Publisher: Stonemaier Games
Player Count: 1-6 Players
Game Length: 2-3 Hours
Complexity 2.25/5

In this narrative-driven, open-world, exploration game, players must navigate the terrain of a distant planet, choosing their own path, meeting strangers, gathering resources, gaining companions, surviving the elements and exploring the great and the small of these mysterious surrounding.

Vantage isn’t your typical structure-based, strategy game. While there are mechanics and turns, it certainly doesn’t serve up the gameplay as the main course. This is an experience where the story is the game and developing it within the very loose structure is where the appeal will lie.

While some might be quick to write this off as another “Choose Your Own Adventure”, it couldn’t be further from the truth. When it comes to world-building in the board game space, Vantage brings a richness and complexity that is entirely unparalleled. It takes you down the rabbit hole and then lets you choose between 6 additional rabbit holes… and 6 more rabbit holes and 6 more rabbit holes after that until you’re completely emersed and at the mercy of your choices.

It’s part RPG, as you’ll equip your character with items you may not know the use for yet, companions who may only serve your benefit briefly or goals you’re not quite sure how to accomplish. These resources not only benefit you for their face-value, but serve as sources of experience and knowledge to help grow and expand your character to satisfy greater and more risky challenges ahead.

This isn’t a campaign, but a series of 2–3-hour adventures that begin in a unique way and playout differently every time. Strangely, despite all these lauded aspects, I personally haven’t run across a game this divisive to the extreme in a while. So, my hope with this review is to showcase the structure of the game, the experiential mindset and construct some expectations to help you determine if Vantage is for you.

ON YOUR TURN

Players have 3 primary areas to consider: The player board which tracks your 3 attributes (health, time & morale), your card grid which displays your character and carry-a-longs and your location card.

Throughout the game, you’ll travel across multiple location cards. Each card features an intentionally illustrated look at that location and a series of 6 actions available. These actions, while expressed differently depending on the card’s context, are rooted in 6 basic game actions: Movement, Look, Engage, Help, Take or Overpower. Your character starts the game specializing in one of these categories, but you have the power to continue on that trek or mold your character as you see fix. Just because you’re one more likely to Engage doesn’t mean you can’t Overpower (fight, etc.) or Help.

You can only choose one action per card per game placing more emphasis on each choice. This means rejecting 5 options, their benefit and their storylines in exchange for the choice that best suits you in a particular moment in time.

Actions are always successful, but like choices in life, always deliver consequences. Once you choose an action, you’re directed to roll a specific number of challenge dice. These challenge dice reflect the action’s investment and effect it has on you personally. Did it wear on your morale, affect your health or take too much time? These are the survival pillars of the game and ultimately exhausting one ends your adventure.

Fortunately, travel and choices breed resources and experience in the form of cards that strengthen your ability to absorb these challenges over time. Gaining a weapon might allow you to place a die when you choose an Overpower action. Gaining a companion might help absorb specific die rolls when you’re in a certain terrain. In a sense, your player grid is an evolving tableau that can potentially pattern your player to better accomplish certain types of actions. Additionally, some cards can be upgraded to more power advantages.

As you choose these actions, you’ll be prompted with a story blurb describing the outcome of your choice. This wildly varies and I’d hate to ruin any surprises, but the outcome could be as simple as gaining credits, a new resource card, whisking you away to a new location or opening a door to a new challenge.

Vantage is very loosely structured, but each game will give you a mission objective as well as possible Destiny and Epic victory conditions. How and if these conditions can be met will be up to you. Vantage is very clear that success in the game is first and foremost dependent on how you define it.

This is only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to your possible experience. There are so many different things that pop up throughout the game that might serve as a side-mission or viable distraction giving you loads of freedom to see this one through as you see fit.

WHY VANTAGE IS FOR YOU?

Vantage is your scene if you love the idea of an open world with minimal constraints and structure. Are you ok with “wandering” just to get a look at what’s over the horizon? Do you enjoy the idea of not just exploring the landscape, but the items you discover and series of side quests that can be embraced without the promise of a resolution? It’s all in the spirit of discovery.

Again, this is a game where the narrative takes center stage. You’re not quite along for the ride as you have plenty to do and lots of choices to makes, but the story is the game. There isn’t anything guaranteed and the satisfaction of the game comes in the unknown and being able to interact based on past decisions or just on plain impulse. It’s a bit of a survival game, but the tone is hopeful and almost joyful. There’s a brightness (even in the darker recesses of the planet) that feels almost leisurely and stress free.

WHY VANTAGE ISN’T FOR YOU?

It probably goes without saying at this point, but If you’re hoping for a strategy game with tight parameters or standard board game mechanics, you’re probably going to be disappointed. Not to say there isn’t strategy, resource management, set collection, optimizing or calculated choices involved, but they’re baked deep inside the cake and often won’t let you control them like you would in a standard board game.

It’s difficult to optimize Vantage, especially given that you’ll want to make choices that go against the strengths of your character. The narrative can sometimes feel random and disjointed at points and that randomness can frustrate your personal objectives.

The last thing isn’t necessarily a hard no, but one to consider. The fantasy/sci-fi heavy theme could be a deal breaker for some. Are you inclined to read a fantasy/sci-fi novel? Because of the nature of the game, I can see this being a deal breaker for some.

MY PERSONAL TAKE AWAY

I love my structured, rules-y, optimization puzzles and Vantage is about a thousand miles in the other direction… but I went in with and open mind. Stonemaier has a fantastic track record and the boldness toward innovation–if anything–has to be respected.

This is one of the most innovative game experiences I’ve seen in a long time. It’s much more interactive than your typical Choose Your Own Adventure. It harkens back to the classic Sierra PC games where you arrive on the scene and interact, but it does so in a much more sophisticated way. It’s deeper and each play is so unique – but not a typical “shuffle-the-tiles”, “add-in-a-new-module” sort of way. In my mind it’s better defined as board game’s answer to video games such as Grand Theft Auto or Skyrim where it’s vastness takes on it’s own personality and can even feel overwhelming.

I’m reminded of a recent game called Mythwind that plays out like Animal Crossing with no decisive ending. You can literally play forever. Mythwind is a bit more gamified than Vantage, but the spirit of ingenuity and innovation is similar. I’m thankful that games like Vantage and Mythwind are attempting to push the boundaries of this space. They’re creating new ways to approach analog gaming and redefine what they’re potentially capable of.

My personal experience playing Vantage strangely had nothing to do with the system. I think the system is fantastic and immersive. It’s a monumental achievement and real work of art. For me, I wasn’t in love with the theme–it’s as simple as that. For the very same reason I love one movie and hate another or obsess over a book and dislike another. I love similar-themed board games, but again, I typically prefer board games where the mechanics are king and the theme can often hide. This is it’s own animal.

The events were often interesting, but circumstances surrounding those events and the characters just didn’t engage me. I understand this isn’t the type of game you can just reskin. Next, we’re getting Marvel Vantage or Cthulhu Vantage! Vantage is what the designer intended it to be. But for that reason, it’s probably not going to be something I take off the shelf too often. I don’t think the time investment is unreasonable, but the time investment combined with the heavily-narrative-driven theme doesn’t get me too excited.

That being said, the accessibility is crazy in relation to the game size. The ruleset is incredibly simple and you can learn, setup and start playing in a matter of minutes. It seems very family friendly and is super flexible at 1-6 players (though I wouldn’t play more 3 or 4 for time purposes). The biggest precept is that you will need to set aside 2-3 hours to play. But if you love the concept and think this is the type of game you’ll find engaging, that won’t be time wasted. Everyone I played with who loves this game (and there are far more than not) felt the time spent just flew by.

Whispering Woods
Publisher: Wonderbow Games
Player Count: 1-4 Players
Game Length: 25-40 Minutes
Complexity 2/5

In this crunchy, abstract, tile-laying game you’ll control the movements of spirit animals across the Whispering Woods in an effort to complete tasks, score points and preserve the forest’s peace and safety.

ON YOUR TURN

At its heart, Whispering Woods is a tile-laying game for players who love heavy planning. As you build your animal paths, you’re always considering the next move, next move after that and quite possibly 3 or 4 moves down the line. It can be very AP-inducing, but the game plays quickly and the payoff is very sweet when all the dominos fall in place.

On the surface, It’s not a complex puzzle. On your turn you draw 2 hex-shaped tiles from a community pool and place them adjacent to other tiles in your forest. Each tile is dual-sided. On one side, you have a color and on the other a pattern. Each player begins with a single animal in their forest and you’ll be tasked with building out patterns for your animal to travel. They can move freely across adjacent tiles as long as they don’t repeat any tiles they’ve already used.

Each pattern is worth a specific number of points equal to the difficulty of completing the pattern. So a 3-tile pattern task, while much easier to accomplish, is worth less than a 4 or 5.

You’ll have the option to choose a side of each tile you select and then place them in the forest. If you choose the pattern side, you bring another of your 4 spirit animals into the forest creating more opportunities to complete patterns in the future.

Once a pattern is complete, you remove that pattern tile for scoring and turn over the final tile of the previous pattern creating a new pattern to fulfill. This is where the game gets a bit more spicy. Players are rewarded for completing multiple patterns on a single turn, so stringing together multiple patterns that cascade together across this bee-hive inspired tile-forest requires a rich layer of planning. Add in multiple spirit animals and big-turns are just a few savvy moves away.

At first, it all seems very chaotic, but the game does a great job clearing showing each tile’s pattern on both sides of the tile. This really gives you an opportunity to look ahead and piece together your forest for maximum output. The game almost immediately slows down allowing you to plan and strategize.

Multi-turn scoring bonuses are limited and when a player completes a specific number of tasks the game ends potentially leaving you with that big turn just out of reach. In a strange way, it’s a bit of a race to the finish line.

ARTWORK & COMPONENTS

Whispering Woods features a very simple and earthy-production. The cardboard tiles are nice and thick and are stored in a giant, green drawstring bag. The wooden animal figures are simple yet well done. There isn’t a ton of artwork in the game, but it’s very ethereal and enchanting. The production as a whole doesn’t feel over-the-top, but very fitting for the style and theme of the game.

SOLO MODE

Whispering Woods features a campaign-style solo mode where you’re tasked with achieving certain animal and scoring goals all within a limited number of turns. I don’t love the solo mode as much as the base game since it doesn’t always reward the big, combo turns. But… It carries the essence of the game quite well and it plays like a breeze. I’ve found myself pulling this out for a late night solo game on many occasions.

PROS & CONS

I’m really enjoying this abstract puzzle and its rich, think-y nature

Despite the potential for AP, the games play very quickly

Whether you’re fulfilling single or multiple patterns tasks… it’s all very satisfying

Easy setup is a big plus for such a quick-playing game

The deeper planning element might be a hurdle for younger players, but the ruleset certainly isn’t. This could be a solid family game for the right group.

Like any tile-drafting game, the community pool might not have what you need when you need it. This may mean luck, while limited, could hi-jack your game at an inopportune time.

The theme is very loose and not very engaged

Probably not for players who struggle to plan multiple paths or dislike abstract games in general.

WHY WOULD YOU LIKE THIS GAME?

Players looking for a think-y, abstract game with a low-entry level and big-box style planning are going to be in heaven. Despite the simple ruleset, this is a rich game that requires you to be locked in. Again, while it’s simple enough for younger games, the real satisfaction kicks in when you’re able to see the fruit of your long-term plans.

WHAT IS THE BEST THING ABOUT THIS GAME?

Being able to plan and fulfill tasks feels big time. It’s a thrill when you are finally able to knock out that 2 or 3 pattern combo on a single turn.

FINAL THOUGHTS

Whispering Woods hits my wheelhouse on a number of levels. I really enjoy think-y pattern games and the planning and payoff are hugely satisfying. The gameplay and setup all come together quickly making this an attractive candidate for repeat plays.

Players that generally struggle with long-term planning or abstract games didn’t love it as much. I also got feedback that criticized the luck-factor. Yes, the game does have some luck, but you’re always pulling from a pool of 6 tiles and the pursuit or availability of some colors added to the game’s fun. Yes, you won’t always be able to complete every task and the tile you need may not be available. If that bothers you, this might not be your game.

I mentioned above that I don’t love the solo mode, but I keep playing it. I think this is a testament to my enjoyment of the game. Even when I don’t have the player count for a full game, I’m still happy to play the solo game for most of the same reasons I enjoy the general experience.

I really enjoy the brain exercise and the process in this one. It packs a punch without a ton of overhead. I can break it out and have a game going in a couple minutes. When I’m done (likely in 20-40 minutes) I feel like I played something that challenged me, provided some nice choices, led to some serious satisfaction and didn’t overstay its welcome. I feel this is a rare space in board gaming. Again, something that younger gamers can easily grasp and enjoy, but serious games can truly mine the depths of this one for all it’s worth. If you enjoy abstract/pattern games, but seek a richer planning experience, give Whispering Woods a look.

Publisher: Pandasaurus Games
Player Count: 1-5 Players
Game Length: 45 Minutes
Complexity 2/5

In this homage to the Planet-of-the-Apes, you are the leader of a future-set society of evolving apes seeking to learn the newfound technology from a long-lost human civilization. Manage your tribe of apes to grow your united knowledge in a race to rise above your competitors.

After Us is a quick-playing, simultaneous-action, deck-builder where you’re gathering resources, drawing more powerful ape cards and waiting for the right moments to cash in and tally your victory points. Make choices to maximize your resource income and set off on your own path to victory.

After Us has the potential to be a huge crowd pleaser with the right audience. It ticks a lot of boxes for me, but it might not be for everyone. I’ll break down the mechanics, describe my own experience and hopefully help you determine if After Us belongs in your game library.

ON YOUR TURN

Like most deck-builders, After Us equips each player with an identical set of 8 cards. Each player simultaneously draws 4 and attempts to line them up side-by-side to form complete boxes thus gaining the resources or executing the actions inside them. Some cards already feature completed boxes, but you’re typically going to have to connect boxes by aligning cards together. You’re not going to be able to connect them all, so evaluating your needs will help direct your path.

Each card has 3 rows and each one typically provides specific benefits and you’ll have to excuse these from left to right, top to bottom. The top produces resources, the second allows you to exchange resources for points and the 3rd provides a variety of things such as allowing you to cull cards. This isn’t always the case, but it gives you an idea what kind of decisions you might have to make since the choices you make in 1 row could have direct implications on another action.

From there, players reveal 1 of 4 medallions providing that player a benefit and allowing them to upgrade their deck with more powerful apes.

Each new ape “suit” gives you more powerful box actions. With 2 levels for each ape type, you can go big or you can go even bigger.

There are opportunities to cash in energy resources for bonuses that change each game or cull cards using your rage points to drop weak cards and gain additional points.

It is a race to the finish and you’ll have to decide when to stop building and when to start grabbing as many points as possible. It isn’t a true, definitive moment since you’ll always be building your deck and you’re always scraping for points, but there will come a point when you feel the shift and you need to go all in for the goal.

SOLO MODE

Solo mode has you competing against the King of Apes as he continually gains resources and builds up his deck. Minor victories are won by drawing your resources from HIS stash, but he primarily serves as a pacer to gauge your proficiency. It’s not too complicated to set up and manage – which is a huge plus. I can tell you solo mode is tough and it’ll definitely give you a challenge.

ARTWORK & COMPONENTS

Artwork from Vincent Dutrait, one of the best in the business, shines here with a semi-cyberpunk spin on his traditional, realistic style. The graphic design is ultra-vibrant and does a fantastic job placing you in this post-apocalyptic world. As typically the case with big-game publisher, Panadasaurus, the components are quality… the value is definitely there.

PROS & CONS

Fast, simultaneous play makes the game zoom

he resource exchange machine is in full swing loading you up with gobs of tokens and providing amply opportunity to frequently use them

Powerful ape card upgrades make your deck feel strong

Easy ruleset makes this quick to teach and fairly simple to play

Quick game time flies by with almost no downtime

Satisfying actions give you the feeling of accomplishment

Great artwork and production add plenty of value to your experience

Multiplayer solitaire isn’t going to be for everyone

While there are multiple paths to victory, they’re not as distinguished as some would like

Replay ability may feel a bit monotonous over time

WHY WOULD YOU LIKE THIS GAME?

Players looking for a good gateway game that’s fast paced with very little downtown will find a lot to like here. It is incredibly easy to set up and jump into and will likely see more table time because of it. Great or groups where limited player interaction isn’t an issue.

BEST THING ABOUT THIS GAME?

The best thing about the game is the card mechanics. Connecting the boxes on the cards has been done, but it seems much more accessible here. While the number of choices may be a bit of a mirage, the excitement you get from connecting the boxes and making actions happen isn’t. The simultaneous play and race atmosphere of the game only adds to the thrill of this wild resource exchange.

FINAL THOUGHTS

After Us has been a real sensation with my gaming group. Everything from the production to actions and game-length has been a huge hit with us. We’re coming off of a 5-game stretch where we’ve played it everyday and I don’t feel any fatigue. This is a gateway game full of energy and life that’s exciting and best of all… it’s fun.

The box-matching mechanic feels right. While it could have been AP-inducing, it never feels overwhelming and never slows down the game. I guess a cynic could ask if that means the choices aren’t that deep, but After Us isn’t a heavy game and it’s never intended to challenge you in that way. There is a puzzle here and it will require some application to maximize your actions, but it’s doing so in a way that is accessible to gateway gamers. For fans of the game Hadrian’s Wall from Garphill Games, the resource system here gives off a similar, yet restrained vibe.

Another major point to address is the multiplayer-solitaire angle. Interaction in this game is really limited to shouting out “I just scored 8 points” or ‘I’m trading this energy to exchange these cards”. You can snag your opponent medallion bonus by paying resources, but it’s mainly a put-your-head-down-and-play-your-game sorta experience. We embrace multiplayer solitaire games, so this was never an issue for us. You’ll have to decide if that’s a deal breaker for you.

After Us offers a fast-paced encounter that more resembles a ride than a board game experience. The choices are fast and you feel the rush of the race. The card actions are satisfying and building up your deck feels empowering. It’s not the deepest experience and I can’t guarantee it has extensively long lasting legs, but it’s a solid gateway game that we’ve fully embraced. After Us is a lot of fun and I highly recommend it for the right crowd.

Publisher: Hobby World
Player Count: 2-4 Players
Game Length: 120-180 Minutes
Complexity 3/5

Ivan IV Vasilyevich, came to power as the Grand Prince of Moscow and later, the first Tsar and Grand Prince over all of Russia. Despite a relatively short life, Ivan the Terrible saw Russia move from a medieval state to a modern empire, introducing new technology, encouraging trade routes and triggering wars which both evolved and took a toll on its population. In The First Tsar, players lead boyar families as they compete for prestige and favor as you work to fortify cities and build your personal empire by any means necessary. Bribe and outwit your opponents in pursuit of the Tsar’s favor and possibly the throne. 

Played over 4 turns or decades, players will gather each round at the Kremlin to choose actions for that decade. Grow your influence over the Russian state, gather resources, trade in foreign goods, acquire new titles and estates, fortify your presence with construction projects or seek fame on the military front lines. The Tsar’s favor isn’t just a turn mechanic, but a pivotal feature essential to gaining an advantage over your opponents. But just as Ivan was prone to mood swings and bouts of anger, aggressive families can force the Tsar’s preference at any point.

Set as a sequel to Rurik: Dawn of Kiev, The First Tsar embraces tight turns, cutthroat actions and multiple paths to victory. As a fan of designer Stan Kordonskiy (Dice Hospital, Endless Winter, Nova Roma), it’s safe to say this is clearly his most mature design to date. In this review, I’ll break down the mechanics, the production and share my final thoughts to help you determine if The First Tsar: Ivan the Terrible should be your next euro game purchase.

ON YOUR TURN

The game takes place over the 4 decades of Ivan the Terrible’s reign as Tsar. Each decade, you’ll send 3 boyars, representing your family to the Kremlin where you’ll choose from 5 available actions. While any player can take any of the individual actions, this part of the game promotes tense player interaction thanks to a bidding system where boyars can “bribe” officials to gain additional actions often pivotal to your success. Committing a one-time, open bid with your boyar allows all other players who haven’t played in the space a chance to trump your bid – so bidder beware. A glaring theme throughout the game is the Tsar’s favor, an instrument to determine turn order, but even more critical, a tool to break ties throughout the entire experience. In this initial phase, players with the Tsar’s favor break bidding ties.

In turn order, players resolve their boyar actions one at a time and can only commit to grabbing the action bonus twice, so even if you have the means, you’re going to be limited, creating some very interesting decisions.

The game’s map is broken up into 5 separate regions, not including the military front, where influence will provide resource production as well as end of round control bonuses. These areas are activated by boyar actions either adding warriors to the board or producing in those areas. The trade action allows you to exchange resources for foreign goods which are critical to meeting assignment card goals. Players may also use actions to draft title and estate cards earning you ongoing bonuses and end game scoring respectively or drafting and/or completing assignment cards.

I don’t want to linger too long on the planning phase, but it’s so critical as you play a sort of cat-and-mouse game with your opponents through bidding and planning. The entire game plays very tight, but missteps in this phase can easily lead to your downfall. Not to diminish the following action phase where you execute these actions one at a time. Paired hand-in-hand with your planning, the order in which you activate boyar actions can help you get the jump on an opponent, ensure a greater resource return, grab a more enticing assignment, title or estate card… or even fumble by showing too much of your strategy at the wrong time. It all plays out under the oversight of the Tsar’s favor, which can fluidly trade hands through a variety of different actions and abilities interwoven throughout all the phases of the game. You might think you have an advantage to deploy more warriors on the board with the action bonus, but the Tsar’s favor may change hands prior to your action and a tie may overturn what you thought was a lucrative bribe.

Players can’t even relax during the end of round phase. As you resolve influence in the regions, rewards earned can alter the outcome of future region resolutions. Once again, the Tsar’s favor plays a part in breaking ties, but can shift through the collecting of rewards. These are all things you have to take into consideration from the very beginning of each turn as you plan your strategy. While it’s not a game that’s complex mechanically, every choice you make feels heavy and important. You really see the fruit of your decisions for better or for worse. Mistakes can be punishing, but it’s not a game where you can’t recover either… just don’t make too many of them as you only have 12 actions.

ARTWORK & COMPONENTS

Overall, the production is solid, but not spectacular. Artwork and graphic design across the board gives off that old-school euro feel, but is paired with more rich and decadent illustrations. The quality of the cardboard and pieces are fine and get the job done. The wooden resources are a nice touch, but the flimsy individual player boards feel like a miss.

PROS & CONS

Deep planning and tough choices present a rich experience

Interaction produces an almost paranoid state keeping you on your toes

Simple gameplay makes way for tough strategic turns

In a lesser game, the Tsar’s favor would simply be a turn order mechanic, but here, it’s thoroughly routed in every facet of the game.

Victories during play or in the end are extremely satisfying, giving you a sense of accomplishment.

Due to the nature of the game, turns are prone to some serious analysis paralysis.

Setup is a bit of chore

While game length isn’t a negative (time to value ratio is solid), the general time investment (2-3 hours) will turn some people off.

WHY WOULD YOU LIKE THIS GAME?

While not complex mechanically, The First Tsar delivers a nail-biting experience full of heavy decisions and game altering consequences. This is great for fans of tight, classic euros who enjoy delving deeply and extolling over strategic decisions. There are some modern twists and fans of the genre will find the interaction and tension anything but dry.

WHAT IS THE BEST THING ABOUT THE GAME?

The Tsar’s favor really takes the cake. In a game of limited resources and tough decisions, having authority over an opponent can either break a tie or cause them to turn in fear. Of course it’s something you need to protect as it’s continually in the back of everyone’s mind. This is such an excellent tool that’s both mechanically and thematically outstanding.

FINAL THOUGHTS

The First Tsar: Ivan the Terrible has been a major surprise. It’s thoroughly captivating and exciting from a thinking, euro gamer’s perspective. It vents those old-school, euro vibes where play is tight and choices can be a struggle. Your limited actions heighten the fact that every turn counts for something and will have an impact on the overall game.

The game’s overall tension really stands out. Meticulous planning is key, but also being able to pivot when necessary stirs a truly engaging experience. Pressure from your opponents will regularly make you question your plans and there is little reprieve throughout any of the game’s stages. Fulfilling assignments efficiently feels validating, but celebrations are brief as you quickly shift to rewards in the next phase.

Game length may turn some players off, but this is the kind of game you’ll want to make time for. Played with the right group of gamers, this is one of those satisfying experiences that you’ll come back to again and again. I’ve really enjoyed those moments when opponents realize the impact of the Tsar’s favor revealing the depth of the game – that nothing is certain and you’ll have to fight for everything you get.

The Last Tsar is a game that will absolutely engage the more strategic thinker and demand your attention.

Publisher: Pandasaurus Games
Player Count: 2-6 Players
Game Length: 25 Minutes
Complexity 2.25/5

In 2002, rapper Missy Elliott dropped a line that strangely describes Faraway when she spouted “Put your thing down, flip it and reverse it.” In Faraway, you’re going to be putting your thing down… then you’ll flip and reverse it. It’s really quite that simple.

Far from the modern music scene, players will be adventuring to a mysterious land full of strange characters, wonders and secrets… gaining fame as you seek balance in an ever shifting landscape.

In reality, you’re building a tableau of drafted tiles earning points through a variety of different combinations. The twist is after 8 tiles, you’ll reverse the entire order of tiles forcing you to score in reverse. It’s quite a trip for us linear thinking folks.

ON YOUR TURN

It’s the scoring twist that really helps Faraway standout. The game’s actions alone are fairly rudimentary: One any turn, players will simultaneously choose a tile from their hand and play it sequentially in a line in front of them. Players then draw new tiles from a community pot based on the lowest number tile played. If players played a tile larger than their previous tile, they gain a bonus card. Rinse and repeat.

I realize this is all very ambiguous, so let me briefly dive into the tiles that make the game run. Each tile in the game is unique, featuring a number, color, cool illustration and a combination of icons, scoring functions and scoring requirements. For example, a card may give you 2 points for every rock played, but you need 3 plant icons to trigger the action. On top of that, the card may have its own rock icon earning you an immediate 2 points if you’re able to meet the prerequisites. Bonus cards offer additional icons and scoring conditions to supplement your pursuits.

Enter the TWIST! 

A game consists of playing 8 tiles. Once the final tile is played, players will flip over all their tiles and reveal them one at a time in reverse order. Each tile will be scored based on what’s visible. So when you hit that tile giving you 2 points for each rock, you’ll need to have 3 plants visible as well as any rocks you hope to score. What this ultimately means is that you’ll have to rely on some pretty serious planning and a bit of luck to lock up your big time scoring ambitions.

We love to process things in linear fashion, so when a game like Faraway challenges the status quo, it can be a little jarring. Despite my best teaching efforts, Faraway is a game you have to play once to truly grasp. The idea of planning for the future so you can activate actions in reverse order will force you to look at Faraway in a different way.

ARTWORK & COMPONENTS

Each tile in Faraway is uniquely illustrated in a very stylized and vibrant look full of personality and flavor. The artwork does a nice job defining the game’s vibe. Whether the art is “your” style or not, it certainly helps Faraway stand out visually.

As far as components are concerned, you’re getting a stack of 68 tile/cards and 45 bonus cards. It’s a small box that doesn’t have a large footprint.

PROS & CONS

Unique scoring twist gives Faraway a fresh spin

Simple decisions feel weighty and challenging in the moment

Simultaneous play and simple turns make this a quick play

Card variety will force you to think on your toes and take unique paths each game

Game plays great at all player counts

Luck factor will occasional lead to a dud of a game

I often get stuck with cards that “lead nowhere”

WHY WOULD YOU LIKE THIS GAME?

This is a game for players in the market for a think-y, quick playing card game that feels fresh and different. It’s easy to teach, but the learning curve adds to the game’s mystique. Once the game’s “ah-ha’ moment hits, you’ll be singing the praises of Faraway.

WHAT IS THE BEST THING ABOUT THIS GAME?

The best thing the game has to offer is its spin on scoring. It’s a very simple twist, but I love how it forces you to plan and think differently. I imagine there’s a deeper metaphor about looking at life from a different angle, but for now, I’m just going to enjoy turning my cards around and scoring in reverse.

FINAL THOUGHTS

Faraway has been a huge delight and another solid, quick-playing, family-friendly game from the fine folks at Pandasaurs Games.

The game plays at a rapid pace, but the choices and turns feel deep and important. Each game, the lay of the cards will introduce some wrinkles on your standard strategy keeping you on your toes and keeping the game fresh. Every once and awhile you’ll get a dud. The tiles won’t fall just right and your luck may fail you. The upside is each game is over before you know it and you’re ready to go again.

It’s always refreshing to discover a new twist on board gaming and Faraway provided that for me. Unique in its ability to appeal to gateway gamers and more seasoned players, Faraway provides some serious mass appeal and fun. I highly recommend Faraway to any and everyone interested in board/card games.

Publisher: Write Stuff Games
Player Count: 1-4 Players
Game Length: 30-40 Minutes
Complexity 2.25/5

Saddle up your band of ruffians and explore the Wild West in one of my favorite flip and write games ever!

In Fliptown, players resolve their problems (and life choices) with a simple deck of cards. It’s the value and suit of the card drawn that’s going to open a gateway into a sandbox-style world where you’ll choose to seek your fortune mining gold, rustling up trouble in the badlands, seeking adventure on the trail or exploring all that the frontier towns have to offer. The sheriff’s hot on your trail, so be quick to earn your fortune while avoiding the law.

Breathing new life into the flip and write genre, Fliptown pushes boundaries with interesting turns and rich rewards. Designer, Steven Aramini had previously found success with micro games such as Sprawlopolis and Circle the Wagons – games full of tough choices and tight turns. It’s exciting to see him branch out with a Fliptown, a grand celebration of the art and spirit of Western America… all tied beautifully together in a box that will fit on any size shelf.

ON YOUR TURN

Everything Fliptown has to offer literally stems from a simple deck of cards (albeit, a thematic and beautifully illustrated one). On your turn, you’ll draw 3 cards, using the results to make your choices. The suit will determine the area of your player board you tackle while the numerical value determines the strength or area you pursue. The third card is placed toward your ongoing poker hand that resolves after a single round of 5 turns.

Each player has a reusable dry erase board presenting all the actions you have available. At first glance, it can be a bit overwhelming since it appears there is a lot going on. But I promise you, it all comes together logically and quickly without hardly any struggle.

Representing each of the 4 card suits, players can visit 1 of 4 areas per turn. Each of these areas are thematically highlighted by different mini-games to conquer. The value of the 2nd card chosen will determine what you can accomplish in the area. For example, mining gold presents a tech-tree puzzle where you’ll use your card value to mine further down earning bonuses along the way.

Yes, Fliptown is all about the combos and bonuses along the way. There are definitely ways to extend your turn, and give you that big gun feeling while earning you additional actions and resources.

One of the highlights of Fliptown is in its ability to tell a story throughout the game without diving into an unnecessary narrative. Seeking to rob a stagecoach in the badlands can lead to big rewards or huge legal trouble with the law. The actions come to life, and while the decision is resolved in a matter of moments, your choices begin to shape your adventure in unique and exciting ways.

Traveling to the town provides the opportunity to invest in a ridiculous number of Wild West activities. Visit the undertaker, the church, saloon, general store, land office, gunsmith, bail bonds and plenty more. Each sub location provides fun ways to modify your abilities, benefits and pursuits.

In the end, the player with the most points (or Wild West fame) is the winner. You can play it safe, seeking to avoid the law and go on your merry way… or you can push your luck with hopes of greater victory. Higher reward always comes with a cost and in Fliptown, it’s the sheriff you’ll want to avoid. Each round, players face increasing heat from the law. As you take actions, you’ll accumulate wanted icons that put you in conflict with the local sheriff. Of course there are ways to mitigate these dangers and in the Wild West, even sherifs aren’t above a bribe or two.

Players choose 1 of the game’s 14 personas giving you unique, asymmetrical actions to help you along your trail. Community goals give players additional pursuits to garner game changing points.

Riding Solo

Fliptown also features a simple yet engaging solo mode that creates new challenges as you face off against 4 different bots. Fliptown is a bit of a multi-player solitaire experience, so it isn’t much of a reach to transition to a solo game. I’d even recommend Fliptown just for the solo gamer.

ARTWORK & COMPONENTS

Fliptown is beautifully illustrated with decorative, turn-of-the-century stylings, a rusty, orange hue and mesas adorned with cactus set amongst endless vistas. I love the vibe of the artwork and it immediately draws me in each time I pull this one off the shelf.

This is a big game in a small box with somewhat minimal components. The deck of cards, goals, player personas and dry erase markers round out the package.

If I’m going to be critical, the type on the player board can be a challenge. The design team did a great job working within the boundaries of the board size and box, but it would have been nicer if some of the type wasn’t so small. It obviously hasn’t ruined my enjoyment of the game, but it is worth noting.

The rulebook does an amazing job navigating you comfortably through the game’s actions, areas and rule variants.

PROS & CONS

Exciting choices

Simple, yet deep actions

Activate areas full of personality

Beautifully thematic production

Easy setup and teardown

Tons of replay ability

Great solo and multiplayer

Quick play time

Some of the text is challenging to read on the boards

That’s really it – this is one of my favorites of the year!

WHY WOULD YOU LIKE THIS GAME?

Fans of games like Hadrian’s Wall and Fleet: The Dice Game are going to find the most to enjoy here. This is a think-y, sandbox-style flip and write that rewards players looking to venture down multiple paths. While it certainly isn’t heavy, it will take a moment to familiarize yourself with the game’s choices, icons and functions. That’s all a necessary and worthwhile pursuit to grant passage into the richness, depth and enjoyment the game offers.

WHAT IS THE BEST THING ABOUT THIS GAME?

I’ve talked about the execution of the theme, the cool turn choices and the ingenious use of a playing deck… so I’ll give props to the combos. So many games fail to provide the right amount of combos. Too many and the game feels cheap… too few and there isn’t enough excitement. Fliptown brings a great level of bonus actions where you feel satisfied, but not overwhelmed. There’s really a nice balance to it.

FINAL THOUGHTS

Are you looking for a meaty, flip and write style game? Check out Fliptown. Maybe you’re looking for an engaging western-themed game? Fliptown works for that. Or perhaps you’re looking for a fun experience with satisfying choices? Yep… Fliptown.

Despite the complex player interface, this is a highly accessible game that’s quick to learn, easy to set up, plays smooth and fast and works for any of the 1-4 player counts.

The beautiful production immediately draws you in and from there it’s guns blazing. I love the huge variety of choices that provide a near infinite number of paths to pursue. Turns feel powerful without cheapening the game and Fliptown gives you the sensation of accomplishment despite the player’s skill level (or lack of).

Of course your enjoyment of the theme can certainly affect your overall experience. I love the romanticized vision we have of a nearly civilized western society coming to terms with an untamed world around them. Fliptown does a fine job of embracing this vision, but being “in to” western themed games isn’t necessary to enjoy this one.

Fliptown doesn’t quite dethrone Hadrian’s Wall as the flip and write boss for me, but it’s in the neighborhood. ‘X’ and write games have always leaned on the lighter side and quality, heavier games in this space are few and far between. Fans of games like Hadrian’s Wall are going to want to get in on this.

After nearly a dozen plays, Flip is easily on the shortlist for game of the year (2024) for me. After wading through dozens of lackluster games, it’s experiences like Fliptown that remind me why I love board games. I can’t recommend this one highly enough.

Walking in Burano: Roll & Write
Publisher: EmperorS4
Player Count: 1-4 Players
Game Length: 30 Minutes
Complexity 2/5

Set on the island of Burano in Venice, players will work to decorate their home with plants, curtains, chimneys as well as the ever-present house cat in an effort to appeal to the frequent tourists and local inhabitants. Meet their high demands and earn their adoration in this dice drafting roll and write game. 

ON YOUR TURN

Walking in Burano: Roll & Write is a new version of the original board game, Walking in Burano from the same designer. I haven’t had the opportunity to play the original so there obviously won’t be any direct comparisons.

In this version, players will serve as decorators taking turns drafting dice and adorning the local homes with flair and enhancements to appeal to the local community. Burano is a vibrant tourist destination and visitors will often stop to admire the brightly colored real estate.

On your turn, you’ll place one of your boats on the canal next to one of the 6 available dice. Each round, the 6 uniquely colored dice are rolled and placed in their respective spots. Each dice reflects a specific home on your player sheet and the value determines how you can interact with that home if that dice is chosen.

There are 5 different ways to interact with each home. While each home is unique in its decorating opportunities, you can generally address any of these areas as long as you meet that decoration’s “mini-game” requirement. Planting flowers requires you to label the plant with a die value equal to or lower than any previously planted plant in that home. Cats can be added as long as the die value equals the floor the cat is on. Red or blue curtains can be added depending on the die being odd or even. Each streetlight has a specific number. Finally, chimney’s across the street will need their own unique number.

Each player will receive 2 die actions per round. There isn’t a ton of interaction aside from the general race to the finish and choosing a die previously chosen by an opponent. The penalty is a coin to the original resident of that dice space.

After all players have chosen their dice, they have the option to invite a guest. There are 10 unique guests all looking for a unique pattern present in all the houses. For example: inviting the photographer scores points for all the cats in a single house. The tailor is looking for a pair of red and blue curtains throughout the entire block. Santa Clause (yes, Santa Clause) scores points based on the total value of all the chimneys at the time he’s invited. You’ll score points in a variety of ways with some based on an individual house, while others would score an entire floor.

The game ends when a player has invited their 5th guest, so the push and pull of the game is in the balance between maximizing your scoring goals and actually activating those goals. When you invite a guest you score that goal immediately, often forcing you to leave points on the shelf in your pursuit of 5 goals before your opponent. Ultimately, the player with the most points wins the game… and that may not be the player who finished all 5 invites first.

ARTWORK & COMPONENTS

While the artwork is colorful and fun, this is a pretty basic production. The publisher’s creatively tied in the canal/dice holders to fit nicely in the box and still provide some dimension to the play area. Unfortunately, like the majority of the game, the paper quality isn’t the best and everything feels kinda cheap. I’d like to think the components don’t  diminish the game experience, but it was definitely something I noticed with each play.

The rulebook is simple and clear. The different requirements are easy to find making it easy to jump right in on your first play.

PROS & CONS

This is a quick and simple game that works for a broad audience

The rulebook is clean and clear making it easy to learn and teach

The theme is enticing on its own. While it doesn’t shine through intensely, there are going to be those who appreciate the personality and setting.

While production quality will likely keep the cost down, it is a bit of a disappointing production.

Turn choices ultimately aren’t that interesting. While you’re at the mercy of the dice, pursuing certain objects may or may not pan out. I wasn’t that excited or distraught no matter the outcome.

This is going to sound funny given that this is a game of luck, but everything felt a little deterministic. While some are going to win out and often win big, I’m just hoping I choose the right objectives to pursue. It may work out… it may not, but there didn’t seem to be a lot I could do about it once I was committed to a strategy. You can mitigate the dice by spending coins, but that’s even limited.

WHY WOULD YOU LIKE THIS GAME?

Walking in Burano comes across as a less refined version of Welcome To, but there are still some interesting choices and personality in the box for serious fans of roll and writes. The complexity level is just there enough to create an interesting experience for someone new to gaming or roll and writes in general.

WHAT IS THE BEST THING ABOUT THIS GAME?

The best thing about the game is the tourist personalities. They are each searching for something different and willing to score in their own way. This does add some diversity and replayability.

FINAL THOUGHTS

If you’ve made it to this point in the review, it’s pretty clear that I’m not jumping up and down for Walking in Burano: Roll & Write. It’s not that it’s a bad game, but rather a bland game. The turn choices aren’t that exciting and it all feels so random. The game’s production doesn’t do itself any favors either.

I mentioned briefly that this feels like a watered down version of the game Welcome To. It’s not nearly as refined and clever and the choices just don’t get me excited. There just isn’t a whole lot here that’s memorable.

The solo mode may be the way to play this. It’s super easy to implement and you can play at your own pace. In fact, the game as a whole is really easy to get into. It does play quickly, giving it some virtue under the right circumstances.

As a fan of roll and writes, I’m willing to give these types of games a little extra grace, but this isn’t one I’ll likely revisit. Perhaps if you’re a fan of the original game this might be something to check out out of curiosity.

Publisher: Garphill Games Games
Player Count: 1-4  Players
Game Length: 90-120 Minutes
Complexity 3.75/5

After decades in captivity to the Persian empire, King Cyrus in 539 B.C., moved by God, issued a decree to allow the Israelite exiles to return to Jerusalem to rebuild their city and re-establish the temple and sacrificial offerings.

In the game, Ezra and Nehemiah, you’ll follow 3 unique leaders, each tasked for a different purpose. Zerubbabel first returned to Jerusalem to rebuild the temple where God’s presence previously dwelled. Soon after, Ezra and Nehemiah return to re-institute the religious rules of the Torah and rebuild the outer city walls respectively. Players will compete to progress each of these areas, scoring points and earning bonuses along the way.

If you’re familiar with previous Garphill Games such as the West Kingdom series or more recently, the South Tigris games, you’ll definitely see some familiar mechanics. A culmination of a variety of actions, Ezra and Nehemiah is a fairly challenging euro-style game where meticulous planning is rewarded. It employs a hodgepodge of mechanics such as card management, set collection, worker placement, tech tree building and chaining. It has a fairly steep learning curve and clearly appeals to more seasoned gamers. So, the question remains: Are you up to the task of rebuilding Jerusalem or is it best to leave the heavy lifting to someone else?

ON YOUR TURN

You might recognize the game’s card system from one of Garphill’s biggest crowd pleasers: Paladins of the West Kingdom. Each player begins the game with an identical set of 10 cards. These cards are the core of E&N. They serve as the jumping off point for your primary actions, auxiliary actions and potential end of round bonuses. Each card features a set of 3 banners, The color of the banner determines the action and their number determines the strength of that action. On your turn, you’ll choose a single card to place on your player board/tableau. Then choosing one of the card’s color banners, you execute that action. Each player board features 3 available card spots and visible banners of the same color can be combined from all 3 spaces. This is a really cool concept that builds on the Paladins model creating a situation where deeper planning can lead to more powerful opportunities.

The game consists of 3 weeks and each week gives you 6 turns. Each turn allows you to play a single card (from a hand of 4), but each of the card locations can only hold 2 cards. When one is covered, that card’s banners are covered and unavailable further complicating the planning process.

The card banners are red, blue and gray and they correlate directly to each of the game’s 3 areas of play.

Red banners allow you to corporately build the temple as well as make sacrifices. Of course sacrifices need Levitical priests – so doing a red action will allow you to commit one of your workers to the priesthood for the rest of the game. The temple is an area of big points and benefits where players will strategically race to claim spots.

Blue banners give you access to the scriptures and tent camping. The scriptures play out like a tech tree where you gain access to additional tiles as players build beneath. These tiles provide exclusive player action bonuses across the board and can be a good source of direction in the game. The tent area serves as a rondel giving you bonuses as you move around the circle.

Finally gray banners allow you to clean up rubble and rebuild the broken walls of Jerusalem. The rubble consists of multiple types of rock-like resources that can be recycled for use in the temple or turned around to rebuild the wall. Another great source of end game points, rebuilding wall segments offers minor bonuses and benefits in relation to the city’s gates.

Additionally, you have access to auxiliary actions that allow you to upgrade your player board and make trades (available on the most recent card played) that are critical to planning and efficiently aligning your resources for future turns.

After 6 turns, players prepare for the Sabbath. During the Sabbath, players will feed their workers, evaluate your success offering sacrifices and earn any end-of-round scoring benefits. Players will “tuck” a card giving them that end-of-round scoring for the rest of the game, but subsequently lose that card from their rotating hand.

After 18 turns, the game ends and the player with the most points gets a high five from everyone else (because we’re really working together to return this city to its former glory, right? … right.)

ARTWORK & COMPONENTS

The artwork is provided by long-time Garphill Games collaborator Sam Phillips. His work on games like Hadrian’s Wall and Raiders of Scythia have earned him a healthy following. The art is solid and the game’s graphic design doesn’t disappoint. It will take you a minute to get up to date on the iconography since it’s not always 100% intuitive, but it’s well done and does the job soundly once you’ve acclimated yourself.

The components are what you’ve come to expect from Garphill. Quality cardboard, wooden tokens and recessed player boards all fitting snugly in a smaller-than-normal box. Playing the game as often as I did gave me plenty of practice packing away all the pieces into a box that is just slightly too small (but acceptable) for the components.

Finally, the rulebook does a fair job of communicating the information. While everything is there and available… my brain is hard on rulebooks – often struggling to process all the information clearly. As is the norm, I had to revisit the rulebook multiple times. While everything isn’t exactly where I’d like it to be, it does it’s job and will get you the answers to the questions you’re eventually going to be looking for.

PROS & CONS

Beautiful production

Ambitious theme

Great card system that will likely be stolen by other publishers

Think-y choices cater to players who enjoy deep and meticulous planning

Fair amount of replay ability

Serious onboarding time – this is a chore not to just teach, but to get a full grasp of all the game has to offer

Turns have the tendency to bog down the game with overall analysis

This leads to heavy, slow pace that drags down the game

Disconnect between the game’s 3 main sections lost some of the overall synergy

Excitement level for the game never got too high

WHY WOULD YOU LIKE THIS GAME?

I think people are going to be drawn to Ezra & Nehemiah for 2 reasons: They are likely huge fans of Garphill Games track record of snappy, think-y and satisfying mid-weigh euros or they’re drawn in by the unique, Biblical theme. It may be 1 or the other or a combination of the 2. Ultimately, I think players who enjoy dry, think-y euros are going to find the most value. The game’s combos work hard to provide added spice, but this is a game about perseverance, planning and calculating. It definitely sits on the heavy end of the Garphill library and the theme integration, while pretty well done, will only take you so far.

WHAT’S THE BEST THING ABOUT THIS GAME?

The best thing about the game is the individual player cards/decks. The process of cycling through 3 cards to trigger your best possible actions takes so much into consideration. While obviously pairing together the most same-colored banners gives you the strongest actions, the auxiliary trade actions on each card can be just as valuable to your success. I loved this in Paladins of the West Kingdom and it’s taken to the next level here.

FINAL THOUGHTS

Ezra & Nehemiah was one of my most anticipated games of 2024. I’m a huge fanboy of all things Garphill and this looked like a winner right from the get go. The unique theme only elevated things as I’m also a sucker for Biblical history. The game’s designers, Shem Phillips & S. J. MacDonald are 2 of the best in this niche and great designers deserve an honest review. I think it was the combination of my monumental expectations and a few misfires from the game that ultimately led to E&N falling a little flat for me.

First, the positives: This is a solid production. It looks amazing and there is a ton of value for the price point. It’s a bit of a smaller box which pleases my gaming shelf, but there is nothing small about what the game delivers.

The designers did a solid job with the theme. Installing a historical and Biblical theme is a challenging proposition and I think they did it justice. By nature, the Bible doesn’t offer much wiggle room for competitive board gaming. Creating circumstances where God’s will might fail in a game doesn’t sit well with its more devout audience. The deterministic and unchanging nature of God forces designers to be incredibly creative with their choices. I’ve had knowledgeable friends nit-pick a number of things, but I think the general idea of the time and events shines through in a healthy way. Now, that theme only carries the game for so long until you revert to moving cubes and playing cards, but that’s pretty typical with any euro game.

The card system is solid. I touched briefly on that above and look forward to future games using this cool “banner” system.

The challenges of the game hit me right from the beginning. Onboarding was a serious chore. Learning the game and teaching the game are serious hurdles. It wasn’t until I had read the rulebook 3 times and played 3 full games that I started to grasp concepts and strategies. I may be a little slow sometimes, but this really got me. Additionally, a 4-player game early on with my gaming group almost led to a riot. Players rose up in frustration as they struggled to grasp a viable strategy. At this point Ezra and Nehemiah was going to have to dig its way out of this hole.

As I continued to understand the game, the actions became less abstract and I started to realize what the game expected of me. Where I had previously railed against the idea of trading away my hard earned resources, I began to embrace the need to exchange resources for future plans. I also dove head first into the Torah actions that give you on-going benefits, which provided direction and advantages.

None of these revelations could help the game’s pacing. It often bogged down to a slow drip – especially in the 4-player game. There is so much to consider on your turn that even the least AP prone players stumbled in my experience. A lot of this was due to the extensive implications of each card, but it also didn’t help that there seems to be a disconnect between the game’s 3 main areas.

Typically, in a Garphil/Combo-driven game, you can decipher how to best chain your actions and get the most from your turns. The water was a little muddy here. I would often evaluate 2 different options based on my available cards and realize there was no distinctive difference or benefit between the 2 actions. I was going to earn the exact same points and see the same resource result either way. Perhaps that the game was too balanced or maybe it was me failing to play far enough ahead. This all resulted in some very uneventful, unexceptional turns that never let the game rise above a low roar.

Ezra & Nehemiah is a fine game. It’s a solid euro for think-y individuals who like quality productions and exotic themes tied to their games. But, be it expectations, mechanics or indescribable, inaudible subtle waves of dissatisfaction, Ezra & Nehemiah just didn’t get there for me. I’m fully aware that there is an audience out there who will likely love this and cherish it for years to come. I certainly wouldn’t dissuade anyone from trying it outside of this report. I still love Graphill Games, these designers and this artist. I’m still just as excited for their upcoming games as I ever was. But when it comes to Ezra & Nehemiah… I think I’d more likely recommend one of their many contemporary classics.

Publisher: CMYK Games
Player Count: 2  Players
Game Length: 15 Minutes
Complexity 1.5/5

The definition of Lacuna means a gap between two things and is from the latin lacus, meaning “lake or “pool.” That cleverly defines this quirky, abstract game that likely doesn’t play like any game in your collection. In this gentle, 2-player game, players are collecting different colored flowers resting on a pond. It’s a spatial puzzle where you’re measuring between objects to collect while simultaneously planning for the future. It takes just a few minutes to explain, can be grasped by kids of all ages yet still has the potential to stir your strategic hankerings. Let’s briefly dive into the tranquil pond of Lacuna and see if this strange game is right for your home.

ON YOUR TURN

Packed in a cylinder shaped container, you can tell from the start this is going to be a bit of a different gaming experience. The game itself takes place on a square piece of fabric representing a night pond. Using the container as a pitcher, you pour out the 49 colored flower tokens randomly across the space and you’re ready to play.

The game takes place over 2 distinct phases followed by scoring. It’s a quick game, but the nature of it will allow you to analyze and process the board to your heart’s content.

During the first phase, players will take turns placing their own player pawns onto the pond between two unobstructed flower tokens of the same color. These pawns can be placed anywhere between the two tokens (which is critical to the next phase), but there cannot be any additional tokens or player pawns between the two.

Once players have placed their 6 pawns, play moves to the second phase. During this phase, each remaining token will be evaluated and given to the player with the closest player pawn. The game comes with a ruler to ensure no funny business. Players divide their tokens into sets based on the 7 different token types and point is awarded to the player with the most of each type. The player with the most points at the end wins.

ARTWORK & COMPONENTS

The art direction does a nice job of complimenting the game experience. Simplified, colorful flowers dance across the packaging highlighted with gold flecks of foil spot colors embracing the abstract nature of the game, but this is a game primarily driven by the components. The wooden flower tokens and metal player pawns contrast each other and are distinct on the fabric pond player board without feeling disconnected.

Everything in the game fits in this unique cylinder container. This may excite you or it may not. I personally love the choice, but I can see it causing some trouble for certain gaming shelves. All-in-all, Lacuna looks as different as it plays and will definitely be an eye catcher at your next game night.

PROS & CONS

Gameplay will challenge players with a unique spatial puzzle not common in standard strategic, modern games

Simple ruleset can be taught in a matter of minutes and setup and clean up are a breeze

This is truly a game for all ages. Anyone can play and players can bring their own level of engagement

The game’s quick play time will have you playing multiple games at each sitting

Fun components create a unique, tactile experience

Portable container great for travel

Highly replay ability

 The game plays at a slower pace. I attribute that to the game’s old school approach

The container may not fit conveniently on all gamer’s shelves

Because it’s a spatial game where you’re measuring, it can possibly be a challenge to truly measure between objects.

WHY WOULD YOU LIKE THIS GAME?

I really want to define this more clearly, but Lacuna is a game when you’re in the mood for “something different.” It’s a bit of a conundrum since it’s a family game that only plays with 2 players. It’s light hearted and simple. It knows who it is and doesn’t try to be anything more. The choices are satisfying, challenging and relaxing all at the same time. It plays quickly and is a breeze to set up, making it a perfect filler or weekday evening right before bed.

WHAT’S THE BEST THING ABOUT THIS GAME?

The best thing about this game is how easy it is to get into. While most games can take a couple plays to feel comfortable, Lacuna takes a couple turns. The entire experience is simple, clean and satisfying.

FINAL THOUGHTS

Lacuna is the type of game that can win over the harshest cynic. It’s straightforward and accessible, while still being engaging and a little mysterious. It sits in that sweet spot offering simple mechanics and decently challenging choices, but it does it in a completely refreshing way.

Its abstract nature isn’t going to sit well with everyone, but it tends to cross boundaries with a satisfying level of strategy that naturally adjusts to the player’s skill level. The spatial element is a nice change of pace for someone like me who typically plays more linear, traditional board games.

Replay ability is another major positive here. The quick setup and tear down make it a breeze to get to the table or layout on the floor and the short playtime guarantees it doesn’t have to wear out its welcome. Additionally, it wasn’t rare to play 2, 3 or 4 games in a row. My kids enjoyed this just as much as my (hardcore) gaming group proving it’s perfect for any sort of family.

Lacuna is a bit more “mass-market, retail game” than hobby game, but its quirkiness will still have you talking about it and bringing it regularly to game nights, road trips and parties.

Publisher: Funko Games
Player Count: 2-5  Players
Game Length: 45-60 Minutes
Complexity 2/5

Back in 1974, 4 friends set out on a road trip across rural Texas. Along the way they stumble on what appears to be an abandoned house only to discover unspeakable horrors lie within. What started as an innocent road trip turns into a battle for survival. In this one versus many game, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre: Slaughterhouse allows players to relive the madness as the young trespassers or step into the shoes of the murderous Sawyer family. Play through a series of scenarios challenging you with different objectives and puzzles. But remember, in this game, there are no winners… only survivors.

ON YOUR TURN

The Texas Chainsaw Massacre is both a cooperative game and a one vs many experience. You choose the side you want to play and then embrace the storyline, objectives and mechanics uniquely related to that persona.

So yes, you’re going to have to learn 2 sets of rules, but they’re pretty straightforward and TCM is any easy game to jump into. I’d liken it to the Horrified series from Ravensburger in terms of depth and engagement. There seems like just enough rules and choices to keep you engaged without overwhelming you.

Playing as the trespassers puts you in the shoes of the uninvited guests who have just happened to wander onto the Sawyer property. The game provides a series of unique scenarios that give the trespassers different goals to keep the game fresh. In truth, they all basically culminate with the trespassers trying to not end up dead, but you get to do different things along the way.

As the trespassers, your job will be to quickly, quietly and efficiently rummage through the game’s creepy 2-story house. In the first scenario, your goal is to repair a specific vehicle, grab the gas and the keys and get out of Dodge before the Sawyer family can beat you to death. In another scenario, you’re taking photos around the property to document the murderous activities. Choices are fairly limited: you either search a location in and around the house, walk to another location or run for your life! You may uncover useful tools to escape or items to help defend yourself. But, doing things in general creates noise and noise has consequences… which leads to one of the coolest features in the game…

As you take actions, you collect noise tokens. For anyone who’s ever seen a scary movie, noise is not something you don’t want to create. These noise tokens will both conceptually and physically become the fear tokens that fuel the antics of Leatherface and the crazy Sawyer family.

Playing as the Sawyer family is more of a process pulled directly from the pages of a movie script. Key characters are revealed, plot twists exposed and tensions rise to a frenzied pace. The Sawyer family consists of 4 members, each with their own special abilities, but they’re not all available to start the game. The Sawyer family will need to progress on the chainsaw track (a cube track shaped in a cardboard chainsaw) to bring out additional family members. The Sawyer family will move around the house chasing after the intruders, but they are aided in their quest with the fear tokens. These fear tokens can be spent on additional actions to gain bonus abilities or move forward on the chainsaw track. And this is key to amping up the pressure in the game. With more baddies on the board, the Sawyer family has a tactically heightened opportunity to make life difficult for the survivors… and if the survivors last long enough for Leatherface to make an appearance, they better make haste.

Damage is randomly assigned to the survivors through confrontations and a deck of death cards. Once a trespasser is assigned 4 unique injury cards they’re no longer injured… they’re dead. And that player gets to enjoy the terrifying screams of their companions from the sidelines for the remainder of the game. Now survivors can deal damage to the Sawyer family in a number of ways and cards drawn throughout can help balance the power struggle, but in my experience, survivors are running and Sawyers are chasing.

The game ends when at least 1 survivor has met their objective and escaped or all the survivors end up on the chopping block.

ARTWORK & COMPONENTS

The Texas Chainsaw Massacre: Slaughterhouse is a highly thematic experience and the overall look of the production is a huge contributor toward immersing you in this twisted experience. The artwork does a fantastic job fabricating an uneasy, fear-driven environment. This is a game that truly seeks to honor its source material and it doesn’t pull any punches. It’s gritty, brutal and nasty.

While I wish the survivors were more than cardboard standees, the Sawyer family mini’s look great and are fun to move around the board. (Deep thought: Perhaps it’s the frail, cardboard nature of the survivors that made cardboards standees a must for these terrified youth characters… I’ll have to ask my therapist about that).

Overall, the production, rulebook and materials used in the game create a visceral and tactfully good time.

PROS & CONS

 Wonderful thematic experience

 Simple rule set allows you enjoy the game and not get bogged down in unnecessary rules

 Player aids supplement ease of play

 Cool noise/fear mechanic instantly creates tension

 Flexibility to play as the Sawyers or the survivors as well as multiple scenarios creates plenty of replayability.

 There is a decent amount of luck in this game and bad dice rolls can affect your enjoyment

 No one really likes to sit on the sidelines and dying early can be a bummer

WHY WOULD YOU LIKE THIS GAME?

I’d say fans of the movie franchise are going to love the vibe of this game, but that’s too easy. The Texas Chainsaw Massacre is a game with tons of universal appeal. While the theme is incredibly macabre, the excitement, tension and unique one vs many/cooperative angle makes this a fun experience for groups at Halloween or anytime for that matter. This is a gamer’s party game and groups looking for a good horror experience are going to love this.

WHAT IS THE BEST THING ABOUT THIS GAME?

The best thing is the noise/fear mechanic. I spoke about it above, but this single mechanic really elevates the entire game. Again, you collect noise tokens by taking actions. Some actions (such as running), create additional noise. At the end of the survivor’s turn, they roll a die in hopes of removing some or all of these noise tokens. Any remaining after the roll ends up in the Sawyer’s pocket and are almost guaranteed to come back and haunt you later. I love the tension of this mechanic and I can’t get enough of it.

FINAL THOUGHTS

I had a blast with The Texas Chainsaw Massacre: Slaughterhouse. The tone, the tension and the mechanics make this a real immersive experience and I think it’s going to surprise a lot of people. The look of the game does an amazing job putting players in an unsettling position. The semi-cooperative, one vs many setup creates an almost party-style gaming environment that, paired with the theme, will be a unique addition to many gaming libraries.

I mentioned how much I enjoyed the mechanics. There is really a nice tension in your choices and it always makes you a little unsure of how things are going to work out. It’s not terribly heavy and it’s relatively easy to jump into, but the mechanics paired with the theme give it a nice, thick feeling. For reference, this is a game that really matches up well with the hugely popular game Horrified. The weight, complexity and game length hit a lot of the same notes. It is its own game, but It also provides an equally satisfying and exciting experience.

Where TCM: Slaughterhouse might struggle is with the IP. The Texas Chainsaw Massacre the movie is a grindhouse-type film that originally marketed itself as a true story. The gritty, violent, realistic approach made it a hit with a limited audience paving the way to its cult status today. In addition, it was made almost 50 years ago. There’s been some sub-par sequels, but I imagine there are a number of potential players who have never even seen the original. Where Horrified evokes an almost campy-vibe, Slaughterhouse is edgy and dark and may not appeal to everyone.

The final point I need to address is the game’s luck factor. Yes, there are a lot of dice rolls in this game and that means a lot of luck. In fact, you can lose this one thanks to poor die rolls. Certain cards will mitigate some of that luck, but not enough to sway the outcome in my experience. This didn’t sit well with everyone who I played with. While I typically like to control my own gaming destiny, I think the luck element really lends itself to the tension of the entire experience. These classic horror films are a roll of the dice. We never know who’s going to make it out alive and the somewhat swingy nature of a die roll provides those unexpected plot twists. Sadly, it might be you who takes the brunt end of this mechanic, but all the more reason to come back again for another try.

The Texas Chainsaw Massacre: Slaughterhouse has “hidden gem” written all over it. While players might be apprehensive to give this one a roll initially, word-of-mouth is going to catch on. This is an exciting, satisfying, tension-filled game that sets the tone early and doesn’t let go until the survivors escape or the Sawyer family gets the last laugh… just like a good horror movie. If you’re looking for the next great horror game for your gaming group, you definitely need to give Texas Chainsaw Massacre: Slaughterhouse a serious look.