while this does cut down on their upkeep, it also cuts down on their personalities. I also don't feel that the criminal and case decks always go together well—part of me wants to feel like the big criminal is the one I'll bust for the big crime, and the game doesn't always feel that way. If you're looking to make good choices about cops, criminals, and case decks, however, BGG is there to rescue you. This thread breaking down all of the different available decks was a total godsend! Seriously, click through and give that contributor some Geek Gold. All in all, Brook City is a fun game and I enjoy playing it. The tactical choices it forces you to make are interesting, the cop decks are a ton of fun, and while the game doesn't always pace perfectly, even the longer games are still a good time. There are also plenty of expansions to spice things up, so it will keep you entertained for a while. Do I recommend it? If you love the Modular Deck System, buddy cop themes, or cooperative adventures, then yes. Brook City is definitely a fun game. It's just not my favorite of its kind. (I also think there are some people who will think it is the best MDS game—definitely watch a playthrough or two if you think this might be you.) Overall Rating: 3.5 stars 5 stars — I love it! 4 stars — I really like it. 3 stars — I like it. 2 stars — It's okay. 1 star — Meh.  Image from BGG page. It's been a while since I have done one of these, and at the moment, Kickstarter is jam packed with potentially interesting solo games to back. Let's have a look at some! 1. Yedo Deluxe Master Set Yedo originally came out in 2012, but is now receiving the deluxe treatment with new art, updated rules, and fresh content to enjoy. It's a worker placement game set in 16th century Japan, and has several interesting elements. Each round, players will bid for various in-game benefits, then send their disciples into town while helping them to escape city watchmen. Different types of missions will push you to tweak your gameplay, and there are modules in the Deluxe Master Set to help you customize your games by adding in missions with particular goal types. The length of the game can also vary, and players are able to choose a fixed number of turns before the game begins. Overall, Yedo looks like a strategically interesting game to play. It's also going to be difficult to get ahold of outside of the Kickstarter campaign, so if it sounds like your sort of thing, take a look before September 20.  Image from BGG page. 2. Squire for Hire Squire for Hire is a microgame by independent designer Jon Merchant. In only 18 cards, it manages to be a tile laying game, but also a game about managing a knight's inventory. Your job is to get as much good loot into your bag as possible, while also sifting out as much junk as you can. The theme is quirky, the art is cute (you play as an adorable animal squire), and at $10 plus shipping, the price is right if you are interested in small, portable, soloable board games. You can also try out an earlier version of the game as a free PnP to see if it's for you. If you're interested, check out the campaign before it ends on September 30.  Image taken from KS. 3. Aeon Trespass: Odyssey
Aeon Trespass is a self-described "epic" game that is fully cooperative and that combines several elements taken from different video and board games. The game offers a long campaign, fancy miniatures, and a written narrative to go along with gameplay. I'm definitely curious—I love story-driven campaigns—but the core pledge is $129, and while the game promises a lot of story, I'm not seeing any really good story teasers. That said, if you are just on the market for another campaign game with miniatures, then Aeon Trespass may be worth a look.  Full Disclosure: Wehrlegig provided me with a review copy of Pax Pamir. What is this game about? Pax Pamir is a game about The Great Game. Britain and Russia spent a hefty chunk of the 1800s vying for political influence in Afghanistan. In Pax Pamir, you represent a powerful family in Afghanistan that is trying to make the best of a tough situation and whose loyalties may lie with Britain, Russia, or Afghanistan itself—or even all three at different points throughout the game. Pax Pamir is not an easy game, but its victory condition is very straightforward. All you have to do is win the most points, either by the end of the game, or sooner if you can open up a commanding lead of 4+ points. Points are only earned in two ways. The first is to be allied with the winning faction (Britain, Russia, or Afghanistan) in a dominance check. If multiple players have thrown their lots in with a dominant faction, then they dole out points according to how much influence each of them has with their empire of choice. The second way is to have the most personal power in the country. If there is a failed dominance check—i.e. no faction is dominant—then points are given out based on which player has the most influence on the map, as represented by tribes, spies, and gifts given to imperial patrons. Within those simple victory terms, however, there is a lot going on in a game of Pax Pamir. You only get two actions per turn, but deciding how to spend them is not easy. All of your actions are based on the cards that you purchase and place throughout the game. But which cards will you play? Which will you keep in your hand? Each card does something different, whether it is let you place roads and armies on the map for your chosen empire, collect taxes (money is tight in this game), place spies, use your spies to murder other people's cards, put your own tribal units out on the map, or move pieces that you've already placed. The result is an intense experience that is different every single time you play.  The production values for this game are off the charts. How does it play solo?
Pax Pamir is a highly interactive game, but Ricky Royal has provided us with Wakhan—an aggressive AI opponent who will give you a serious run for your money. Wakhan represents not a rival family, but a political/religious movement that is spreading through Afghanistan independently of government powers—and that has "pragmatic loyalty" to all three empires in the region. Wakhan is controlled by a small but highly efficient deck of cards that will list possible actions for Wakhan, which the player will take for her according to Wakhan's abilities at the moment (she does have to pay for things) and according to her priorities, which are clearly spelled out. Although getting used to Wakhan can take a couple of plays, once you know how to play her turns, she is an efficient AI opponent to manage and a challenging one to defeat. Wakhan can also be added as a third player in two player games, if that is your sort of thing! Overall Thoughts Wakhan is a worthy and highly enjoyable opponent to spar with. It is no mean feat to take her down, and I love a relatively streamlined AI opponent who is also tough to beat. To play well against Wakhan, you will absolutely have to leverage everything you know about how to play the game, and you'll find that you are really pushing yourself to wring the most benefit out of every single action you take. That is everything I want in a solo mode. My only quibble with Wakhan is that while usually she is almost unnaturally good at making the most annoying move possible, there are moments where she behaves erratically and not entirely in her best interests. I should also say that Pax Pamir is a tremendous game both in and out of solo mode. The production values are absolutely stunning, to the point where Pax Pamir's aesthetic value actually gives a boost to your gameplay. But most importantly, the game is easy to learn, but very difficult to master. There is so much subtlety to the choices you make, and so much strategic depth, that I can see myself coming back to this one again and again in my attempts to truly get good at it. (And despite many plays, I don't feel like I am a "good" player.) In my opinion, Pax Pamir represents a notable achievement in gaming, in that it is highly replayable not just because of the variety of its cards, but because there are so many possible ways for a game to unfold. There just aren't many games out there that make me want to practice and improve my play. But Pax Pamir is one of them, and it's fabulous. Do I recommend it? Yes. Heck yes. Just know that you're getting into a surprisingly heavy experience, and plan for your first game to truly be a learning game. Overall Rating: 4.5 stars Rating Scale: 5 stars — I love it! 4 stars — I really like it. 3 stars — I like it. 2 stars — It's okay. 1 star — Meh.  What is this game about? Donning the Purple is set in the Roman Empire after the assassination of the emperor Commodus, at a time when the Empire was in turmoil. In a three-player game (the primary intended player count for Donning the Purple), players end up playing each of three roles at various points during play—senator, heir to the throne, and Emperor. The multiplayer game is semi-cooperative, as players are forced to deal with the challenges of maintaining an empire, and especially of keeping those pesky barbarians at bay. Meanwhile, the Roman people must be fed, buildings in the provinces must be constructed and protected, and plots must be carried out against your enemies. At the end, the player who has the most victory points will be the winner. Each turn, players will handle several bookkeeping tasks, including determining where enemies will spawn, collecting grain from the provinces, and managing event cards—all of which are negative. Players will also have to keep track of their stamina tokens, because when you run out, you die. (Don't worry, your role is just taken over by another member of your family—unless you're the emperor, in which case players will vie for the throne.) How does it play solo? In the solo game of Donning the Purple, one player takes on the role of Emperor and attempts to remain in charge of the Empire for the duration of the game. The senate will automatically score points against you and attempt to assassinate you every turn, while you deal with enemy invasions, natural disasters, and financial woes. You only win the game if you survive the entire time, plus end up with the most victory points. Don't worry though—as long as you have an heir in place, dying isn't so bad. Your family retains power in the Empire, and you get a fresh start at the cost of a single victory point. If you haven't secured an heir, however, it's game over, so watch out for that family line!  Don't bother to expect good news during the game's turn. Overall Thoughts
Donning the Purple is a mixed bag, and it isn't at its best in the solo mode. There are definitely a lot of things to like about it—the game is beautiful, and the actions you're able to take are interesting, especially when there is so much you could do but so little time to do it in. You have to decide what your priorities are, and there are a lot of potential options when you can fight enemies, build monuments, construct aqueducts to stave off famine, bribe senators, and make assassination attempts. Each action feels meaningful and is fun to perform, which makes those in-game choices enjoyable. I also very much like the combat system, in which victory is strictly determined by who has the bigger army. Combat also offers a chance to roll "glory dice," which is a crucial way to make money, especially in the early game. Plus, when you get the right Plot cards, which let you take special actions in the game, they can be very fun to play. That said, while I enjoyed the time I spent taking actions in the game, I never felt like I had enough of them. And not in the "oh, too many choices!" kind of way. I felt like I didn't have enough actions because I spent a ton of time running various steps for the game, and nowhere near enough doing interesting things myself. Every turn, you draw five event cards, which can be devastating, but that also means that the game is taking far more actions than you are. It's a little tedious to spend most of my time each turn doing bookkeeping and giving myself a hard time, then finish my own actions in a snap. On top of that, while the solo mode definitely gives you the feeling of putting out fires throughout the Roman Empire (though I have many historical quibbles), it does not give you the delicious sensation of backstabbing and trying to avoid being backstabbed that is the heart of the multiplayer game. This is perhaps to be expected, but I also believe that the lack of knives in the dark makes the game less interesting, and therefore its bookkeeping more tedious. I think that solo mode loses some of the spirit of Donning the Purple, and while it can definitely be challenging, it's not entirely satisfying. Do I recommend it? As annoying as it is to say this... maybe. I personally will not be keeping my copy of Donning the Purple, but I did enjoy several aspects of the game. I can see some people looking past the upkeep imbalance and loving it. Definitely try it before you buy it, or at least watch several playthroughs. Overall Rating: 3 stars 5 stars —I love it! 4 stars — I really like it. 3 stars — I like it. 2 stars — It's okay. 1 star — Meh.  Full Disclosure: A demo copy of Orchard was provided to me by Sideroom Games, then sent on to another previewer. What is Orchard about? Orchard is a small box puzzle game designed by Mark Tuck. With only nine cards and some colorful dice, players will work to build the most bountiful orchard. Each turn, you will choose where to lay down a new card in the orchard, with the goal of overlapping several fruit trees of the same type. The more trees you overlap, the better your harvest. But be careful: You can't just go piling up trees of different types. In fact, you can only do this twice, using one of the two "rotten fruit" cubes—and it will lose you three points each time you do. Orchard is a lightning fast game that is finished in under ten minutes. It's designed for solo play, and seems like it would be best that way. Technically, it's possible to play multiplayer if you have multiple sets. Things I like about Orchard Orchard is exactly the sort of game I like to have on the go. It's easy to set up, plays super quickly, and is a snap to reset and play again. The rules are very simple, but you'll get a lot of play out of it, and you have just enough interesting choices to make you want to play a few times in a row every time you pull it out. This is exactly the sort of light, charming solo game I'm looking for when I'm on the go and don't want to burn my brain out on something like Sprawlopolis. Possible Concerns about Orchard I have only one complaint about Orchard: It's a little difficult to deal with the dice. When you are tracking your score, you put dice on top of overlapped trees and change their values. This means that if you make a big play with multiple overlapping trees, you have to remove multiple dice, then put them back. The game is so small—only nine cards are involved—that it's possible to work around this. But it is definitely a possible annoyance. Should I back it? I'm personally very charmed by Orchard and want a copy of my own. It's worth looking into if you want a super quick solo puzzle that is easy to transport. Playthrough:  What is this game about? A4 Quest is a PnP, and now print, game that lives up to its name—it's a quick, dice-driven dungeon crawl that can be printed on a couple of A4 sheets of paper. As with most dungeon crawls, you will get to choose a character with their own specialized stats, and the options are what you'd expect from a game with a fantasy/medieval theme: a knight, an archer, a paladin, and a mage. You can also get fun companions with special abilities, such as a dog or a hawk. (Or... you know... a chicken.) While each adventure in A4 Quest is printed on its own sheet and has its own little rule tweaks, the essence of the game remains the same from play to play. Each quest will have several panels that you progress through in a fixed order, from left to right. (If you PnP the game, you can also cut up the panels and deal them in a random order.) You will then choose a character, put down markers for your starting stats, and roll a pool of four dice. These dice will allow you to take one action in each room/panel, such as hunting or gathering treasure. Sometimes you'll have to choose between multiple actions, but whatever you do, your actions will succeed or fail depending on the value of the die you choose to complete it. You'll also need dice to pay movement costs at certain points in the game, as well as to fight against monsters (you can't avoid conflict, so save those high-value dice when a fight is coming up!). To refresh your dice pool, you'll need to take rest actions, which cost you food. This means you'll also need to keep an eye on your resources. Throughout the game you can gain experience that will allow you to level up and improve your attack or defense stats, so you get stronger as you progress down the page. While sometimes your luck is against you and you don't make it all the way through an adventure, other times you can finish the game with a much-improved character, and some treasure to boot! How does it play solo? The box says 1–2 players, but A4 Quest is definitely a solo game—just pick a character, grab an adventure page, and go to town.  There is no disputing that the companion beagle is adorable. (Image from the PnP files on BGG) Overall Thoughts
There are a lot of good things to appreciate about A4 Quest. It's quick, easy to set up, easy to learn, and visually appealing. If you don't want to get the print version, it's a PnP, so if you're looking for a free game to while away an afternoon, then you will probably have a good time. A lot of work went into the arst for this game, even in its PnP form, and it's clear that it's been produced with a lot of love. Also, while A4 Quest is a dice game, there is some degree of choice involved. While you can't control the die values you will roll, you do get to decide how best to deploy your dice as you go, and some decisions are better than others. I enjoyed playing A4 Quest. That said, I don't think that A4 Quest is great. It's fine, but ultimately forgettable. The decisions you make in the game aren't particularly challenging ones, especially once you know what you're doing. If you're good at counting ahead, then it doesn't hold its mystery for long. On top of that, too many bad rolls can totally tank you, with little opportunity to mitigate. That said, I'd be interested to see how this game would feel if it had a campaign, or higher stakes than just making it to the bottom of a page. There is no story to speak of in A4 Quest, so you don't get particularly attached to any of the characters or scenarios. Would it be a more intense game when played with a character I cared about? Do I recommend it? Maybe. A4 Quest isn't one of the greats, but it's pleasant—and if you PnP it, then it's free. If you're looking into PnP games and you want one that you can truly just print and play (no cutting involved), then you might enjoy trying this one. Overall Rating: 3 stars Rating Scale: 5 stars — I love it! 4 stars — I really like it. 3 stars — I like it. 2 stars — It's okay. 1 star — Meh. |
AuthorMy name is Liz Davidson, and I play solo board games. A lot of solo board games... Archives
January 2020
Categories
All
|
RSS Feed