Beyond Solitaire
  • Home
  • Blog
  • Solo Reviews
  • Podcast
  • Solo Gaming Links

Solo Review — Friday

2/19/2018

3 Comments

 
Picture
PictureStory of my life, dude.
What is this game about? 

Friday is the first game I talked about on this blog back in 2016. In it, you are Friday, and Robinson Crusoe has washed up on your island. Also, he is a complete idiot. To get him into fighting shape—and back home—you need to train him. 

Robinson's training is a brutal trial by fire in the heart of the jungle, after which he must battle two vicious pirates before he can leave the island. Friday offers a fun (if nasty) twist on the deck building mechanic, because it's almost impossible to get rid of all of your bad cards, and even one can completely scupper your plans. 

​Robinson starts with a pathetic deck of cards that often lead to his defeat. His tendency to get his butt kicked causes him to lose life points, but also allows him to burn bad cards. 
Enemy cards, if defeated, become cards in Robinson's deck that represent the experience he has gained under your tutelage. His first successful fights allow Robinson to acquire beneficial cards with special abilities that help him as the difficulty level rises. But don't trust Robinson to end up in perfect fighting shape—every time you cycle through your deck, Robinson ages and acquires another really terrible card. 

How does it play solo? 

Friday is a solitaire game and made explicitly with the solo player in mind. In fact, it is one of the solo games first recommended to players who become interested in our branch of the hobby. And you know what? Despite the incredible array of games available to solo players these days, I still think Friday is a great place to start. 

Overall Thoughts

Friday can be a frustrating game. Even on "easier" difficulty levels, the game is punishing, and the addition or subtraction of even one aging card can make a huge difference. That level of fine tuning is impressive in a game, and I still appreciate it. 

I wouldn't necessarily say that Friday is one of my all-time favorite games at this point—I tend to prefer fantasy themes, and there are a lot of deck builders out there that excite me. But it's a classic, and I still pull it out from time to time. It has a permanent place in my collection. 

Do I recommend it? 

Yes. Friday remains one of those games that every solo gamer should at least try. Its small size, low price point, and easy-to-learn rules make it a small investment with a potentially large payoff. 

Overall Rating: 4 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.




3 Comments
william kohler
5/7/2019 07:35:10 pm

Hi 😊
You wrote "Friday remains one of those games that every solo gamer should at least try"

Do you have ever made such a list ? A list of games that solo gamers should at least try.

Thanks for your web site.. pretty neat.
William (from France)

Reply
Liz Davidson link
5/8/2019 05:10:00 pm

I haven't, but I will keep it in mind! Thanks for reading. :)

Reply
Allan Keller
10/11/2019 11:00:23 am

I own a copy of Friday and enjoy playing it, but I find that I sometimes make mistakes with life points or forgetting which level (green, yellow, red) I'm on, etc. - which make me have to start my game over. As well, sometimes shuffling decks of only a few cards is a pain.

I bought the mobile version of the game and love it - no more shuffling, no more procedural mistakes, and a better understanding of the rules (ex: you can 'copy' the 'phase-1' card to turn the red level to the green level). It also has achievements that are fun to... well... achieve. and a bi-weekly multi-player on-line competition called 'King of the Island'.

Definitely worth the price of the app.

Oh, and the 'no more shuffling' aspect is also invaluable in the mobile version of Onirim.

Allan

Reply



Leave a Reply.

    Author

    My name is Liz Davidson, and I play solo board games. A lot of solo board games...
    ​
    YouTube:
    Beyond Solitaire
    Twitter:
    @beyondsolitaire
    Instagram: 
    @beyondsolitaire
    Facebook: 
    @beyondsolitaire

    Archives

    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    January 2016

    Categories

    All
    Apps
    Books
    Commentary
    Conventions
    Education
    Fun
    Game Accessories
    Kickstarter
    Movies
    Podcasts
    Reviews
    Video Games
    YouTube

    RSS Feed

Proudly powered by Weebly
  • Home
  • Blog
  • Solo Reviews
  • Podcast
  • Solo Gaming Links