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: 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: Synapses Games
Player Count: 2-4 Players
Game Length: 45 Minutes
Complexity 1.75/5

As architects under Pharaoh Mido, you’re tasked with designing the most impressive pyramid to serve as the eternal resting place for the pharaoh. Prove your worth and earn the title of Vizier and all its power and benefits.

In this family-friendly, open drafting and tile-laying game, players will score points based on the position of certain domino-style tiles. As the pyramids rise, the opportunity to score in unique ways increases. Careful planning, staunch defense and a little luck will be necessary to outshine your opponents and earn the pharaoh’s favor.

ON YOUR TURN

Pyramido takes place over 4 rounds with each round representing a new layer built on your great pyramid project.

The game plays quickly and is centered around drafting domino-style tiles. Each tile features a combination of 2 colors and an assortment of icons specific to that color.

On your turn you draft 1 of 3 available tiles and place it onto your pyramid grid. Players will attempt to connect as many like-colored tiles. Jewel markers placed on color sections will score points based on the number of icons present across that color block (adjacently connected same-color tiles). Players each have 1 jewel marker for each color and HAVE to play 1 when placing a new color tile. Tile icons vary in number on each tile so you’ll obviously want to group as many higher-scoring tiles together as possible.

As the rounds continue, players will be able to use the edge of previous pyramid tile layers to contribute to future round points. In the end, you may score points thanks to a certain color stair-stepping down the entire side of your pyramid.

This might sound simple and fairly casual, but Pyramido is more of a dog fight than you’d expect. After playing 1 of the 3 available tiles, the active player then chooses a new tile from 1 of 2 adjacent, face-up tile stacks. This new tile will help refresh the available tiles for the next player. Everyone’s pyramid is on display, so choosing a tile to limit scoring opportunities for your opponents is half the battle.

Players also have access to a limited number of resurfacing tiles that can change the color and value of any tile at any time. It’s easy to waste these precious resources, so choosing the right moment to use them is critical.

Each round players total up their points. The player with the most points after completing their pyramid is the winner.

ARTWORK & COMPONENTS

The majority of Pyramido’s artwork sits on the packaging. Tiles are relatively simple, but the icons are well done. The colors feel nice, but this is a game that could provide a few problems for color blind players.

Component-wise, the tiles are plenty thick and the jewel markers each feature wooden, 3-D Egyptian symbols that add a nice flare to the game.

The rulebook is clear and easy to read and understand. You shouldn’t have any problem jumping directly into Pyramido.

PROS & CONS

 Light, friendly game that plays quickly and is great for families

 Fun, simple choices keep you engaged

 Easy to teach and pick-up

 There is a nice level of strategy that challenges your planning and defensive skills

 Both building your pyramid and connecting and scoring multiple layers are each satisfying processes

 Well produced game with quality components and artwork

 Despite being a fun experience that will be different from game to game, I’m not sold on its long-term replayability. This seems like a game where you could build a strategy to maximize your opportunities thus eliminating any new avenues to victory.

 Randomness of the tiles can either be exciting or frustrating if the color tile you’re looking for either never arrives or is held hostage by opponents.

WHY WOULD YOU LIKE THIS GAME?

There are some similarities to games like Kingdomino. Fans of relatively simple, straightforward tile-laying games are going to find the most enjoyment here. Pyramido is great for families with kids of all ages.

WHAT IS THE BEST THING ABOUT THE GAME?

Despite its simple mechanics, Pyramido presents some interesting strategic choices. While seeing your finished pyramid might be the most satisfying, executing a multi-tiered scoring plan definitely elevates the game.

FINAL THOUGHTS

There are certainly some strategic practices in Pyramido that can only be learned with repeat plays. I’d hate to spoil anything here, but I found my score rising dramatically over the course of my first 3 games. Afterwards, I turned my attention to a more aggressive defensive approach, often sacrificing my own scoring opportunities to keep my opponents at bay.

For a simple, family-weight game, there are some nice, strategic choices available here. Planning and speculation are going to be necessary to put yourself in the best position to align your scoring tiles, but the defensive gamesmanship is where swords begin to cross. While it’s absolutely unnecessary to think this deeply about the game to enjoy it, there is an opportunity to even bluff and outfox your opponent just based on the tiles you make available after your turn. A bit of a “game within a game” that reveals itself with repeat plays with the same group of players.

The majority of players are going to enjoy Pyramido because it’s easy to learn, great for families and you get to build a pyramid… There is nothing wrong with that. My kids had a blast going through the actions and playing with the jewel tokens. More aggressive gamers are going to enjoy the ability to outfox their opponent and bring their personal planning and strategy to life.

I’ve really enjoyed the game so far, but I do think there is a small potential for it to wear out its welcome. As I stated above, I worry that optimizing your approach—despite the built-in tile variability—will limit your creativity and make the game very “same-y” over time. I’ll attempt to update my thoughts after 10 or 15 plays, but it’s true we currently love games that are giving us less in return.

With its easy accessibility, quick turns, fun theme and mass appeal, Pyramido is a game that provides a nice challenge that works well as a gateway game for families and casual gamers. Its surprising strategic depth makes it one that will keep the interest of both gamers and non-gamers alike. I have no problem recommending Pyramido for the right crowd.

Publisher: Tettix Games
Player Count: 2-6 Players
Game Length: 15-30 Minutes
Complexity 1.75/5

Competitors gather yearly at a secret location unbeknownst to the common man to participate in the Global Abomination Association’s monstrosity creation contest. Why do they do this? It’s simply: to create the most hideous abomination the world has ever seen! Muuuhahahaha!

Hideous Abomination is a fast-paced, family-friendly, tile-laying and set collection game full of bizarre creatures, underhanded interaction and Frankenstinian achievements and awards.

I had the opportunity to review the game’s first edition a couple of years ago and I was truly curious to see what upgrades, changes and enhancements have been made. You’re welcome to read my original review HERE, but I’ll cover all aspects below for players new to the game as well as those looking to see if this new edition demands a place in your collection.

ON YOUR TURN

I was originally drawn to Judson Cowan’s Hideous Abomination thanks to the silly theme and strange artwork. Cowan’s providing double duty here serving as both the design and illustrator. The game features a monstrous 190 card deck featuring tons of different illustrated monster styles broken down into heads, hands, tails and various other limbs and structures. While this might seem disgusting… it is, but in a cartoony, humorous and family-friendly sort of way.

Light on rules, Hideous Abomination provides easy access to a game that can be introduced in less time than it takes to read this entire review.

In Hideous Abomination, you’re constructing your own unique creature out of spare monster parts and earning end game awards for a variety of things such as having the most attached eyeballs or fingers.

On your turn you roll the monster dice and do 1 of a series of actions ultimately ending with the opportunity to add a spare part tile card to your creature (or possibly an opponent’s).

The primary die roll actions mainly revolve around gaining new monster parts. This can be accomplished by drawing from a community pool or from the tile deck.

Additionally, you might roll the opportunity to dig through the discarded tile deck or steal a part from an opponent. There are limitations on what you can and can’t steal, but this can definitely cause trouble for your opponents. The final die action is to draw an award card.

Award cards introduce new end-game scoring objectives throughout the game. Each game starts with 3 grand prize scoring objectives, but it’s not crazy to have 7, 8 or 9 new awards to pursue before the end of the game. These awards are awarded to the player with the most of something. The most hands, heads or ears for example.

Stolen body parts can lead to embarrassing holes in your creation that you’ll want to repair. Having a part stolen earns you bolts to help anchor down other parts to keep them from being swiped later on.

The game ends when the first player has closed off all open part tiles protruding from their monster. Now, these tiles can be played on your monster, but it might be more fun to play them on an opponent’s to mess with their hideous plans. Either way, once a creature is complete, players add up awards and any additional points and a grotesque champion is crowned.

WHAT’S NEW IN THE 2ND EDITION?

For the most part, Hideous Abomination looks very similar to the 1st edition. A new monster die has been added, but the main changes have to do with the game’s actions.

The biggest game changer is how end-game awards are revealed. Previously, you randomly chose a number of awards to go along with the standard grand prize awards. Here new awards are revealed throughout the game challenging you to pivot and adjust your plans. I think this makes the steal action a bit more relevant here than in the previous edition. Quick upgrades might be necessary to earn those last few award points and this may mean stealing from an opponent. While this might seem mean, we’re stitching random body parts together to form an abomination… so checking your moral compass at the door is sorta mandatory. Overall, this new addition forces you to be aware of your opponents progress and results in more player interaction.

The stealing action now provides bolts to the victim to minimize future thievery. This is a nice change to the eyeball and piles of bolts used previously. While it stinks to lose a critical monster part, the bolts are a fine consolation providing security and peace-of-mind towards other valued parts.

The potential for an increased number of end-game awards also increases the time spent on end-game scoring. This was a small issue in the previous version and can possibly expand here. While this can be annoying, it certainly isn’t a deal breaker and, in some cases, provided nice suspense when determining a winner. There are simplified rules that ignore awards and give victory to the first player to complete their abomination as well as an even more simplified version where you just draw tile cards blindly from the deck.

Lastly, the box has been reshaped from the previous cube to a flatter, more traditional shape. I do kinda miss the previous cube – it was certainly unique, but I can see the new shape finding a more comfortable place on your gaming shelf.

ARTWORK & COMPONENTS

The silly and strange monsters created by designer and illustrator Judson Cowan are the heart and soul of the game. There are 190 different illustrated monster parts and they all carry unique personalities. Stitching these random parts together to form your own abomination is a visual delight for both young and old.

Component-wise, there isn’t a whole lot in the game besides the creature and award decks. The cardboard bolts do a fine job anchoring down your tiles and the cards aren’t too thin. The monster die is a uniquely crafted die that rolls a bit funny, but adds to the aura of the game.

The rulebook is a breeze to read and digest guaranteeing quick on-boarding to your first play.

PROS & CONS

 This is a quick game that appeals to both gamers and families with kiddos

 Easy rules and an easy to read rulebook make learning a breeze

 The creative monsters provide a lot of personality

 The number of different monster cards along with the numerous end-game awards encourage lots of replay-ability.

 Plenty of opportunity for a bit of “take that” player interaction

 Seeing your completed abomination is equally hilarious and satisfying

 Small box game fits on any shelf

 End-game scoring can take a minute

 Stealing monster parts from your opponent could be upsetting for younger gamers

WHY WOULD YOU LIKE THIS GAME?

Players looking for a simple game with endless replay-ability and an incredibly fun theme are going to find the most enjoyment here. Hideous Abomination is great for families and kiddos.

WHAT IS THE BEST THING ABOUT THIS GAME?

The best thing about the game is seeing your completed hideous abomination. Every monster is going to be unique making it fully your own—pursue your own monstrous style. The wonderfully silly artwork brings every monster to life—telling its own story.

FINAL THOUGHTS

On the surface, Hideous Abomination is a simple tile-laying, set collection game. It’s easy to teach, quick to play and works for gamers of all ages. What elevates Hideous is the wonderfully creative, whimsical and engaging monster illustrations. Suddenly I’m motivated to see what kind of strange creature I can build this time around. Scoring based on the number of fingers my monster has? How many tails I’m able to attach? Pure genius!

The added interaction is just enough to keep everyone on their toes between short winded turns while the finished product is truly satisfying whether you win or lose. The dice rolling element adds variation to the turns, but never really creates a true, luck-based advantage.

The 2nd Edition does a good job upping the interaction as well as providing added surprises throughout the game by randomly revealing end-game scoring awards. I wouldn’t say it’s 100% necessary to upgrade from the first editions, but it does tighten things up and creates a more enjoyable experience overall.

My 7-year-old daughter LOVES Hideous Abomination. With a library of hundreds of games at her disposal, she regularly drags Hideous Abomination to the table. Sometimes it’s to engage in a battle… Other times it’s just to sort through the tiles to find the right combination of monster parts. So I’m probably biased for that reason alone, but Hideous Abomination is a delightful game for our family that’s full of fun and delicious monster surprises. I whole-heartedly recommend this one!

Publisher: Lucky Duck Games
Player Count: 1-4 Players
Solo mode: Yes
Game Length: 60-120 Minutes
Complexity 3/5

In Oros, you’re taking on the mantle of a demigod with the ability to move islands and oceans, disrupt volcanos and form mountains. As you build up the land, you instruct your followers in proper worship as you gain wisdom and grow in power.

Oros is a think-y, mid-weight game with a fun, vibrant production that could potentially appeal to both fans of euro-style strategy and abstract puzzles. In this worker placement and tile laying game you’re moving tiles across a gridded piece of earth, dispersing workers to take actions in an often limited selection of spaces, moving up knowledge tracks and building sacred sites as you tussle with your opponents for control of the most valuable land spaces. Points are earned through a variety of means including both how rapidly you progress as well as how valuable you weigh your achievements.

In the review that follows, I’m hoping to familiarize you with what a turn looks like, where Oros succeed and fail and ultimately to help you determine if it’s right for you.

ON YOUR TURN

Each player begins the game with a small group of followers (or workers) they’ll use repeatedly throughout the game to execute actions and initiate achievements. These workers live on a personal player mat where the majority of actions are triggered while overlooking an additional gridded board featuring a map of the known world.

The personal player mat features 6 primary actions that function like a rondel where you move a worker from one action space to another empty space. These actions will allow you to manipulate the map board such as moving land tiles in various ways, forcing volcanic eruptions, sending workers to study, moving workers across the map or building sacred sites.

On your turn you have the opportunity to take any 3 of these actions that are available to you.

The map area begins the game with a humble selection of land tiles. The land tiles are valued from 1 to 4 and feature different geographic shapes allowing or limiting your followers movements. Throughout the game you’ll cause these land tiles to collide and increase in value. The ultimate goal is to bring 2 level 4 land tiles together to form a mountain. It’s on these mountains that your followers can build sacred sites earning you points.

Each of these personal actions can be upgraded by sending workers to study and gain knowledge. Initially, players have the space available to send 2 players to study, but these spaces increase as more sacred landmarks are built. It requires an action to send workers and another to draw them back. Once a worker returns to your player board you can increase the power of any of your 6 primary actions. Each action can be improved up to 5 times earning you bonuses, new abilities and valuable points. One of the key ways to earn points is by upgrading one of the building actions. These upgrades each increase the final value of 1 of the 3 different sacred sites you build during the game.

After each sacred site is built, players advance on the advancement board earning a higher end game point total and ultimately serving as a countdown to the end of the game.

Oros does provide a unique puzzle combining worker placement/strategy and abstract approaches. While your workers trigger the actions, a lot of the gamesmanship stems from forming, destroying and rotating tiles across the map. The map functions like an advanced game of Pacman as tiles wrap around and contour the gridded area. This creates an interesting struggle from both an individual perspective and defensive approach to bring the highly valued tiles together where you can reach them while also protecting them from your opportunistic opponents.

Like any tech-tree based euro, there is always a balance between growing your abilities and securing points. It’s no surprise that doing both well is necessary for victory.

Oros is a 1-4 player game which means there is a dedicated solo mode, but there are also 4 unique AI opponents that can be used to make a 3 or 4 player game. The AI opponents are tied to each of the 4 demigod players and feature varying difficulty levels. It took a game to familiarize myself with the AI icons, but once I got it all straight the AI was a breeze to execute. And it really does need to be a breeze because Oros requires you to have a minimum combination of 3 real or AI players on board. For a solo game you would need to run 2 additional AI.

Once the first player summits the advancement board, the game ends and the player with the most points is the winner.

ARTWORK & COMPONENTS

The artwork in Oros has a clean, friendly feel with bright colors and smooth lines. I found this to be very ironic since the actions focus on violent volcanic eruptions and brutal land collisions. The components including a small army of meeples, tiles, miniature wooden volcanos and much more are all really well done. Initially, I felt the player mats were a little thin, but after a game, they seemed to work just fine. There is a lot to manage here when it comes to setup and tear down, but careful packing takes the pain out of the process.

The rulebook presents everything in an organized and coherent way, but did let me down by failing to address some small rule issues. Fortunately I was able to connect with the Oros community on BoardGameGeek.com and find the answers.

PROS & CONS

Figuring out how to smash and build up land tiles is good fun

The artwork draws you immediately into the game

I enjoy a system where actions are limited based on your previous choices – Oros does a fine job forcing you to carefully consider your actions and plan for the future. Bonus Pro: I also enjoyed how gaining new workers can simultaneously benefit you and limit your actions by clogging up your action spaces.

The tile movement/abstract puzzle is super think-y. The unique way the tiles move across the grid provides freedom, but also an added layer of consideration. Add in the fact that mountains cannot be moved and you find yourself limited in unexpected ways.

I think there is a good balance of complexity and accessibility.

When the board gets congested, I find physically moving tiles around a challenge for my fingers.

The AI can be challenging, but I often audibly called out the AI for cheating.

This isn’t a universal con, but game length varies quite a bit based on player count and decision making.

WHY WOULD YOU LIKE THIS GAME?

Fans looking for more out of their abstract, tile laying games are going to enjoy this. Oros brings a fresh and challenging tile-merging puzzle that’s complemented by an entire tech-tree/upgrading system that functions almost like an engine builder.

WHAT IS THE BEST THING ABOUT THE GAME?

Colliding tiles and erupting volcanoes to build new lands doesn’t always work in your favor, but when it does it’s certainly the most satisfying element in the game.

FINAL THOUGHTS

On the surface, I really love everything about Oros. Visually, it’s super attractive—the entire production really drew me right in from the artwork to the components. Huge props to the art team behind Oros.

I love pairing an abstract puzzle inside a euro-game engine. I’ve seen this done quite a bit lately on a smaller scale, but the big map board provides an almost infinite set of opportunities to potentially manipulate these tiles into points, but on multiple levels.

For the most part, my appreciation of Oros as a whole isn’t just on the surface.

I get think-y turns that can be AP-inducing aren’t for everyone. It’s not going to happen every turn and it won’t happen every game, but Oros can be slow to materialize. The issue is, while Oros would appear to benefit the long-term planner, the constantly changing board demands short-term contingencies. Having a player “steal” or move a tile just outside of your action ability (especially early when your powers are weak) can be frustrating. I actually dig the think-y turns and don’t mind the slow gameplay as long as there is an eventual payoff. The real payoff seems to come with time and practice. Early on I wasted a number of turns, leaving my plans exposed and eventually foiled by nasty opponents. The strategy started to become more clear just halfway through the first game and my appreciation for the game’s puzzle grew quickly.

Choices throughout the game are super engaging and I really enjoy the ability to have 3 actions each turn. This definitely counters some of the challenges brought on by an ever-evolving board. The limited action selection system is its own little efficiency puzzle that you’ll get more out of the more you put in. I also appreciated the ability to send individual workers to study and then bring them all back at the right time. It’s a give and take since your ability to get more workers on the board to study coincides with your ability to upgrade the number of workers you can have on the board (which is earned by studying). It’s a simple engine-building mechanic, but it’s accentuated by the need and desire to do a whole slew of other things at the same time.

The biggest regret I have for the game is moving the tiles around the board. As the board grew, I found myself often knocking tile stacks over as I tried to move tiles across the board. I don’t see a better alternative, It’s just one of those things where the tactile nature of the game rubbed me the wrong way. Unfortunately, this is a pretty prominent feature of the game. As I read back over this paragraph I almost feel guilty about how petty this may come across. This may not be a problem for you, but I really struggled with it.

Lastly, I want to address the game’s accessibility. Oros isn’t a difficult game to teach. In fact, it provides a really nice balance between its complexity and ease to teach. The iconography may seem overwhelming at first, but it quickly comes into focus and shouldn’t deter a new player for too long. I was very pleased with how easy the game was to jump into and how quickly I adjusted and adapted to the game’s experience.

While Oros looks like a family game and has good accessibility, this is a think-y gamer’s game that rewards multiple plays and appeals to tile layers and abstract gamers looking for a more challenging experience. I think it’s the kind of game that will either resonate with you immediately or completely put you off… but that’s typically the case with most abstract games in my experience. Oros is a creative, ambitious production that can be really rewarding in the hands of the right audience.

Publisher: 25th Century Games
Player Count: 2-4 Players
Game Length: 30-60 Minutes
Complexity 2.25/5

Earn prestige as you seek to become a Master Gardener in Gartenbau, a horticulture journey of garden cultivation, timeless floral beauty and deceptively deep planning.

Gartenbau is made up of a number of mechanics that include a rondel track, tile drafting and placement, tableau building and endgame objectives. Points are king and scoring accumulates from a nifty, 3-tiered tile-laying system where the points increase the higher you stack. While Gartenbau is a more casual gaming experience, there may be more under the surface than a bright bouquet of sunflowers. Check out our review below and see if Gartenbau will satisfy your green thumb.

ON YOUR TURN

The creators behind Gartenbau made an interesting choice when it came to the presentation. All the floral artwork in the game comes directly from vintage seed and flower catalogs of the late 19th century. These lavish illustrations provide a unique look into history, but also set a rich tone for the gameplay.

The goal of Gartenbau is to score the most points and you attempt to achieve that by mastering the horticultural art of flower presentation. As you cultivate your garden, you’ll plant seeds, buy flowers and achieve dynamic, floral groupings.

On your turn, you’re met with 3 choices: Do you visit the seedling market, the plant market or place flower tiles? Your garden will ultimately serve as a tableau for compounding points so it’s necessary to get your engine running right by making good choices early. And there really is an emphasis on making the right decisions and doing so early in the game since careful planning of your garden is critical. To make the process a bit more streamlined, each player chooses a set of flower tiles that present goals that payout in various ways when applied to your garden at later points in the game.

A great way to explain the overall game-flow is to explain the tile-laying/building process. Your garden always starts with seedling tiles. These tiles are drafted when you choose to visit the seedling market. You have the opportunity to select the top tile of that location and place it immediately adjacent to tiles in your garden. These seedling tiles aren’t worth points, but they each feature 2 random flower symbols. These symbols are important since you’ll need to pair 2 specific symbols in order to visit the plant market (which we’ll explain shortly). Optionally, you can choose water and sunlight tokens instead of choosing seedlings. Each location on the board has a different combination of water and sunlight tokens often creating some interesting decisions and nice tension. The value of these tokens come into play as you visit the plant market on later turns.

The game board essentially has 2 rondel tracks. The first moves you around to visit the seedling market, while visiting the plant market moves you briefly off that primary track and away from blocking any opponent’s next move. The plant market allows you to purchase flowers which will then be placed on top of seedling tiles creating a second tile layer in your garden. You gain these tiles by paying a specific number of water and sun tokens and matching adjacent seedling tile symbols already played in your garden. As more plant tiles of each plant type are selected, they increase in value. So waiting to buy a certain plant tile may make sense, you also run the risk of missing out completely. These plant tiles also serve as a countdown to the end of the game and when they’re gone, they’re gone.

The 3rd turn option also coincides with the 3rd layer of your garden. Prior to the start, each player receives a set of flower tiles providing a variety of scoring opportunities. Each of these tiles requires a set of 2 specific flower tiles to activate. Once you’ve achieved a tile goal, you can choose to place it on top of the proper flower tiles. This does provide bigger end game scoring opportunities, but also cancels out the points from any covered up flower tiles. While it’s typically worth it, this can create some interesting choices, especially if you gain the higher value plant tiles closer to the bottom of the stack.

The flower tiles all carry different, creative scoring conditions. Some will give you points for certain exposed plant tiles in your garden, while others might score points for individual “holes” in your garden tile system. Of course some will just give you big chunks of points, but it’s up to you to target your goals early so you gather the right tiles or at least consider your contingencies since the perfect seedling tile isn’t always available when you need it.

There are ways to advance further around the play area or even share a space with an opponent (which normally isn’t allowed), but the heart of the game is drafting and purchasing tiles in a carefully planned, efficient method to net the most points. Once the endgame is triggered, players get an additional turn, scores are added up and the player with the most points earns the title of Master Gardener.

ARTWORK & COMPONENTS

I previously mentioned the vintage artwork used in Gartenbau. It has an eloquent, timeless style that feels just as relevant and attractive today as it did over 100 years ago. The artwork really lays the foundation giving the game a charming presentation overall. The quality of the components are great and there isn’t anything cheap to detract from the experience. The game’s 2 cardboard wheelbarrows aren’t necessary, but who doesn’t want 3-D cardboard wheelbarrows in their game?

The rulebook is really well done and makes an accessible game that much easier to jump into.

PROS & CONS

 Beautiful, vintage artwork and fun, quality components provides a great table presence

 Simple ruleset makes teaching the game a breeze

 Quick playtime in under an hour works great for many families

 Satisfying tile system feels good and presents some interesting decisions

 Simple rondel board can feel a little limiting, but forces you to work within your choices. There are ways to circumvent the movement rules, but they are limited.

Planning is key. While this is a fairly simple game, success is achieved through intentional pursuits and strategy and intense engagement.

 It can be frustrating missing out on the seedling tiles necessary for your plans, but this is the game and executing your contingencies can be exciting or a real bummer depending how you feel about it.

 The game takes up a fair amount of table space and you have to get creative with how you layout your garden tiles.

 Turns are played fairly quick, but the game overall, moves along at a slower, methodical pace. If you have someone who really wants to think through their turn, it can feel a lot longer between turns than it really is.

 While there are different goal sets and rule variants to keep things fresh, the replay-ability may lean too heavily on the charming theme and presentation.

WHY WOULD YOU LIKE THIS GAME?

The charming presentation is going to draw you in and even keep you to some extent. Fans of horticulture and vintage art are going to find the appearance of the game equally appealing. This is a game that’s easy to learn, has simple turn mechanics, but also provides a bit of bite. Success depends on your ability to plan and execute within the game’s restraints.

WHAT IS THE BEST THING ABOUT THIS GAME?

The best thing about Gartenbau is the tile-laying system. I really enjoy setting my garden foundation, building it up and then seeing it come to fruition by achieving my flower tile goals. There are also some interesting decisions as you try to pair symbols and maximize points, but in the end it feels very satisfying.

FINAL THOUGHTS

Gartenbau is the type of game where you come for the aesthetics and stay for the substance. The big, bright sunflower at the center of the board serves as a beacon calling out to all who appreciate the vibrancy and energy of nature. It’s when you really dive into the strategy that you uncover a fun, engaging system.

It’s a gateway-style game that’s easy to teach, learn and jump into. The limited rule set is smooth and simple without the wrinkles that over complicate many games. The actions, while straightforward, provide plenty of interesting decisions.

The tile-laying aspect to the game could easily have felt tired, but the planning and strategy force you stay engaged and focused keeping it fresh and interesting. Building up your garden through this multi-tiered tile system looks and functions great. When you’re finally able to lay that flower tile on the 3rd level, there is a real sense of satisfaction. While this seems like the pinnacle of your garden mountain, there were many times placing that final tile, even though available, wasn’t always clear cut. There are a number of different ways to score and it’s not always by racing to build your flower tiles. There are enough variabilities built into the game to keep you on your toes and keep the game from becoming too formulaic.

All that being said, I’m not sure how repayable Gartenbau really is. It does a lot of things other successful games are doing right now… but it does them very well. There are a number of different objective sets to help chart a unique course from the beginning. While these objectives are each unique on the surface, the differences aren’t all-together THAT different. So while I can plan for different approaches and pursue different goals the game does have its limits.

At the end of the day Gartenbau is good fun. It looks great and that adds a lot of value to a game that does some new things, but also a lot of old things really well. I think there is a ton of value here that should appeal to a large cross-section of gamers who like their games lighter with a little bit of bite. The mechanics and choices blend together nicely and if the theme appeals to you, I can’t see anyone being too disappointed they invested in Gartenbau.

Publisher: Renegade Games
Player Count: 2-4 Players
Dedicated Solo mode: No
Game Length: 180-240 Minutes
Complexity 3.25/5

Returning home to your family’s large estate, you’ve quickly discovered a room full of scientific machinery and paraphernalia. Passing over the shelves full of bizarre liquids and grotesque curiosities, your eyes come to rest on an old leather book. Full of brilliant ramblings and enthusiastic pursuits, you discover a plan for a project so ambitious that you’re immediately enamored by the possibilities. Like someone possessed, you can’t help but give in to the stirring deep within your soul. “I know what I must do,” you suddenly blurt aloud. “I must follow in these terrifying yet captivating footsteps. I must compete My Father’s Work!”

My Father’s Work is an app and narrative driven, worker placement game where you take on the role of a family of mad scientists over 3 generations looking to bring your father’s lifelong pursuits to fruition. Set in a historic, gothic, horror fantasy, your choices will change the story and the landscape of the nearby town. Complete science experiments, restrain the forming mob unglued by your bizarre antics and pass along knowledge as you slowly slip into insanity.

3 SCENARIOS, MULTIPLE PATHWAYS

The driving element behind My Father’s Work are the interactive storylines. Choose from 1 of 3 scenarios, each with completely unique tales. While the game’s core mechanics basically stay the same, each scenario introduces new game pieces and choices creating different experiences. In the first scenario, The Cost of Disease brings yellow fever to the village. Fear of the Unknown centers around the village’s accusations and fear of witchcraft. A Time of War circles around a civil war brewing between the separatists and loyalists. Choices you make during each scenario affects how it will play out, meaning each story is highly repayable and full of variations stemming from the smallest choices.

A VISIT FROM THE GOOD SCIENTIST

Each game takes place over 3 generations each comprised of 3 rounds. Your family will begin the game consisting of you, your spouse and a helper. Each character in the game has certain abilities and limitations depending on where you can visit. While you only start out with 3 workers, available characters can be unlocked increasing your actions during a given round. Players take turns performing actions until all players have passed that round.

The play area consists of an open village map and your own castle-like manor. The village map allows you to interact with townspeople, gain resources or do various actions that will evolve as the game progresses. The village map is part of a book of many village maps that change over the course of the game as story events or player actions unfold. Visiting the manor is where you perform experiments or record knowledge to your journal. While you can’t always pass along knowledge to the next generation, information recorded in your journal is shared with your future relatives.

The heart of the mechanics revolves around placing your workers and fulfilling experiment cards. You’ll receive multiple cards throughout the game that present smaller experiments ranging from things like Microscopic Experiments to Brain Transplants or Refrigeration. More extreme options might be Sinister Metal Masks, Cryogenic Chambers, the Inside-Out Crocodile or a Gateway to the Underworld. These experiments are all in addition to your master work, chosen at the beginning of the game, which is typically something more grandiose such as a Time Machine, Giant Spider Chariot or even Love Potion.

Experiments each require hard-fought resources to accomplish but provide valuable benefits that can be used to fulfill other more complicated experiment cards. You’re typically limited to the number of experiment cards you can carry over to the next generation and most often can’t share ingredients with your future family. I use “typically” and “often” because there are plenty of upgrades throughout the game that can allow you to break rules.

As you take actions and fulfill experiments, you have the potential to stir up the town’s people who may not understand your work or are just completely against it. This will be something you’ll have to manage corporately as your opponents have the opportunity to affect the mob with their own actions. In addition to managing the town’s people, you’ll have the benefit (or unfortunate circumstance) of slowing falling into madness. This madness track can provide benefits or can lead to limitations. I didn’t find this track to be too difficult to manage, but a player looking for big rewards might gamble a little harder here.

WORKING WITH THE FINEST TOOLS

My Father’s Work is a highly thematic experience, and a major contributing piece to the experience is the game’s components. These deluxe-deluxe components come standard and bring a rich, engaging element to the gameplay. In addition to well-done miniature and metal coins, players will be using small, glass containers, a handful of wooden animals (all uniquely shaped), metal gears and a number of unique wooden tokens-most with screen printed graphics. No matter what anyone says, the game is worth playing just for the components alone. The production is truly a work of art and it’s a joy to experience.

THE STORY UNFOLDS

Throughout the game you’ll face choices that will affect your success as well as the direction of the story as a whole. These choices can swing the story in completely unexpected ways. I was pleasantly surprised to see a time where the story changed based solely on my father’s master work that I chose at the beginning of the game or another where a random choice paid big dividends at the end. Sometimes the choices may have minor effects on the scenario and other times the results will create new and interesting ways for players to interact, score benefits or participate in unique scenario mini games.

The app does feature quite a bit of text and some of it is narrated. I’ll address this more in my final thoughts, but it’s professionally done and its dark music provides a nice backdrop for the game.

After the 3rd round of the 3rd generation, the game ends and players add their end game bonuses and any points gained through last minute story twists. The player with the most points is the winner.

ARTWORK

Similar to the components, the artwork is top notch. It’s eerie and moody and further proves the production team wanted to create something that would be talked about and sought after long past the game’s release.

PROS & CONS

Beautiful production
Strong theme
Fairly easy game to dive into
 Despite only 3 scenarios there is plenty of replay ability
 The limited ability to transfer resources each generation creates a fun urgency
 Experiment cards contain tons of fun flavor text and personality
 While it varies per game there is a vein of humor throughout the game that I enjoyed

The heavy narrative slows down the game’s pace
Old English used in the story embraced the theme, but limited clarity
Despite amazing Game Trayz, it’s still a bit of chore to set up
Audio narration was only available on a small portion of the story
Gameplay (especially at 4 players) can take awhile
Solo mode would have increased repeat plays

WHY WOULD YOU LIKE THIS GAME?

If you’re looking for a thick, thematic, narrative-driven, gothic experience… My Father’s Work is probably number 1 on the list. Considering the story and components, this is truly an immersive experience. The worker placement and choices are interesting, but not over-the-top keeping the game accessible.

BEST THING ABOUT THIS GAME?

The best thing about the game is the luxurious components. Playing with glass containers and metal coins and gears makes this one special for that fact alone. The components command your attention and give you a high-art, high-end experience.

FINAL THOUGHTS

My Father’s Work is an enormous accomplishment, but one that can be divisive. While the care put into the game is clearly visible, the story, which should be central to the experience, often ends up bogging the flow of the game down and feeling dry and drab. It’s written in an old English style that, while very thematic, is often difficult to follow. Yes, I can see some players eating this up. It feels authentic to the time period and further immerses you in this bygone age. On the flip side, it’s bloated and a tad indulgent and that may be too much for players lacking the patience to follow this through.

As a worker placement game, it’s fairly standard, but well done and the wrinkles revealed by the scenarios can sometimes create exciting and unexpected circumstances. The experiment cards are each a mini set collection game that feeds into a larger tableau-builder running the length of the game. There are plenty of opportunities to enhance and upgrade your abilities. With a limited number of workers and only 9 rounds over the entire game, each action is costly and there is a nice push and pull to your choices.

The mob and sanity tracks aren’t necessarily new, but they’re nice touches that keep you in check while adding extra spice to the game. These tracks seemed to come into play more on some scenarios than others and a bit disappointing when they didn’t truly effect any actions.

Upgrading your manor can be expensive (both in coins and track positions), but can provide incredible value. There are plenty of valid paths to victory and balancing these (such as how much and how often should I upgrade my manor) is another of the half-dozen “good choices” vying for your attention throughout the game. It’s rare for anyone to have a excess of resources throughout the game, so planning and budgeting for your future projects are essential.

Where I really struggled was with the app and the story. I’m not going to find fault in a few glitches on the app – I’m sure they will be fixed prior to the publication of this article. What really damaged the flow of the game was the lengthy, uneventful reading between rounds and generations. It’s certainly not poorly written from a technical standpoint, but the vocabulary is tough to follow and it’s incredibly LONG. Even when the story inched towards being more entertaining, it always held back, taking itself a bit too seriously and never quite reached the heights I wanted it to. Some of the story lines were better than others, but I still struggled to stay engaged on the better ones. Overall the story really bogged down the pace of the game and felt way too dry for me. I found myself wanting to skip over them and get back to the gameplay.

The app claims to have audio narrations, but they’re so few and far between I was surprised when one popped up. My group was really worn out by the end of this one and it would be difficult to bring them back for a 2nd go. There were moments when it seemed the story was going to go to the next level… but then it didn’t. In the end, any good fortune the game built up was lost by end of this incredibly long exercise.

Going into this, I wanted to snuggle with it like a mad scientist and his monstrous creation on a Friday night. The deep gothic horror setting and beautiful production and components call to me even now as I peer over the edge of this massive game box. But the disconnect from the story is going to keep this from getting the replays the designer and publisher intended. I think it’s fair to say this could be a home run for gamers fully committed to the literature and theme. If you’re willing to be patient with the story there is a lot to like. The production alone elevates the game to a whole other level.

My Father’s Work definitely provided the aesthetics, but failed when it came to delivering the substance for me. Perhaps I came in with too high expectations, but I can’t in good conscious recommend My Father’s Work.

Publisher: Stronghold Games
Player Count: 1-4 Players
Dedicated Solo mode: Yes
Game Length: 30 Minutes
Complexity 2/5

In Dulce, you’re looking to build the most efficient and successful confection business from the ground up. You’ll plant your raw materials, harvest them and even build shops to make and sell your treats. 

Dulce incorporates an engine-building system where players will use overflow from a previous recipe’s ingredient to fulfill another. Each player will draw the same card each turn, but what you do with that card will determine the success of your business. Can you build a sweet shop that flows smoothly earning you big rewards?

PLAYING A TURN

Each player begins the game with their own player board and set of 24 cards in ascending order. One player is chosen to shuffle their deck and remove 4 cards. This player will dictate the number and order all players will play their cards during the game.

As players draw that round’s card they’ll be forced to choose 3 potential actions: plant, harvest or build.

When you choose to plant you flip your card over and play it on your player board. Each card has a set of the 4 different grid spaces on the back. These could be any of the game’s 4 ingredients arranged in any order. After placing the card on their player board, they add that ingredient’s cube on top of the card’s ingredient icons. As this continues, players can play new cards on top of others, potentially earning extra ingredients by playing on top of a similar ingredient icon.

Harvesting ingredients allows you to remove 1 row or column of ingredients from your player board. This requires you to discard that turn’s card. These resources will in-turn be applied to any built confection shops.

Each confection shop requires a set of 2 ingredients to produce that shop’s confection. Once a shop’s ingredients are fulfilled, the player removes those tokens and scores a point.

Each ingredient space in a shop also has a system of rings around the space. Ingredients with more rings create overflow. Once fulfilled, you can use that overflow ingredient on another shop with a lesser number rings bearing that it’s the same ingredient. This creates a system of overflow ingredients that can potentially satisfy multiple shop recipes.

We can’t forget about the chicken meeple. You feed your chicken meeple with unused ingredients. The chicken meeple moves up the scoring track. The chicken can then trade 3 points for an egg ingredient which serves as a wild when fulfilling your recipes.

Once the 20th card has been played, the player with the most points is the winner.

ART & COMPONENTS

The art in Dulce is definitely a highlight. The softly illustrated player boards feature a charming farm. Each shop card in the game features the same shop in different colors, but it’s well done and there is a nice, calming color palette throughout.

The components as a whole are a little basic and lacking. The player boards are fine, but the cards are really thin and the meeples & chicken meeples are really small.

PROS & CONS

Fun and enticing theme
Nice art and graphics
The chicken meeple is a nice touch
Think-y gameplay in it’s own way

Upkeep throughout the game is a bit of a chore
Scoring can be more of brain burner than the actual gameplay
Payoffs aren’t that exciting
Components are a bit subpar
Rulebook isn’t the best

WHY WOULD YOU LIKE THIS GAME?

Fans who eat up engine builders are going to appreciate this slightly different take on it. I also might add that while it is a multi-player solitaire game, it may find its niche in the solo market.

BEST THING ABOUT THIS GAME?

The best thing is the “overflow” engine building aspect of the game. Creating a series of shops that will benefit each other and make the most of each harvested ingredient is the heart of the game.

FINAL THOUGHTS

Dulce should be a slam dunk. A game about planting, harvesting and making confections with an engine building mechanic is a huge success on paper. Unfortunately, the game’s flow is rough and it never really reaches truly engaging levels. I really wanted to like Dulce, but it never quite clicked with me. I get the concept and decisions behind the mechanics… and it seems to pair well with the theme, but the decisions were never that exciting and when the game was over I felt fairly apathetic to it all.

The theme is fun and it looks good and it’s going to draw some people in and possibly keep them for awhile. The mechanics will almost convince you this is a friendly, mellow game with a think-y underbelly. The reality is, the upkeep and scoring wear you down to the point you can’t really enjoy the process. Updating the player board by planting new ingredients was such a mess, pulling cubes off and trying to figure out which ingredients got multiple cubes—not to mention avoiding knocking other cubes all over the place—just seemed like a lot of work. The scoring system is a bit of a mess as well. What should have been a very satisfying element, moving cubes from one shop to another while remembering to score as they cascade down, ends up being more work than it should.

I liked the idea of the ingredient overflow forming and engine builder and the multiple-action cards forcing you to choose which of 3 areas you want to activate. But, at the end of the day it just doesn’t flow smoothly enough.

Growing crops to bake confections is a great idea for a game, but I feel the entire game is a bit of a bait and switch. The production feels very soft and inviting, but the game play is a little disjointed and rough. I feel cheated out of what should have been a real nice gateway game. Even though you may be playing in a group, you’re really playing your own game. In fact, this may be better off played solo.

Fans of the theme who like very casual, light, multiplayer solitaire games might be disappointed. The engine building aspect doesn’t quite deliver and planting the ingredients ended up being a little too much of a pain. It just didn’t get there for me and unfortunately I can’t recommend this one.

Publisher: Tinkerbot Games
Player Count: 1-4 Players
Solo mode: Yes
Game Length: 60 Minutes
Complexity 2.25/5

After being closed for nearly 300 years, Creepstone Manor was temporarily opened to the public. Fortunately the ghostly residents were able to successfully scare off the residents without too much trouble… whew! With the house secure, it’s time for these ghosts to turn their attention to the estate grounds—specifically the gardens. Due to their transparent state, it only makes sense for these ghosts to employ a team of local ghouls and goblins to help with the planting and raking.

Part Bidding game, part deck management and part abstract game, Hauticulture has you building on tiles, upgrading your hand of ghouls and arranging your garden tiles effectively and efficiently in your garden to earn the most points. Played over 3 rounds, players will draft garden tiles through a card bidding process with the goal of achieving patterns and earning points. You’ll even have the opportunity to recruit monsters with special skills to boost your hand and prospects. Build the most aesthetically pleasing garden to please the head ghost and earn the title of head haunticulturalist.

ON YOUR TURN

Each player begins the game with a standard set of individually numbered cards featuring skeletons, ghouls and zombies to help you out.

Played over 3 rounds, each round consists of 2 separate phases. During the first phase players will be bidding on tiles featuring garden amenities. Each unique garden tile corresponds to a different pattern scoring goal within your garden. For example, certain tiles may need to be planted on a diagonal line, while others need to be planted in bunches.

Using their hand of cards, players will play onto a grid surrounded by horizontal and vertical tile opportunities. This grid-shaped bidding system gives players the opportunity to earn available tiles. When the grid has been filled, players with the most collective card values played in each individual row or column choses 1 of the 2 corresponding tiles while the runner up chooses the remaining one. Each row and column is resolved until all the tiles have been selected.

Throughout the game, gardening ghosts will dig up treasure. Players can use this treasure to hire unique helpers, adding them to their hand and using them in the bidding process. Similar to your starting hand, these upgraded cards may have a higher card value or offer additional benefits when played.

The second phase has players simultaneously playing tiles on their personal garden board. Certain tile types and scoring goals will likely conflict and it’ll be up to you to choose the best course of action.

After 3 rounds, the player with the highest score is the winner.

ARTWORK & COMPONENTS

The artwork features a variety of silly monsters, like a fish out of water, pulled into this foreign world of gardening. They all hilariously look out of their element, yet are still willing to give it the old college try. While a little dark, the illustrations are solid and definitely embrace the theme and fun behind it. The tiles are a little small, but it’s never felt that big of a hindrance. I am reviewing the prototype and I know the publisher has plans for some overlays and other upgrades. There is a fun assortment of upgradable cards featuring werewolves, vampires and various other Halloween-themed monstrosities.

PROS & CONS

I’m a fan of this crazy theme. Only in a board game will you find ghosts seeking the help of the undead to manage the gardens surrounding their haunted house. BONUS!

I like the marriage between the 2 different phase mechanics. It builds an interesting synergy that keeps things interesting and fun. This is great for both bidding fans and abstract fans.

The fairly simple rules and humorous theme make this great for families.

The unique market of upgradable cards provide many different strategic opportunities helping to keep the game fresh.

While it doesn’t play fast at 60 minutes, it doesn’t necessarily overstay its welcome and seems to move pretty quickly when players understand their objectives.

There are multiple scoring objectives for each garden tile giving you plenty of game play options.

I would prefer the garden boards and tiles to be larger.

While not a deal breaker, setting up and refreshing the play area between rounds is a little tedious.

WHY WOULD YOU LIKE THIS GAME?

Players who enjoy pattern building are going to appreciate the added bidding mechanic that brings a fun diversity to the rounds. It’s like 2 games in one – each with the same goal in mind. It also doesn’t hurt if you love Halloween-themed games.

BEST THING ABOUT THIS GAME?

The best thing is planning your garden. Each tile features fun, thematic garden items that bring the game’s unique theme to life. With so many different scoring options, you’ll get to choose which ones you want to pursue and how you want to implement them into your garden. You can literally create your own, unique ghostly garden.

PERSONAL THOUGHTS

I have a soft spot for games with absurd themes. It doesn’t always mean they’re good games, but there is something that draws me in from the moment I catch wind of the characters and story. I think it takes me back to my younger years when I digested a steady stream of B-grade movies filled with creatures and plenty of low brow humor. Haunticulture certainly fits that modus operandi.

Haunticulture presents itself almost like 2 separate games. One, a simple, yet cutthroat bidding & drafting game and the other an abstract, simultaneous tile placement endeavor. This creature with 2 heads proves to be stronger together than its individual parts as the pairing of these two mechanics produce a more engaging, creative experience.

No matter the time of year, it seems like there is a certain clique of gamers always looking for the next Halloween-themed game to add to their collection. Here comes Hauticulture to slide right into that space. It ticks nearly every notch on the Halloween belt with its all-star roster of werewolves, zombies, ghosts, vampires and more. You’ve got a haunted house, dangerous vegetation and moody surroundings. Fans of this genre aren’t going to have a problem here.

The question remains: Does Hauticulture make the most of its spooky setting and characters by actually creating a fun gaming experience?

I really think it does and here’s why:

I’m a fan of bidding games and I really enjoyed the grid-based bidding phase as you wrestle with your opponents to gather the most desirable garden tokens. You have to carefully manage your hand of cards to play the right values in the right places at the right time. It’s not rocket science, but bidding games get me because I have the opportunity to actually play my opponents (vs competing against the game). No matter what, each game is going to be a unique experience.

Hauticulture does a nice job of adding additional game-ified pieces by allowing you to upgrade your creature cards through the market. Each unique card in the market provides new ways to strategize, target your scoring objectives and create pain for your opponents. Additionally, purchasing these upgraded cards sends you to the back of the bidding line forcing you to potentially delay a critical bidding turn.

The second part of the game brings an abstract, garden-planting/organizing element to the game. I’m an art director in real life and my mind just works when it comes to efficiently processing shapes and patterns. The second phase of Haunticulture has you taking the tiles you drafted during the bidding phase and arranging them to meet a variety of scoring goals. Each unique tile has its own scoring goals and it’s up to you to not only decide what to pursue, but to drop them into your garden efficiently and with enough future planning and flexibility to accommodate the next round’s tiles. I love maximizing a limited amount of space. In a sense, it’s controlled chaos and I thrive there.

While neither of these puzzles will necessarily blow your mind, the pairing really feels good to me. It’s combining 2 fantastic gaming areas that are dear to me into 1 box and it just works.

I’ll be the first to admit it’s hard to be objective about Haunticulture. There’s a chance it’s not as tight as it should be or it doesn’t play as quickly as some would like. But it’s easy to overlook when the pairing of the theme and mechanics feels like it was made specifically for me. On top of that, the execution is solid. The production isn’t over the top and the play isn’t unnecessarily complex. All that to say is I think Hauticulture is a lot of fun. It’s super accessible and works well as a family-style game. There is plenty of variety in the card abilities and pattern objectives to keep your plays fresh. If you’re in the market for a fun and silly Halloween-style game, you should definitely check out Haunticulture.

Published by Bible Games Central
2-6 Players  |  15 Minutes

In this Bible-themed game of tiles and symbols, players will compete in 1 of 4 different game modes all revolving around octagon-shaped tiles, each with 8 unique images representing a Biblical theme.

Bible Match It Link It contains 4 mini games, each revolving around the concept of matching and linking individual illustrations. Geared toward a younger gaming audience (6+), each mini game varies slightly in skill and mechanics.

4 GAMES 2 MATCH & LINK

The first game, Lightning Links, players begin with a single, octagon tile in front of them. Players take turns flipping over tiles. The first player to identify one of the new tiles 8 images that successfully matches one on their current tile set, earns the tile and the point. It plays a bit like Dominos with a real-time element that forces players to race to identify that matching symbol that works for them. As players add more tiles to their personal tile area, the image link-ups change and more options become available, growing the challenge.

In Frenzy, players frantically work to connect 3 dealt tiles in some way to a single tile placed in the middle of the play area. In subsequent rounds, in addition to drawing 3 new titles, winning players will begin with an extra tile per previous victory.

The Big Picture introduces a cooperative element to the gameplay. Players will work to successfully link all 57 tiles together to form the perfect puzzle. This game option requires careful planning to meet the ultimate goal. Revealed tiles unable to link up are discarded, but can be retried later in the game.

The 4th game, Four in a Row, has players competing over a grid of randomly drawn tiles. As new tiles are revealed, players will quickly survey the grid looking for a matching symbol. The first player to call out a symbol places a colored meeple on the tile earning ownership. The first player to match 4 tiles in a row is the winner.

SEEK & FIND

The majority of the game play options revolve around a seek & find process where players are racing to quickly identify matching symbols. Each tile has 8 individual illustrations that may or may not match any of the icons you’re seeking. Playing a game within the “Domino” style setup, players will not only have to find a matching image, but be able to legally play it into their space. It’s all real-time and can get pretty wild.

While the images on the tiles have a Biblical connection, the game action doesn’t necessarily promote a Biblical message. There are Bible story cards that accompany the game that expand on each symbol, providing Biblical context and a brief summary relating to scripture.

FINAL THOUGHTS

The majority of Bible Match It Link Its game modes play at a wild pace. It’s all in real-time and forces you to constantly think on your toes.

Considering the younger audience the game focuses on, I can see kids and families enjoying this “Spot It” style game. The cooperative game is fine, but the game’s real identity comes through in the race to identify and match tiles.

The Bible story cards feel like a bit of an afterthought, but I do appreciate the short, Bible-focused devotional each card provides. It’s a nice addition for after the game since kids will remember certain symbols during the game and can use that visual to connect with Biblical messages.

Success in these types of games really depends on the players involved. Are you (or your kids) a quick thinker who loves the idea of racing for tiles? Then you’re probably going to enjoy the game. Kids who prefer analysis and strategy aren’t going to love it as much. All-in-all, it’s very accessible: Easy to set up, easy to learn and quick to play making it easy to play multiple games at one sitting.

Find out more info at BibleGamesCentral.com

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Bible Trivia (https://biblegamescentral.com/bible-trivia/)

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