To app or not to app, the modern board gamer’s most crucial question. Well that and how we all feel about legacy games. But to go back to the app - I get it. I chose to play board games over video games for a number of reasons, and screen fatigue is certainly one of them. However as a solo gamer I have learned to make concession, and I thought for the longest time that deduction games were just not the genre of game I would get to play on my own. Until The Search for Planet X came along with the promise of deduction fun if only I was willing to accept... an app.
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Wondering why I haven’t been writing reviews? I’ve been at home, playing Marvel Champions and trying to sort out my feelings about owning a game about superheroes.
Meadow is tactical tableau building game in which players are going on a hike and competing to observe the most animals, plants and landscapes. Obviously the theme and visual appeal were strong selling points for me, but as demonstrated by Everdell’s very short stay in my collection, theme and art do not a solo game make. Luckily for me, (spoilers!) Meadow did manage to set itself apart and secure a spot in my collection.
I wouldn’t go as far as saying that I bought Village Green sight unseen, but I’m willing to concede I didn’t invest a lot of time in research. The fact that it’s a solo-playable garden-themed card game was basically enough for it to make it to my shopping cart. Then I hesitated and asked a gamer friend what she thought and she confirmed the gameplay was solid which was all I the assurances I needed to make the purchase.
Uwe Rosenberg and I go way, way back. Like a decade. And while Dominion got me curious about board games, it was Agricola that sealed my fate as a gamer. And back in 2011, there wasn’t much for a solo euro gamer - except Uwe. I didn’t love all his games, but Agricola is still a 10/10 for me, Glassroads is a favorite for a faster experience, I owned Loyang for a long time and I can’t imagine a weekend at the cottage with non-gamers without packing Bohnanza Dice.
All this to say that I always keep an eye out for his releases, and Hallertau definitively caught my attention. Worker placement always seems to work for me, and the “anytime use” cards seemed to provide a lot of flexibility. I thought objective cards would also keep me trying different angle. So in between the promise of replayability and the designer pedigree, I thought it a safe bet despite the rather steep price point. Fun fact, I don’t actually like roll/flip and write games. And since I really (really) wanted to love them, I kept trying one after another. Eventually, I had to concede that my stubbornness was bordering on madness and I gave up on the genre entirely. After all (I told myself), that which is bad for my gaming enthusiasm has the potential to be good for my wallet. I am, however, not known to be particularly disciplined about my gaming resolution. So when a good friend told me that I should really try Demeter, I gave in without a fight. Not much to lose right?
I had my eyes on Coffee Roaster for a while, but kept finding reasons not to buy it. At first it was the cost (this game was originally published in Japan) and then it was the coffee thing. Coffee is, after all, an acquired taste and it is one that I personally never bothered acquiring. So I was feeling a little meh on theme as well as unsure of the overall fun factor, and even after Coffee Roaster was reprinted for the North American market something else always made it higher on my purchase list.
(Disclaimer: The designer provided a free copy of the game and its expansions)
Ok so I ended my first edition Obsession review with the statement that I couldn’t bring myself to replace it, unless my collection was lost to a random flood. So I would understand why a dedicated reader may now want to send me condolences for my lost board games. However let me reassure you: my first edition is safe and sound. However the designer of Obsession, Dan Hallagan, stumbled upon my original review of the game and offered to send me a complete reviewer package of the second printing of Obsession including:
(Divulgation: un prototype du jeu a été fourni par le concepteur)
Quand Dennis Furia, concepteur du jeu à venir Deck of Wonders, est entré en contact avec moi pour me demander d’écrire une revue de son Kickstarter, j'étais ambivalente. De façon évidente j’étais flattée, mais je n'étais pas certaine de vouloir prendre le risque - et si je n'aimais pas le jeu? Mais j'ai tout de même pris le temps de regarder les règles et j'ai rapidement conclu qu’il s’agissait là d’un jeu auquel je devais jouer. Pensez-y, c’est un jeu de cartes solitaire, il a des cartes multi-usages, une mise en place expéditive, un temps de jeu rapide et (j’ai lu avec un intérêt accru) un élément Legacy. Qu'y a-t-il à ne pas aimer? Et donc voilà mes premières impressions de The Deck of Wonders. (Disclosure: a prototype of the game was provided by the designer)
When I was contacted by Dennis Furia, designer of the upcoming game Deck of Wonders, for the opportunity to do a Kickstarter preview, I was ambivalent. I mean I was clearly flattered, but I wasn’t sure I wanted to risk it - what if I didn’t like the game? But then I looked at the rules and I quickly concluded that this was a game I was meant (or shall we say “fated”? Har har) to play. I mean it’s a solo card game, it has multi use cards, a short setup, a quick playtime and (I read with increased interest) a legacy element. What is there not to like?And so here it is, my first impressions of The Deck of Wonders. |