Popular Variable Setup Board Games (Mechanic)

GameplayReview of On Tour App

#On Tour is one of the more recent entries in the roll & write genre that debuted through Kicksta

[On Tour]

by philryuh | updated 4 months ago

#On Tour is one of the more recent entries in the roll & write genre that debuted through Kickstarter last year. I remember being attracted by its modern aesthetic and theme when I first saw its ad, but I never went for it because well, I never back Kickstarters.

Fortunately, I downloaded the app as soon as @disom shared that it's free to download for a day.

Here's the basic premise of the game:

You're part of a band and trying to pack your tour with as many stops as you can across the U.S. How do you do that? Well, you roll two ten-sided dice to get two combinations of two-digit numbers. So if you roll a 2 and a 7, you need to mark one state on the map with a 27 and another state with 72. But here's the catch--the states you can write on are restricted by three card draws that indicate one of the colored regions on the map (e.g. if you draw two cards showing the red region and one card showing the green region, you have the choice of either scheduling both numbers on the red region, or scheduling one on the red and the other on the green). The game ends when all states on the map have been assigned a number or given an "X" mark in the case you weren't able to assign the number on a state due to the restriction of the card draw. The player traces the route starting from the lowest number (representing your first gig) and trace the path of increasing numbers. You are scored based on the number of states visited + some bonuses.

Here's my take on the game after giving it three plays (and even though I only played this on the app, I feel like I can comment on the physical version of the game because I imagine it'll give you the same exact experience):

(+) Great production - Attractive art and presentation. The box reminds me of how the latest smartphone models come packaged these days--slick and simple. Looks like the physical game comes with dry erase markers and boards to drawn on rather than paper & pencil. I like the look of the two dice as well. As for the app, it's simple and intuitive to use but I wish it had some sort of background music. It goes with the theme, after all.

(+/-) Pasted on theme - Speaking of theme, this game is a classic example of a pasted on theme. It really could have been about anything. I don't mind it very much though. I actually think that the publisher was quite brilliant to take this route because I can certainly imagine a lot of people having backed this based on its theme and presentation.

(+) Simple but addicting - This may be a bad example but if you're the type of person who likes puzzly games like solitaire, sudoku, and minesweeper, you'll like this game. It's simple and relaxing but challenging, and the variable setup makes each play interesting. It also has an element of "push your luck" where in order to pack in as many tours as possible, you have to decide how far you want to space out your numbers while hoping that the perfect number will come by later.

(+/-) Too luck-dependent? - With the variability of the initial setup and the restriction provided by the random card draws, it makes me wonder if you could ever get good at the game, where you could consistently score high points.

Overall, it's a solid addition to the genre that I can imagine playing on my phone a few times in a week. I could also see it being a decent under 30 min filler on a game night depending on the group.

Personally, I'd prefer #Welcome to... over this every time. It's more satisfying in its thematic ties, strategically deep, and mitigates luck-driven outcomes.

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Paladins of the West Kingdom and Tomesaga

I have now completed a coop playthrough of #Architects of the West Kingdom with #The West Kingdo

[Paladins of the West Kingdom, The West Kingdom Tomesaga]

by WadeB1977 | updated 4 months ago

1 | 4 comments | [+]

I have now completed a coop playthrough of #Architects of the West Kingdom with #The West Kingdom Tomesaga (not recorded) and #Paladins of the West Kingdom with #The West Kingdom Tomesaga using the co-op modes for each games.

I recorded that run through here https://youtu.be/or07n2v4qNM of the Paladins game and review some of the variable setup at the beginning.

It should be born in mind that I am not that good at Architects, so I figured I'd lose that game. I need about 20 more playthroughs I think to be decent. Paladins I generally do ok at but I was running through this playthrough to get a feel for things more than anything else and as I figured I lost by a long shot.

Some take aways from the quick playthrough...

1). Setup is about the same as playing the base game. It is not like playing solo nor is it like playing the Overlord in Architects as you don't have a 'bot' taking another turn.

2). It is reasonably challenging from what I can tell. Managing the honor while trying to get your influence, power, and faith going did not come easy and while I'm not sure its #Robinson Crusoe: Adventures on the Cursed Island hard I think this coop experience presents more of a challenge then say the base game of #Spirit Island or possibly even #Marvel Champions: The Card Game.

3). There are new areas to explore using the synergy. One player can take an action (gaining bonus resources from villagers) and let the other play do the action (no bonus from villagers). There is much to be explored and I do not think I managed it well when I played (I mean, I lost right?).

4). The ability to use the king's favors multiple times seems like it could be exploitable. And it may be designed such that this a major factor to exploit and I did not do it enough.

5). I look forward to trying this with another human being. I don;t think Becky will be into playing these coop but someday I'll get it to the table with a friend and we will have a go at it.

6). Turning three games into coop games with a campaign option across all three games is pretty good value for $30. I think the #The West Kingdom Tomesaga is worth the investment if you have at least two of these West Kingdom games.

I'm still deciding on where I think #Viscounts of the West Kingdom will end up ranking and need a few multi-player gameplays to figure that out. I am quite curious to see what other folks think of it after its been out there for a good bit. I'd like to see Heavycardboard do a Tomesaga Campaign.

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Weekly Challenge #2 - Gaia Project image

ReviewWeekly Challenge #2 - Gaia Project

Follow up to hit game Terra Mystica. Space terraforming game. Asymmetrical faction powers. Absolutel

[Gaia Project]

by Skurvy5 | updated 4 months ago

3 | 24 comments | [+]

Gaia Project. Follow up to hit game Terra Mystica. Space terraforming game. Asymmetrical faction powers. Absolutely one of the best solo games I've ever played.

#Gaia Project is a truly amazing game featuring various unique factions spreading their influence, colonizing, and terraforming various planets throughout the galaxy. The game has a significant engine building aspect, along with resource management, technology trees, and a really clever influence/power system.

The game is played over 6 rounds. Rounds themselves last until all players have passed and thus can last an indeterminate amount of time. Each player can pick from a myriad of actions on a turn - spending resources to build a building, researching a technology, taking a special action, terraforming a planet, etc.

Once all players have passed in a round the game advances. A unique twist - the first person to pass in a round is able to pick first from the pool of bonus action tiles. Bonus actions can be really powerful and it's definitely a tough choice if you want to pass first or try to squeeze in a couple more actions.

The goal of the game is to have the most victory points by the end of the game. You earn victory points for completing different actions. Each of the 6 rounds has a random round goal -for example one round you might earn victory points for building mining colonies or for upgrading a building.

There are also two overall game goals that score at the end of the game. These are usually more substantial goals - for example colonizing on each of the different planet types - and are tracked on the round marker board.

That's a super rough outline of the game - my apologies if it was hard to follow. Now to get into the Brian's Battery review:

(++) Component quality is great. The cardboard tiles are hefty and made of a good, strong material. The plastic pieces are really detailed and satisfying to manipulate. The hexagonal game board pieces are really nice and the artwork is clear and functional. I think overall this game looks a lot better in person than it does in pictures. While not objectively beautiful like#Root or#Scythe it's definitely got a charm and style all it's own.

(+) The rulebook is fine. It has great examples and is clearly written. The quality of it is acceptable. The solo rules are particularly well done.

(+++) The solo AI done by the Automa Factory is absolutely amazing in this game. I've played several games that feature their work and this is by far the best job they've done. It's a tremendously clever system that utilizes cards and it really feels like you are playing against a real opponent. It's also a great challenge- after winning the walkthrough scenario I have yet to defeat the AI.

(+++) Faction asymmetry is incredible in this game. There are 14(!) unique factions and they all play differently. From afar the differences may not seem significant but once you are playing they become quite clear. And game changing. I've only tried 3 of the factions and my games have all been incredibly different.

(+++) Variable setup and Game goals. Each map is built randomly (*If preferred by the players you can build a standard map each time*), round and end game goals are selected from a pool and are random each game, bonus actions are selected from a random pool, technologies are randomized, and more. Basically the setup of this game is so variable you are extremely unlikely to ever play the same game twice. And that's absolutely phenomenal.

(++) The depth of strategy in this game is fantastic. So many agonizing (in a good way!) choices. So many different ways to build your engine. Just an incredible experience from top to bottom.

Gaia Project has rocketed to the top (or very near the top) of my favorite solo games of all time. It is an incredible, challenging, and ever varied experience. One of the best games I've ever played.

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ReviewAzul: Stained Glass of Sintra

Azul: Stained Glass of Sintra takes what you love about Azul, runs with it, and adds a twist.

[Azul: Stained Glass of Sintra]

by indigopotter | updated 4 months ago

4 | 12 comments | [+]

Azul: Stained Glass of Sintra takes what you love about Azul, runs with it, and adds a twist.

Azul: Stained Glass of Sintra by Michael Kiesling (Heaven & Ale, Coal Baron), follows his popular tile-selection game Azul, but brings a new and different approach to create a distinct game. Azul: Stained Glass of Sintra also offers two ways to determine the final score.

How is Azul: Stained Glass of Sintra different from Azul?

Azul: Stained Glass of Sintra introduces double-sided window strips that must be filled with tiles. Players mark their position above these strips with a glazier, and may fill windows under, or to the right of, their glazier. If they want to put tiles in a window strip to the left of their glazier, they must spend a turn to move their glazier back to their leftmost window strip.

Window strips towards the right are tempting to work on, because they will hopefully be scored several times over the course of the game, but having your glazier on the right end of your board limits how many spaces are available to you for placing tiles. How often you use a turn to move your glazier back to the leftmost spot is a key part of the tempo of the game.

Setup and game play

Azul: Stained Glass of Sintra has a variable setup. The players set their palace boards to either Side A or Side B, depending on how they’d like to calculate the final score.

Eight double-sided window strips are arranged randomly above each player’s palace board.

Players draw tiles from a bag and place them onto shared areas in the center of the table, known as factory displays. During their turn, a player may choose one color from any of the factory displays, and take those tiles. The rest of the tiles from that factory display are moved to the center.

As leftover tiles from different factory displays are combined in the center, this allows for larger, more efficient moves (a player may be able to get 4 tiles of a color all at once, for example), but it may also create a situation where there are more tiles of a color than a player needs.

When a player takes more tiles than they can use, they must move their marker down the broken glass track. The broken glass track shows how many points a player will lose at the end of the game. Players also move their marker down the broken glass track when taking the start player tile from the center of the display. The broken glass track is cumulative, only scoring once at the end of the game. It becomes increasingly costly to take the start player tile, or more pieces of a color than you can use.

Components of Azul: Stained Glass of Sintra

The components of Azul: Stained Glass of Sintra are solid, and fit my expectations for a game at this price-point. The palace boards, factory displays, and pattern strips are a good thickness, and can be easily handled. Azul: Stained Glass of Sintra has a shared scoring track, rather than the individual tracks on the player mats in Azul.

The tile bag is a durable canvas and has a printed design. It is the right size to comfortably access the tiles.

The tiles themselves are satisfying to hold. The concave centers make them easy to grip, and the translucent plastic makes for a nice effect.

The game is thoughtful about players who may have difficulty distinguishing the colors. There are several included features to help with this. Each color has a corresponding pattern, which appears in the center of the plastic tiles themselves, as well as the pattern strips. The back side of the factory displays are designed in such a way that tiles can be differentiated by their position.

I’m glad I bought it, and I’d buy it again

Overall, Azul: Stained Glass of Sintra offers good quality components and high replayability at a reasonable price. It looks great set up on the table (what I like to call good “curb appeal”). With the game length at about 45 minutes, it’s a great after-dinner game, or as part of a longer game day.