Factory 42 : Specialists & Golems WBG Score: 8.5/10 Player Count: 2-6 You’ll like this if you like: Biege euros with cubes! Published by: Dragon Dawn Productions Designed by: Ren Multamäki This is a free review copy. See our review policy here . You can check out the how to play and review of the base game here . But for this expansion, read on! Factory 42 is a fantastic euro game that is full of great decisions, tight gameplay, and delightfully curated resource management. If you like euros, then this is well worth checking out. The theme is a big funny, and its obviously VERY brown, but c'mon! Its a Euro. What did you expect. Anyway, Factory 42 came out in 2021. And in 2024, the same designer released this expansion, Specialists & Golems. It makes the game playable up to six now, (previously 5) it amends the Spiking action, develops the Incinerator, Crane, and Steam Tank power, and introduces four new elements that we will go through one by one here to see if this is a good fit for you. So, with that said, lets get this to the table to see how it plays. How To Set Up Factory 42 : Specialists & Golems Factory 42’s expansion is modular, so you can mix and match elements or throw them all in for the full experience. To get started, place all the new components you are using out on the table: the Golems, Specialists, and the updated tiles for the Patriot Box, Calendar Clerk, and Spiking Commissariat. To include the revised Spiking rule, replace the original Spiking tile with the upgraded version. The Commissar action now has an additional bonus to take an extra cube to make the Spiking action more balanced. If you're playing with six players, the expansion includes everything you’ll need to accommodate the extra player right out of the box. How To Play Factory 42 : Specialists & Golems Golems This expansion brings in new characters and effects that shake up the rhythm of play in clever ways. Each player can build a Cargador through Research for a cost of two Iron and one Steam, placing it on the board rather than their mat. They act as an extra worker, but once placed, don't move! Golems are metallic workhorses that occupy one of the numbered placement slots, but never the first or as a Commissar , and once placed, they don’t move unless you spend Steam to shift them. That cost can even be paid to move an opponent's Cargador, making for some wonderfully petty manoeuvres. They don’t count as regular workers but act as extra hands for the factory floor. If you’ve upgraded with a Crane, moving your own Cargador becomes free, but it still takes an action. Specialist Each player can optionally acquire a Specialist during the game, but only one per player. Specialists are premium workers who break the placement order rules. You buy them for one Beer and they replace one of your regular Workers. From then on, they can be placed on any numbered slot, regardless of what’s already there. They don’t act like Commissars but do count as Workers in most other respects. Patriot Box The Patriot Box gives you a cheeky bonus. Place a worker here and not only can you take an Operate action, ( see full game explanation ) but you also gain a free large good. It immediately closes the Black Market for the round, flipping the tile to its standard side. Calendar Clerk The Calendar Clerk gives you more event control. When you place a worker here, you can take an Operate action and then either draw a fresh Event or cancel an existing one. This lets you inject chaos or restore order with precision. Steam Tank The Steam Tank is a new token you can add to your payer board. It lets you store two additional steam tokens. You can purchase this during the research phase to develop your engine. Is It Fun? Factory 42 : Specialists & Golems Expansion Board Game Review The Golems are a brilliant thematic fit. They are stubborn, bulky, efficient, and mechanical, just like the bureaucracy they serve. Adding one feels like unlocking an extra gear in your strategy engine. They offer you another presence on the board and can stick around like a little thorn in everyone’s side. The fact that they can be used against you adds just enough tension to keep your placement game sharp, and make this euro sing with even more theme and gripping strategy. I adore them. Specialists, meanwhile, introduce flexibility in a worker placement system that usually thrives on restriction. Their ability to skip placement order rules makes them feel powerful and refreshing. Suddenly, that crucial slot is within reach, and your plans aren’t so easily derailed. It’s the kind of addition that advanced players will love, but it’s simple enough to slot into the base game without overwhelming new players. It fixes the issue worker placement games like this have, where when you are blocked, and you know the other player did it deliberately as they knew what you wanted to do, you think fair enough. But when they do it by accident, and they don’t even really need to do that action that much themselves, it can be infuriating. That frustration is now greatly reduced. But it's only one specialist per player. So you still have the tightness and tension. The bonus tiles, Patriot Box and Calendar Clerk, are flavourful and tight. They offer small, impactful choices that ripple outward, especially in games with five or six players. Whether you’re spiking for extra resources, shutting down the Black Market, or rewriting events mid-round, these options bring that extra sprinkle of dystopian spice to a game already rich in theme and tension. Pros: Expands player count to 6 with ease. Modular elements allow custom setup and replayability. Golems and Specialists create new strategic layers. Enhances narrative and theme without overcomplicating core mechanics. Event control and market manipulation add clever player interaction. Cons: Rules can be fiddly to remember in early plays already, let alone with these new sprinkles! More players mean longer game time and added downtime. Some modules may feel unnecessary if you prefer a tighter base game. Final Thoughts On Factory 42: Specialists & Golems This expansion to Factory 42 doesn’t just build on what came before, it subtly reshapes the game’s power dynamics. By introducing persistent board presence with the Golems, flexible placement through Specialists, and tools for direct market and event manipulation, it makes the industrial grind feel more alive and unpredictable. For those who already appreciate Factory 42's satirical tone and tactical planning, the expansion lets you lean further into the politics and machinery of Odrixia. But more than that, it begins to shift the feel of the game from one of linear escalation to one of calculated asymmetry. Each player's factory begins to operate just a little differently, and in a game about strict state control and uniformity, that little difference can spark some very big changes.

I recently played Molly House. The new board game from Wehrlegig Games from designer Jo Kelly . It got me right in the feels. I was left feeling quite raw after my game. It made me think things and feel things I have never felt or thought of before after playing a board game. Not even close. To explain, the game is based around the Molly Houses of eighteenth-century London. Don't know what Molly Houses are? They were the places where homosexual men and gender non-conforming individuals could gather for social interaction, away from the glaring eyes of the outraged public and the brutal judgment of the law. Acts of this nature were a hanging offense at the time! The game is a fascinating blend of roll-and-move, set-collection, semi-cooperation, and hand-management. The aim is to "host" multiple festivities, where you work with the other players around the table to create "joy," the term for points in the game. But if the wrong people turn up to your parties, i.e., the police, things could turn sour quickly! In my game, we were perhaps a little too reckless and allowed for too many bad things to happen, and we lost, with a round to go. You can control this somewhat. We were just a little over-excited and didn't pay enough attention to this part of the game. So, the game ended prematurely. And it ended with all players, ALL players, being hung. That's how it ended. A game about hosting parties ended with our characters all being killed. I will just let that sink in for a bit. It really threw me. So much so, I had a lot of questions. So, I reached out to the designer of the game, and thankfully, they were very happy and willing to help me process my experience and understand better what they had in mind as a designer for this game. It helped me out a lot. So, I post here for you all to have access too. I highly recommend that anyone interested in this period of history, or the rights of humans, check out this game. I think it's important. WBG - Thanks for talking to us. I must ask, what was your original inspiration for designing a game with this theme and historical setting? Jo - The game was conceived in response to the announcement of the Zenobia Award at the end of 2020. They were looking for designers who were underrepresented in the historical games space, and that prompted me to work on a game that tied in with my own identity, and how it intersects with my own country's history. I initially learned about molly houses because of a piece named Molly-House, composed by Michael Finnissy, who was my composition tutor in the final year of my music degree. I fell down a rabbit hole of research, and came back out with an idea for how it could be turned into a board game. The design of the game is quite deliberately old fashioned, with some gorgeous touches. Tell me, why was that important to you?  Quite honestly, that was more Cole's doing than my own! [Co-designer Cole Wehrle ] The game has been through many iterations, a lot of which were made during Wehrlegig's development process. The addition of playing cards and roll-and-move does a lot to ground the game in its period of history, while remaining evocative of the story I set out to tell. I love how the festivity card game gets all players invested in something that feels like a party, with all its highs, lows and pettiness, and the dice movement creates this idea of evading danger by cutting you off from visiting certain sites. The components and overall design are also incredibly premium. Is this a thematic choice, or because you just like nice things yourself!? This was also mostly down to Wehrlegig, although having seen the production of Pax Pamir and John Company, it was certainly part of the decision to work with them! I knew they would create a beautiful game, and they gave me a lot of freedom in directing the art. I was so grateful to be able to include so many scenes on the cards inspired by real snippets of history. OK, into the crunchy bits. The theme. This is a sad part of human history where for whatever reason, people refused to let people be who they wanted to be. Some may want to forget that. You decide to make a game about it. Why do you think this part of history is important? It's important because it's not over. The 'line go up' version of the history of the queer civil rights movement is far from the truth. There is evidence of comparatively progressive attitudes to what we may now think of as a trans identity in the records on Princess Seraphina, for example. The actions of the Society for the Reformation of Manners were the actions of a small fringe group, who seemed to be fairly unpopular among the general public at the time. There's a clear parallel in the so-called Gender Critical movement of our time, whose influence far outweighs their popularity, and whose actions are just as deadly as the death sentences passed upon the mollies of the 18th century. We must never forget this history, and never become complacent in a belief that our troubles are over or that things are only getting better, because our rights must be fought for, over and over again. I see. OK, I did not think of it that way. Thank you for saying that. That helps me understand this a lot better. Back to the game experience, the way it can end can be quite dramatic, and incredibly sad for the players. I know that's how I felt. It was very abrupt, with final rounds left unplayed. I asked my friend who I played with, "I wonder why they decided to let this be an option?" And he replied, "Because that was how it was back then." Is this how you see it? Did you want to keep things realistic and true to the times? Not sugar coat the sad facts.  It was important to me to create an honest recreation of the history, and part of that was the oppression of this community. I hope that some games of Molly House will leave players feeling sad, in the same way I sometimes hope to leave the cinema or finish a book feeling sad. The history is filled with joy, love, tragedy, betrayal, sex, and gender play, and I think the game gives room to explore all of that. I have never seen board game sin the way. And I should. Thank you. Some of the language may be quite shocking, even offensive to some players. One card for instance suggest that you sodomise a police officer without their consent, but I assume with the underlying message that of course they did consent. But they are hiding their true desires. Am I right? If so, do you worry some may not understand some of the card text? I actually included a note in the rules for this very reason. This is not the modern conception of 'assault'. Any form of supposedly 'unnatural' sex was considered assault by both participants, regardless of whether they were consenting. OK, that is an important definition. Thank you. I enjoyed my time with your game, but also left feeling sad and dejected. Humans can be terrible. I was hung for nothing more than being who I was in the game. Of course I knew this was an option before. And I knew this is how life was back then, and of course is still like now in parts of the world. But, I would love to hear your take on this, and your hopes for people as they play, win or lose. How do you want people to feel, and what do you want people to take for themselves when they play your game? What I really want is for people to reflect on how all of this is relevant today. Like all historical games, it is as much about the modern day as it is about the historical period. The far right is gaining traction all over the world, and it is already rolling back the rights of queer and trans people here in the UK, in the US, and it is showing no signs of stopping. I don't want people to come away from the game just thinking 'wow, things were bad back then'. Things are bad right now, and they're on track to get much worse. Thank you so much for talking to us, Jpo. That was incredibly insightful, interesting, shocking, humbling, but important. I am glad I had the chance to talk to you about this, and I hope others can gain something from reading this conversation. Thank you for what you have done with this game. I am excited to see what else you develop in the future. I know from other interviews you are not done with historical games. I am very pleased to hear that!

I recently reviewed Vantage, and loved it. If you want to read my how to play and full review, check that out here . Here, we sit down with the designer of this game, Jamey Stegmaier, and ask him about the game. Thanks for talking to us, Jamey. I am loving the game so far. There’s been a lot of buzz and positive chatter about Vantage already. From your perspective, what’s the global reaction been like? Anything that’s surprised or delighted you since launch? I've been working on Vantage for 8 years in the hopes that it would someday be a game that brings a sense of joy and wonder to at least some tabletops around the world. So it's really been incredibly fulfilling to the game connecting with people through their stories, photos, and curiosity over the last few weeks. That's great to hear. I have seen a lot of that myself on the Vantage Facebook group, which is a lot of fun to be a part of. After 8 years, a project this big inevitably changes along the way. Are you happy with where it landed? Did anything turn out even better than you hoped? The luxury of that time is that I was able to include everything I could possibly imagine (and learn from other games and worlds) in Vantage, so I would say it far surpasses my original vision for the game, the concept for which was primarily about finding the other players. It certainly has moved on from that! Roughly how many games would it take to see everything? I know the whole point is that each game is unique and replayable, but for the curious completionist out there, is there a rough idea of how many playthroughs it would take to see all the locations, secrets, missions, and content? I think if you play Vantage a few dozen times, you'll have seen all the different categories of things in the world. But within each category are often 6, 12, 24, or 30+ different types of cards (depending on the category). You can go wide in Vantage or you can go deep. And there are layers of discoveries and spoilers. Some things are incredibly difficult to find. I honestly don't know if anyone will ever see everything in Vantage, and I wouldn't say it's my goal for someone to try (that's why I didn't include a checklist of things in the game). It's about your journey and how you find the fun in the world.. My job was just to keep the discovery, exploration, and gameplay fresh over many dozens of plays. Well, you achieved that! You said there wouldn't be expansions for Vantage, but honestly, it’s all I want after playing, just more. More cards, more missions, more mysteries! You’ve said you want to leave Vantage complete and self-contained, but is that truly final? Is there any chance we might see a follow-up adventure someday? I appreciate your desire for more Vantage, and the good news is that there's still so much more for you to find in the game as it exists! :) Vantage really is complete. I already put everything into the game (plus, the interconnected nature of the cards and storybooks doesn't make expansions feasible). For those who feel similarly, you can think about it like this: Vantage is a game where all 15 expansions are already seamlessly included in core box. As for a follow-up, most likely not. After spending 8 years on this game, I'm really just trying to enjoy the moment. In general, I try to design games I haven't designed before, so I don't have plans to make another open-world game. That's an annoyingly good answer, as I just want more! Would you consider another open-world design in future? And what did working on an open-world board game teach you? Are there elements from this experience you’d like to carry forward? And what other genres or formats are calling your name next? I learned that when a game has no limits, I sometimes need to set my own constraints. I also learned that it isn't fun to fail a skill test in an adventure game. There can be stakes in a game even when you always succeed (as is the case in Vantage). I really like the action system in Vantage, and I could see myself using it (or some version of it) in a future game. I've been working on a few games on and off for a while: some sort of follow up to Red Rising, my contribution to the Smoking Bones series (a collaboration with Andrew Bosley ) and a nature-themed game. Also, while Vantage gave me a playground to experiment with two of my favourite fictional genres, heists and time travel/time loop; I'm still hoping to design a game with those themes someday. Exciting! Well, as always, I wait with bated breath to see what you do next. Thank you for your time, and for Vantage. It truly is a wonderful world, and I cannot wait to get back to it. It's set up on my table now. It has been for three weeks! And I don't see it coming down for a while!

Vantage   WBG Score: 9 Player Count:1-6 You’ll like this if you like: 7th Continent and Zelda style video games. Published by: Stonemaier Games Designed by: Jamey Stegmaier This is a free review copy. See our review policy here . I bought my own character boards, wooden skill tokens, and metal coins though! Note: these are all upgrades from the base game. There will be minor spoilers (you’ll see a few pictures of cards), but I’ll keep these to a minimum. Where do I start? This game is epic. Big box. Big ambition. Big expectations. Designer Jamey Stegmaier has been working on this for close to a decade, fine tuning his version of an open-world card game for us all to dive into. Inspired by various video and board games, Vantage is clearly made by a fan of free exploration and grand scale storytelling. This feels like a landmark moment in board games. A title that could bridge the gap between video gamers and table top players. A game that might convert those previously reluctant to try campaign style exploration titles by delivering an experience that can be completed in one sitting, but still with those big exploration "feels". And Vantage sure does feel important to me. Monumental. And crucially, it is a very good board game. So with all that said, let’s get it to the table and see how this plays. How To Set Up Vantage Flip all the cards in the box so they are rotated and slightly raised. That makes them easier to pull out but still keeps them in their respective drawers. It should look like this when you are done. Place this into the centre of the play area, within reach of at least one player. Take out the component trays if you want to use them. There are three handy little boxes provided. I put the skill dice in one, the boost tokens in another, and the skill tokens in the final one. Place the coins next to these. Next, place the game board in the centre. It is double sided, so pick whichever side you like best. They offer the same gameplay, just with a different layout. Place all the books next to the board in a pile. Each player now takes a card stand and places it in front of them. Finally, take the Book of Vantages and place it face up to show location 000. You are ready to play. How To Play Vantage Now read text sections one to four on the back of the Book of Vantages. This is still part of the setup, but it already feels like the game is beginning. Start by taking eight dice plus two per player and placing them into the Challenge Dice Pool area of the main board. Each player can now choose one of the six starting characters, or roll a skill die and take one at random. Take the matching card and place it in front of you. You will build a three-by-three grid of cards around this, so leave space if you do not have the upgraded character boards that show the space for these cards. Also, take a skill token that matches the colour of your character. Each character starts with two boost tokens as shown by the "when placed" action on the card. Place two boost tokens on your character card, which has space for six. Other cards you find later will also use boost tokens. They are very useful. Each player now takes the time, morale, and health tokens in their matching colour and sets them to three, four, five, or six on the main board, depending on difficulty. It is recommended to start on Daring, which is level four. The first player rolls two skill dice and takes the matching skill tokens. Then take the starting mission card based on the roll. You will find a key for this on the back of the Book of Vantages. If you roll doubles, re roll because those cards tend to be trickier. Next, flip the Book of Secrets to the back page to reveal location 001. Your ship has malfunctioned! This happens every game, no matter how many times I have played. Every time! Shoddy workmanship if you ask me. Each player now rolls a die to randomise an extra starting skill token and a starting location. Or you can choose if you prefer. For example, if you roll a purple LOOK skill, you begin at location 003 with that skill token. Each player must start in a different location, so if someone rolls the same as you, roll again. Here comes a starting card. VERY MINOR SPOILER. It's one of six starting cards. I think it's okay to look, but skip on if you don't want to see it. You don't make a choice from this; you roll dice. Take your starting card from the box and place it in your card stand. Only you can see your own Vantage cards. This is your view from the escape pod, looking down at the planet you're about to crash into. Other players have landed elsewhere. You can describe what you see using your working intercom connected to all other players, but no peeking at their cards. Seriously, do not spoil it, you might end up there later and trust me, it is more fun when it is a surprise. On your starting card, the text will tell you to roll two skill dice and gain those matching skill tokens. Then go to the corresponding location based on what the card tells you. Doubles can be rerolled again since they are trickier starts. The location cards are all double sided, so put your new card on top of the starting location card, which is single sided one so no one sees the back. From here on out, you are in the game proper. And it is going to feel different every time depending on the choices you make. MINOR SPOILER PICTURE COMING UP. SCROLL PAST IF YOU DONT WANT TO SEE ANYHTING. This is a starting location so not a huge spoiler. Viewer discretion advised! Each card is a self contained little world. On the top left is the card number. Top right shows directions you can travel in — north, south, east, west. If it lists a number, roll a die (which will be explained soon) and go to that card. If it shows an asterisk, look up the number in the MOVE book and follow the instructions. Use the card’s image for clues. If the north shows an icy river, you will probably have to swim. That might not go so well, especially if your character hates the cold. Bottom left is a description and any passive effects, like taking cold damage. On the right side are six available actions, each tied to a colour and verb. Blue is MOVE, purple is LOOK, orange is ENGAGE, green is HELP, yellow is TIME, and red is OVERPOWER. The verb gives a hint about what you are about to do. For example the green Help action here is REPAIR, but what are you going to REPAIR here? What would you FOCUS on if you LOOK? You get one action per card per game, unless the card says otherwise. Even if you revisit it later in the game, no do overs. So choose carefully. When you pick an action, take the matching coloured book and find the entry tied to your card number. If you are doing a red OVERPOWER action on card 613, you check entry 613 in the red OVERPOWER Storybook. In multiplayer, have someone else read it aloud. In solo, you will read it yourself. The first line will tell you how many dice you need to roll and describe the task. Don't read on beyond there or let your eyes drift to other entries on this page! Every action succeeds, the question is how difficult it is and how much damage you take doing it. You can reduce the number of dice you roll by spending skill tokens that match the action colour. Trying to perform a three die HACK? Discard a yellow TIME token to reduce the numbers of dice by one. You can use as many tokens as you want and have access too. Other players can share tokens with you too. You may be worlds apart, but your crew can talk you through it. Dice rolls can go a few ways. Blanks are great, no effect, just drop them into the penalty area on the main board. Arrows send the die back into the pool, fine, but it slows things down. You want your dice to cycle to refresh, more on that soon. The other faces hit your health, time, or morale. If you roll one of these, lower that stat on your tracker unless you can place the die onto a card. Cards can absorb dice based on the action type, or the specific action. For example, a fishing rod might help you FISH (a red OVERPOWER action) but not help in combat as it specifically says FISH on the dice box. Other dice placement may be more general, and universally helpful, allowing any Star dice to be placed there, or any blue action where you are LOOKING for example. You can use your own cards or anyone’s cards with a lightning bolt symbol, meaning it is open to the whole team. This makes teamwork feel real and important. If you run out of available dice in the dice pool, you can refresh all dice, including dice previously placed on cards, thus opening up those slots for use again. Hence, you want to cycle through dice as quickly as possible. So, you could place a die, even if it was a blank, just to cycle through the dice more quickly if you so chose. Once you resolve the dice and damage, read the rest of the entry to see what happens. You might get an item, go somewhere new, or even be told to CONTINUE and take another action on the same card. That is rare and the only way you can ever do two or more actions on the same card in the same game. (Unless the card specifically says so!) Otherwise, play moves to the next player. Other than choosing actions on location cards, you can also carry out actions on your cards that you collect, which may allow you to craft a new item, upgrade a tool or weapon, or do something very specific. I won't spoil anything here. But trust me, some things will come up you do not expect! It's wonderful! You can also carry out actions on the Mission card you got during setup. Each Mission has a number of areas you can look into one time per game, to give you clues as to how you may complete this mission. It may move your location or give you a specific clue or skill to help in this quest. It is worth doing these early if you want to focus on a quicker mission based game. Later on in the game, you may gain a Destiny card. This goes alongside the mission card on the main board. When you complete a mission, you will be prompted to read the matching text in the book of secrets. Similarly, the Destiny cards will do the same. You can try to complete both for an EPIC victory, or just one, or just roam around. The game can end a number of ways, and some missions and destiny will let you continue after you have completed if you want to. You could also end the game when any of your trackers, health, morale, or time, reaches zero. If this happens, read the matching text as shown on the main board in the yellow TAKE story book. This will tell you what to do next. Again, I won't spoil that here, you will find that out on your first game I expect! Monitoring your resources and mitigating dice rolls takes a few turns to get used too. Well, it did for me! As you move around this world, you will be mostly aiming for things that may help in your mission and/or Destiny (if you have one). But you could also get side quests, get distracted by something intriguing or mysterious, or simply just enjoy a wonder. There is so much to explore, and you can have just as much fun meandering aimlessly for hours, with no real resolution, as you could completing a mission in 30 minutes. I have had both of those experiences, and enjoyed both for different reasons. Is It Fun? Vantage Board Game Review Crash-land, wander, and wing it. Vantage throws you into a wild, card-driven alien world where you and your crew have all landed in different spots. You're alone… but also not. It’s part 7th Continent, part Zelda, and part “how the hell did I end up with a fishing rod in a blizzard?” You’ll chat through intercoms, describe what you see, and bumble your way through missions, mysteries, and “oops, probably shouldn’t have goaded that monster” moments. Every card is a new page in a choose-your-own-adventure story that will surprise and delight you! No two games are the same, and that’s the point. The setup is quick (shockingly quick for a game like this), and the decisions feel immediately meaningful. You make choices, roll, explore, make a move, and then live (or regret) the consequences. You’re building a character and a narrative. Getting stronger and gaining new powers and items. One die roll might send you to a mountaintop monastery (for example - no spoilers here!). Another to an underground mutant pub, again for example! And it all just flows so deliciously. The way skill tokens, other player powers, and boost tokens can all help one action is slick and deeply satisfying when it all comes together. There is some gameplay to this story. And yes, you will get distracted. Vantage is one of those games where half the fun is not simply focusing on your mission. You might just wander because something looks interesting. You’ll pick a direction based on a weird symbol. You'll push buttons because, why not? It’s the kind of game where the journey is the game. That’s what makes it feel so fun and alive. Whether you're trying to “win,” just explore, or go full chaos mode, there’s something here for everyone. You can finish a session in under an hour... or just keep going, because it’s too fun to stop. Game length is quite varied! If you are looking for a complex, mechanics-driven board game, this is not for you. But if you want a story-driven, narrative-based, choose-your-own-adventure style game full of exploration and wonder, this could well be your new favourite game. It is incredibly accessible, works perfectly solo, but probably best with two players for me. It works up to six, and it's fine. You can get a massive benefit from having so many dice placement locations and extra skill tokens. But it does slow down your own specific adventure. You need to fully commit to the team experience in higher player counts. Describe what you see. Allow others to offer guidance and advice, and make this a team game. If that doesn't sound fun to you, I would not buy this for higher players counts. I have seen criticism around the game's high levels of admin and poor rulebook. On the rulebook, I somewhat agree. It has a slightly weird layout and took me a few read-throughs. But you could always watch a playthrough, rules video, or read my rules explanation above! It isn't too complex. On the admin side, I strongly disagree. It takes mere moments to find the cards you are looking for, and the excitement of seeing what you get is always fun for me. If you are rushing through, particularly in solo, and you are not explaining things to another player and discussing your decisions and options, then sure, it may become laborious as you are not in the game for the right reasons. You are rushing it. This game is not about the end; it's about the journey. As such, the game shines in a two-player experience. I love the solo, but I do enjoy bouncing off ideas with other players, and sharing the highs and lows as our story unfolds. In a two, you are always back to your turn quickly enough, but also have a side story to enjoy, and maybe even become a part of. Although I have found most games we do work together, we are rarely near each other. The planet is massive, and it's hard to know where you are first and foremost, let alone find another person. But there are ways to get a lay of the land, through various vantage points. And maybe make your way to each other. But there is rarely a huge benefit from that. Sure, you could do two actions per location now, or maybe even use specific tools as a group. But the fun is in the adventure, and that can take you anywhere. Is Vantage good for solo play? Yes! Vantage is highly accessible and works very well as a solo experience. The game’s simple set-up, narrative and exploration-driven gameplay keep solo players engaged, making it a great choice for playing alone. How long does a typical game of Vantage take? A single session of Vantage can be completed in under an hour, making it perfect for shorter game nights. However, if you want to explore more deeply or complete multiple missions, you can easily extend playtime by trying to do more. Some missions are harder to complete, and some missions will add in secondary destiny's. This will extend game time. But you don't have to complete them. It is all your choice. I have had some games run into a third hour, but largely because we wanted it to. If you want a quicker game, research your mission card early and focus on that. If do want to explore, there is plenty opportunity to do that! Is Vantage replayable? Definitely. Every game of Vantage is different thanks to its open-world card layout and randomised starting position, missions, and diverging paths. Its modular design and narrative choices create a highly replayable experience with many new surprises each time. I have played the game ten times now over the course of three weeks and 25 hours and I would say it feels like I have "seen" a small fraction of the game. Sure, some things have come up again,. I have repeated certain locations and even certain actions, but then the game quickly diverts into path and things change very quickly. One action per card, six actions per card in total, and 801 location cards in total, plus a few surprises along the way, that's a lot of game. Pros Intriguing secrets! There are so many exciting items, crazy powers, and hidden "things" to find in this world. I find that part deeply engrossing and highly addictive. I want to find them all! Highly replayable  with randomised missions and open-world card exploration. Quick setup  for a narrative-driven adventure game. Engaging solo and cooperative play , great for 1 to 2 players but does work for higher players counts if that is your jam. Accessible mechanics  that balance strategy with storytelling. Strong thematic immersion  that bridges video game and board game fans. Flexible playtime , from short sessions under an hour to longer adventures. Innovative dice and skill token system  that adds depth without complexity. Cons Not ideal for players seeking heavy mechanics or complex strategy. Larger player counts (4 to 6) can slow down gameplay and dilute the narrative focus. You need to commit to the group experience and really engage with each others story. Some players may find the randomness frustrating  if they prefer more control, away from dice. But there are plenty ways to mitigate rolls. Requires players to engage with narrative text regularly, which might not suit everyone but the text you read is mostly, very short. One short paragraph, most of the time. There will eventually be a limit to the replayability , you will know all the cards and secrets at one point, but I wager that would take a good 50 plus plays, maybe even more. Vantage Board Game Review Final Thoughts If you’ve ever wanted to crash-land on a mysterious alien planet with nothing but a hunch, and a questionable sense of direction, Vantage is calling your name. It’s like a choose-your-own-adventure book got tangled up with your favourite video game and then invited your friends over for a wild night of dice rolling and chaos. Will you survive? Probably. Will you have a blast trying? Absolutely. So grab your boost tokens, buckle up, and prepare to get lost in a story that’s as unpredictable as your last internet search history.

Home Team Heroes WBG Score: 8 Player Count: 2 You’ll like this if you like: Magic and Football Published by:   Home Team Games Designed by:   Jussi Saarinen This is a free review copy of the game. See our review policy here This is a very interesting concept. Designer Jussi Saarinen has come up with a concept for combining card playing elements seen in games like Magic, and turning it into a football-based two-player card game that supports lower-level football teams. How? Well, the idea is the game can be easily replicated to represent the playing staff of any team. That team can then sell their version of the game on the Home Team Games website and make a small profit themselves. There is no risk or cost to the team, just a small profit for each sale, which, with their own playing staff in, will surely be a winner. It's a great idea to help local teams, as well as develop a bespoke game for each fan of every club. As a concept, I absolutely adore it. But how does it play as a game? Let's get it to the table and see how it plays. How To Set Up Home Team Heroes You can create your own deck using cards from multiple decks. Or, simply shuffle one deck of playing cards and deal seven cards to each player. Place the remaining cards in the centre where each player can reach it. Place the two yellow and red cards and goal cards separate from this on the table. In the advanced mode, you can also draw five cards and place them face down in front of each player. These are your subs. You can use them when ever you wish, but you cannot look at them until you draw them. Now, pick a random player to start; it doesn't matter. And you are now ready to begin. How To Play Home Team Heroes Players will now take turns having two possessions each half, one at a time. When your possession is over, the other player has a turn. Players have two possessions, then it is half time. All cards are shuffled, and you go again. In the second half, you do the same again, two possessions each, one at a time. The game then ends, and the player with the most goals wins. For the advanced mode, at half time, instead of shuffling all cards back into the deck, each player can decide which players from the discard pile to shuffle back into their deck and which ones to leave in the discard pile. On a player's possession, they will play one event card, if they wish, then one player card. The card they play must start with a one shirt number. The second card can now be a one or two. The third can be a one, two, or three. After you have played at least three cards, you can then attempt a shot at goal. Each card shows an attack and defence stat. You score a goal if your total attack value exceeds your opponent's total defence value. There are various card effects that can increase or decrease your total score. Add up your total at the point the attacking player decides to shoot, and either a goal is scored or not. In the advanced mode, the attacking player, after a failed shot, can retain possession and have another try if they complete a successful press by having a higher defence value than the opponent's defence value. Their attack was not good enough to score, but their attacking player's defensive skills allowed them to win back the ball for another try. You can do this a maximum of three times each possession. There is a clean-up and refill between a failed attack and a successful press. At various points, you may gain a free-kick or a penalty. Free kicks work by each player drawing the top two cards from the deck. They pick their highest attacking card for the attacker, and defensive card for the defender. Then the player with the highest card wins. If the attacker wins, they score a goal. If the defender wins, no goal is conceded. The same applies to a penalty, except the defending player only draws a single card this time. Various cards can be played as event cards. One per turn, before a playing card is played. They allow you to alter the effect of the game in various ways, as explained on the card. You can book the other player, and then if they get booked again, that means they receive a red card. This reduces their hand size by one permanently, as well as reducing the total defence and attack score by one for the rest of the game. You can force players to discard the player they just played, or the event card they just played, and you can add fancy boots to your players to improve their stats. All sorts of different cards and powers. Is It Fun? Home Team Heroes Card Game Review The game itself is very simple in its mechanics, which makes it accessible to players of all ages and skill levels. However, the depth of strategy involved in the choices you make as you play your cards feels absolutely delicious and engaging. Each decision carries weight, and as you navigate your options, the tension builds, creating an exhilarating experience. Much like football! You may find yourself in possession of a great defensive card, one that could potentially turn the tide of the game in your favour. Yet, at the moment, you are on the attack, pushing forward with your offensive strategy. This raises a critical question: do you hold back that valuable defensive card for your next attack phase, anticipating that it will be more beneficial later on, or do you desperately need to deploy it now to bolster your current position hoping your press at least will give you another chance? The stakes feel high as you weigh your options. Furthermore, you might consider whether a substitute card at this juncture could help improve your situation on the field. Is it worth the risk to take a card that could serve you better later in the game? Or should you exercise restraint and save your extra cards for future attacks, where they might have a greater impact as your opponents deck runs dry. As you assess your opponent's current hand, you may notice that they possess a strong set of cards right now. This prompts you to think strategically about your own card choices. Can you afford to be a little more conservative, playing defensively and waiting for the right moment to strike? Or do you need to go all-in, pushing aggressively to affect the pace of the game and disrupt your opponent's strategy? Perhaps you observe that, while their attack may seem poor at the moment, they have a formidable defence that will allow them to maintain pressure on you unless you stand firm and counter their advances. This adds another layer of complexity to your decision-making process. And the back-and-forth really do feel like a little game of footy. What may appear to be a simple choice at first glance begins to take on significant meaning as you continue to play. The dynamics of the game shift, especially as goals start flying in, creating moments of celebration and excitement. You will find yourself cheering during various phases of play, as cards are laid down and goals are scored, mirroring the intensity and thrill of a real game. Each choice you make, each card you play, contributes to the unfolding narrative of the match, making the experience not just about winning or losing, but about the journey and the strategic dance between you and your opponent. I don't see this being enjoyed by people who don't like football. And of course, if the cards are decked out in players from the team you support, it will be even more fun for you. But I think that is the point. This is a bespoke, unique little game that can really drill down into a niche area, and I am all in for it.

Cretaceous Rails WBG Score: 9 Player Count 1-4 You’ll like this if you like: Euros with a theme, it can be done! Published by:   Spielcraft Games Designed by:   Ann Journey This is a free review copy of the game. See our review policy here Make no mistake. Cretaceous Rails is a fantastic game. Every review I have seen, everyone I have played with, and every comment on BGG (well most) see people praising this brilliant game. Don't be fooled with how it looks. This is no toy. Cretaceous Rails combines elements of worker placement, contract fulfilment, route building, and pick-up-and-deliver to deliver a fully immersive, captivating and gorgeous looking experience. I am somewhat entranced by this game and I am going to tell you why. First, let's get it to the table and see how it plays. How To Set Up Cretaceous Rails First, lay out the board based on your player count. There are two starting map tiles; pick the one suitable for how many players you have. Then from this, build up two to four more map tiles, again based on your player count. You can copy the suggested setups in the rulebook, or let each player place one however they choose for a more varied game. The tiles are double-sided and can be placed however you wish. Now fill this map. Each hex will show a symbol on it, telling you which dinosaur to put on it. Each hex also holds a tree token, representing the jungle. Then, place all the tourist figures into the bag, and pull four at random for each cabin hex, as well as the home hexes. Just use the middle two for a two-player game. Next, shuffle the 16 action tiles and place them at random into a four-by-four grid in the centre of the table. Place the first player token onto the tile with the matching symbol. Then place the resort card board down, shuffle the resort cards, and place the top eight cards out, placing the remaining deck face down next to this. Then place the round tracker onto the first spot for this on this board. Finally, have each player choose a player mat, along with the four executives, 30 train minis, their train engine, and eight train car tiles in their colour. Set these up around your board, with the train engine and two train car tiles placed in a line above the top of the mat representing your starting train. Each player then takes a dinosaur and tourist from the supply that matches those on the picture on their board and places them onto their player mat. Each player takes one of the four star tokens and places it onto their starting spots on the four tracks on their board. Each player also take son resort card and adds it to their hand. Finally, all players then take turns placing two train minis onto the mat starting from the starting hex. You are now ready to begin. How To Play Cretaceous Rails The game is played over four rounds, with each player having four turns each round. Play runs in reverse order to how players placed their two starting trains onto the board during setup. Starting with the first player, on your turn, you will place one of your four executives onto the four-by-four grid of action tiles you placed during setup. You will place your executive between two tiles, meaning you can do both actions on your turn. The tiles show six different actions; here is what they all mean. Lay Rails - This is how you can extend you two train cars you build during set up. During the game you can only have one long continuous rail. They must all join up. You can have diverging paths, and you can relay previously built track if you run out. You can build where another player has already built but only once. There can only be two tracks per space. Clear Jungle - You can remove one Jungle token from the board on any hex that is adjacent to your rail network. Take the token and place it onto one of your empty rail tokens above your player board. If you have no empty train, you cannot do this. You want the Jungle tokens as they will be used to build cards later, and you also cannot capture dinosaurs if there are Jungle tokens present. You also cannot gain any benefits from the safari action if the Jungle tokens are present. Safari - Here, you can take one of the tourists on the board from any hex adjacent to your rail network, including your own home hex, and place it on one of your empty rail tokens, if you have one. As you do this, you will be able to move the corresponding star on your player board the same number of spaces as this tourist saw matching colour dinosaurs on this journey. What this means is that if you took a red tourist and it travelled down your rail network and passed two red dinosaurs that were in spaces with no jungle tokens there, you could move your red star on your player board two spaces forward. This will increase the points for red dinosaurs at the end of the game. You also now have a red tourist to use to fulfil resort cards. Each volcano you pass will count as one wild dinosaur, increasing the amount of spaces you move your star on the ratings tracker by one space. Capture Dinosaur - You can take a dinosaur on any space adjacent to your rail network as long as the jungle token has been removed. You will then add the dinosaur you took and place it onto an empty rail token above your player board. Again, you cannot do this if you don't have an empty train token. The dinosaurs are not refilled, so what you start with is what you all have to use in the game. Be careful with what other players may be after and make your plans accordingly. Draw Cards - You can take two resort cards from the face-up display with this action. Add them to your hand of cards when you do this. When you take a card, immediately refill it from the display. You can hold as many cards as you wish in your hand. You can spend one previously gained tourist from your board, move them to the left of your board where the focus group area is, and remove four cards and replace them with four new cards to choose from. Tourists moved this way count for nothing during the end game scoring. Build Cards - With this action, you can build as many cards as you wish and have the right resources for. You can use any resource on your player board, but not in your rail tokens. The cost of each card is shown at the top. The benefit is shown at the bottom. Some cards have immediate benefits, while others grant you additional powers when you take certain actions on later turns. When you build your cards, place them to the right of your player board in the spaces marked. Your first card must be built in level one. But after that, you can build in level two if you wish, and then after that, level three. Some cards have additional benefits if they are built at higher levels, but note, some also have higher costs. The cards, along with gaining you benefits and improving your later actions, also all show an end game score multiplier on the bottom. At any point, you can replace any action you pick with the unload train action. Here, you can take all the tourists, jungle tokens, and dinosaurs on your train cars and place them onto your player board. You can only use the items on your board to play cards, not the ones in your train cars. One of the action tiles has the first player token. If anyone chooses this tile on one of their four turns, they take the first player token and will be the first player for the subsequent round. At the end of the round, you can unload your trains for free. Then take back your four executives, discard and replenish the eight cards on the resort board. Then shuffle the 16 section tiles and lay them out into a new four-by-four grid ready for the next round. The game ends after the fourth round is over, at which point all players will score points for all their captured dinosaurs. This will be based upon the position of the stars on the ratings track. Any dinosaurs still on your player board score half their shown points. You will then score points for each resort card you have built based on the multipliers they have on them. This could be for your jungle tokens or tourists that you have gained and used to build cards during the game, for any adjacent cabin or volcano to your rail network, the number of rails you have built on the map, or the number of train tiles you were able to gain during the game. Is It Fun? Cretaceous Rails Board Game Review What makes Cretaceous Rails feel so fun is how it always leaves you wanting to do just a little bit more than you actually can. You have four turns in each round, but there is always a sense you could do twice as much if only you had one more executive to place. You want to lay rails, capture dinosaurs, run a safari and build cards all at once, but the game keeps you tight, forcing tough choices every single turn. That tension feels great, and you can see what everyone else is doing too, which adds an extra pinch of pressure when you know they might just grab the dinosaur or tourist you were counting on. Or maybe, you could open up a dinosaur for them, by taking that Jungle token you really need! Another thing that makes this game sing is how each action is linked to something else. Taking a tourist pushes your track on the scoring board, capturing a dinosaur helps score your cards, building rails opens up new spaces, and clearing jungle tokens makes everything else possible. Every move feels like it unlocks another small bonus, so each turn feels meaningful. But you never get it all. The clever part is you are always balancing what helps you now against what sets you up for later, and the board keeps changing as other players make their moves. Then there is the huge range of ways to score points at the end, which gives the game real depth. You can go heavy on resort cards, stack up on tourists, chase the biggest multipliers on dinosaurs, or build out a sprawling rail network to try and score a bit on everything. The best part is, the scoring is not obvious, and the multipliers from the cards can make late game turns swing wildly. That means everyone stays in the running right up to the last turn, and it makes the end game scoring a proper event where big jumps in points feel earned and dramatic. You wont know who has won until you actually work it out, and as you go through each part on the handy score pad, it feels like a satisfying conclusion to good times had by all at the table. The whole game just feels alive because of the shared board and all the gorgeous dino minis placed around it. Watching dinosaurs get scooped up, tourists pile onto your trains, and new rails snake across the map gives the game a real sense of momentum. It feels tight, colourful, and thematic without being fiddly. This is a euro with theme. With colour. With a personality. And even though it is a euro at heart, the dinosaur theme is never forgotten. You really do feel like you are running a slightly reckless prehistoric safari for profit, and that mix of strategy and fun is what makes it so special. There are many different ways to play this game, but they all interest me and they all bring me a lot of joy. What you do affects others. What others do affects you. You can take the spots others want on the action board, you can take the dinosaurs they need. Players can take the resort cards you had your eye on. This is an interactive, thematic euro that really is top of its class.

The Brightview Haunting Player Count: 2-6 Published by: Typhon Games Designed by: Justin Gale This is a preview copy. See our review policy here By Steve Godfrey This is a prototype copy of the game and as such all components and rules have the potential to change through the campaign.  At the time this preview is going out the Kickstarter campaign has finished and is fully funded. However, it is / will be open for late pledges. You can find the campaign here Bert Hudson has gone and got himself ensnared in the Elder Tree by The Whisperer, a demon that Bert unwittingly awakened. It’s now down to his sister and her friends to stop the Whisperer and free Bert… Which is probably a source of frustration for them. How many times have they told Bert that he was expressly forbidden to go into the Forest and awaken ancient evils! It’s happened so often at this point that they almost never went after him this time……but that probably wouldn’t be much of a game though.  How to haunt the woods. In this one vs. many game, the goal of the Exorcists (the name given to the “many” players) is to reduce the power of the Elder Tree to zero by invoking rituals and eventually freeing Bert, and then presumably moving to somewhere much less creepy with zero forests around. However, only non-possessed players can win. The Whisperer player wins if they manage to possess all of the Exorcists, but only the Whisperer player wins.  As an Exorcist, you can perform two different actions. You can search an adjacent search tile, draw a utility card, and then flip the tile over to reveal a different symbol that relates to one of the other decks of cards. The next time you take a search action on this tile, you'll remove it and draw a card from the depicted deck. The cards in these decks do different things like throwing down salt to slow down the Whisperer and removing corruption from other players. The main ones you want to focus on to help win the game, though, are the ritual cards. With these, you can take an invoke action (this will cost you both your actions to do), and most of these cards will drop the power of the Elder Tree. You can also use items from cards in your hand, trade cards, and you can also take a Resonance action, which lets you take a token that you can spend in a later turn to repeat a move, use, or search action again in that turn. Each Exorcist will also have a passive ability that's unique to them. On their turn, the Whisperer player can, like the exorcists, take two different actions. They can move 7 spaces, or they can track, which is basically moving as many spaces in a straight line (obstacles will stop this), and disperse salt in an adjacent space. They can absorb an echo token adjacent to them. These will either move their control track up or put down a gateway token. As an action, you can teleport between gateways. Once you have absorbed echo tokens, they get placed on your board. When you have two, you can use the pulse action. This lets you either put all exorcists’ corruption up by one level or move two exorcists up to 6 spaces toward you. If you’re adjacent to an exorcist, then you can try to ensnare them. They roll the three dice and increase their corruption for every symbol they roll. If their corruption hits five because of this dice roll, they’re immediately possessed. If you hadn’t guessed by now, corruption is bad for the exorcists. Not only does it make it easy for the Whisperer to possess you, but it also hinders some of your actions as it increases. The last action is Possess. If you're adjacent to an exorcist whose corruption is at five, then you can possess them. I mentioned control earlier, and these are special abilities that the Whisperer unlocks as it increases to make it more powerful and terrifying. When players become possessed, they now take turns for the Whisperer. Their actions are limited, but they will essentially be trying to corrupt the others, flip echo tokens, and generally be a nuisance to their former fellow players. It's possible for the others to use cards that remove corruption. If a possessed exorcist's corruption drops below five, then they snap out of it and return to normal. The Exorcists . We’ve all seen those movies, horror or otherwise, where one of the gang of main characters gets themselves possessed or is put under the bad guy's spell, etc., because let’s face it, there’s always one. This might be the only time that I’ve personally seen it used so openly in a board game. Sure, I’ve seen it in hidden traitor games where the traitor can turn one of the other players to their side, but this is all done secretly, of course. Here, though, it’s done right in front of you. One minute you’re standing next to your friend and may even have given them a really handy item that you didn't think you’d need because, surely, there's no way they were going to get possessed, right? Then they go and get themselves possessed and are now chasing you, trying to corrupt you like one of those people in town centers trying to get you to take a survey. “Please, have you got five minutes to talk about the Whisperer? It’s not a pyramid scheme, I promise.” It’s an interesting feature that serves to ramp up some tension in the game, especially as more and more of your friends start to become possessed as well. Now your list of allies starts to grow thin, and you're now trying to juggle with keeping away from them, trying to search for a way to help them, and still trying to finish your objectives to win the thing. It all serves as the game's way of ramping up the danger and giving it that thematic edge, especially if one player starts to become the “final girl” of the piece. The overhanging threat of possession is the element that keeps you wanting to just run to avoid the Whisperer, but it's the idea that you need to discover those tiles to find the things you need that keeps you from running too far. You see, the limitations of only being able to perform an action once are pretty clever in a game like this. Yes, you want to run, but you also need to stay because you’ve just flipped over that search tile, and on the other side will give you a ritual card that you need to help win the game, and if that Whisperer is on your tail, then it can make for some tough and interesting decisions.  The Whisperer Of course, you can’t possess people without a demon (or so I’m told), and so we move on to the role of the Whisperer. Incidentally, a whisper is registered at around 20-30 decibels! So make sure that player is adhering to that; otherwise, you'll have to call them “the slightly louder than a Whisperer,” and that doesn't have quite the same ring to it. The Whisperer is, for my money, the more fun of the roles to play, but then I’ve always liked being the one that brings the chaos, and generally, I find being the bad guy in hidden traitor games a lot more fun, so take that opinion as you will. The game does a good job of making its villain feel like enough of a threat that you feel like anything could happen as it moves in on you. It moves faster than the players, so you know that at a certain point, there’s no escape; it's going to catch up with you, so you’d better keep your corruption in check; otherwise, possession may be in your immediate future. The control meter is a fun little device that helps the game ramp up as it goes on by making the Whisperer more powerful as the rounds tick by. Moving up that track makes it easier to get the echo tokens, ensnare players, and even gives them three actions and the ability to perform the same action twice. Now, that may not sound like much, but trust me, being able to move twice is great on its own, while still being able to do something else as well. It could be the key to possessing someone and letting them get away. Imagine all the times in Pandemic when you said, “Argh, if only I had one more action.” Yeah, now you get it. It’s a lovely touch that, like a movie, the villain powers up over time, but it also helps the game move along and stops the players from playing it casually because now the Whisperer is able to achieve their goal more easily.  Not so Brightview Personally, we found the board to be a touch too dark. Couple that with the shadows used and the fact that tokens cover a full square, and it leads to a bit of confusion, especially as a couple of sections were maze-like. Don't get me wrong, I’m not knocking the art; it's great, but if you don't have great lighting or are looking at the board from certain angles, you might find yourself backtracking now and then. I will say that the rulebook has a great picture of the map with all the borders outlined really clearly, which is something I wish more rulebooks would do, but I also don't want to have to reference the rulebook for things like that if I don't need to. As I said earlier, this is a prototype, so it's possible that this could change as the campaign goes on.   The Brightview Haunting is a new, interesting take on the one vs. many genre and does a good job of incorporating its horror inspirations into the game. If any of this sounds interesting, then check out the Kickstarter campaign (links above) and see if this is for you.

Fled WBG Score: 7.5 Player Count 1-4 (Solo with expansion) You’ll like this if you like: Tile laying games with a twist! Published by: Odd Bird Games Designed by:   Mark K. Swanson This is a free review copy of the game. Note, pictures in this review include a roll mat that is not included in the base game. See our review policy here At its core, Fled is all about trying to outsmart the system while racing to collect the most victory points before you finally break free from a prison that you are for some reason trapped in! You spend each turn adding new tiles to the prison, slowly building out a maze of cells, corridors and hidden rooms. Then you use the rest of your hand to sneak from place to place, picking up contraband along the way. Some rooms like the Warders Quarters give you a chance to trade your stash for the tools you will need to get past the outer wall and make your escape. But you have to be careful with your wandering. If you are not in the right spot when the Governor calls roll call, the nearest Warden could throw you in shackles or worse send you straight to solitary. Let's get it to the table and see how it plays. How To Set Up Fled Start by shuffling the room tiles and placing them skull side up in a few neat stacks off to one side of the table. If there are only two of you playing, take out the tiles that are marked for three or more players and set them aside. Next find the starting yard tile and put it right in the centre of the table. Place a warder meeple on top of it, making sure not to use the chaplain. The prison will eventually grow to as far as six squares out from the yard tile, so try to leave plenty of space around it so you do not run out of room. The game mat helps here! Next, each player chooses a prisoner tile and the matching bunk tile in their chosen colour. Place your prisoner tile next to a reference tile in front of you and put any prisoner tiles, bunk tiles or reference tiles you do not need back in the box. Now take the governor tile and place it on the table opposite the stacks of room tiles. Put the whistle charm on top of it. Then shuffle the roll call tiles and place them in a row to the left of the governor tile. Make sure all the windows are closed except for the tile that is next to the governor which should stay open. You do this simply by flipping the tiles. From the draw stacks, each player picks a hand of five room tiles and keeps them hidden from everyone else. Choose someone at random to go first. Taking turns, each player connects the corridor side of their bunk tile to the yard tile in any direction as long as it lines up properly. Place your meeple onto your bunk tile once it is in place. You are now ready to start playing. If you want, you can sound the whistle to let everyone know that the governor expects them to be in a bunk room, or simply just start! How To Play Fled The goal of Fled is to get the most victory points while planning your escape from prison. Each turn you add a tile to the prison. You then use other tiles to move around and collect contraband. Some rooms, like the Warders Quarters, let you swap contraband for tools you will need to get past the outer wall. Players take it in turns until either one player escapes, or all the tiles are used on up. On your turn you place a tile into the prison. One half of the tile must fully touch one other half of another tile. Windows must connect to windows. Doors to doors. Archways can connect to anything. If you have a tile with a Gold scroll in the top right corner you must place this tile if you can. If it shows a warder symbol, add a warder meeple. If it shows a moon, change the roll call tiles to show the passing of time. The edge of the prison must be made of forest tiles. The forest must be exactly six squares away from the starting yard tile and never closer. You cannot place any other room on the sixth square. You cannot build past the sixth square. If you cannot place any tile from your hand, place one tile face up next to the Governor tile. This becomes part of the Governors inventory. If your tile shows a warder and moon symbol, place a warder meeple on that tile. If the tile shows a cross, place the chaplain warder instead. Then flip the open roll call tile over so the window is closed. After that, flip the next roll call tile along further from the Governor so the next window is now open. This shows time passing. Do not move the whistle charm when you do this. After adding your tile, you must play two more tiles from your hand. You can use these tiles in different ways. You can repeat the same way twice or do two different ways. First, you can discard a tile to move your pawn or move a warder on the map of tiles you have started to build up. Tools shown on purple or gold scrolls let you do this. A tool on a gold scroll counts as two tools. A shamrock acts as a wild tool. It can be any single tool you wish. Each shamrock you keep in your inventory also lets you hold one extra tile. Discard a boot to move through rooms with an archway, a file to move through windows, a key to go through a door, and a spoon to climb into a tunnel on any tunnel you are on to pop up in any other tile with a tunnel icon within three rooms of where you started. Second, you can play a whistle tile to move a warder. If you move a warder into the same room as a fellow prisoner (or even yourself if you were so inclined!), and that room does not match the symbols on the current roll call posters, you can shackle that player. Take a random tile from their hand and place it face down next to their reference tile. That player now has minus one victory point. Unlucky! If the player was already shackled, do not take a tile. Instead send their pawn back to their bunk and remove the shackle. Put the shackle tile face up in the Governors inventory. If the solitary confinement room is built and you target an already shackled player, place their pawn in the solitary hole. On their next turn they lose that turn and move back to their bunk. Again, the shackle tile goes to the Governor. You can also play a whistle tile to move the chaplain. Move the whistle one spot along on the roll call tiles when you do this. If the chaplain is in the same room as a prisoner, that player can be freed from shackles. Give the shackle tile to the Governor face up. The chaplain can also trade contraband for tools and shamrocks. If your pawn is next to a forest tile and you have the tools shown on the folded parchment on this forest tile, then you can escape the prison. Discard the shown tools and jump the wall If it is night-time, shown by the moon on the roll call tile under the whistle charm, you need only one tool, shown on the right of the parchment. Don't forget, a gold scroll counts as two tools. and a shamrock can be any tool. Once you escape your turn ends, and you gain five bonus points, as shown by flipping your prisoner tile to show the escaped side. Everyone else has one final turn, then the game is over. You can also surrender a tile you cannot use to the Governor by putting it face up next to his tile. You might draw this tile later from his inventory. You can also add tiles to your inventory. Contraband items are shown on teal scrolls. If your pawn is in a room that matches the posters on the roll call tile with the whistle charm, you may put a matching contraband tile from your hand face up into your inventory for free. If your pawn is in the warders quarters or in the same room as the chaplain, you can trade contraband to add tools or shamrocks to your inventory. Tools on purple scrolls cost one contraband. Shamrocks or tools on gold scrolls cost two contraband. When you do this, simply remove the spent contraband tiles to the discard pile. Your inventory sits next to your prisoner tile. You can hold up to three tiles in it. If you have any shamrocks in your inventory, you can hold four. At the end of your turn draw tiles to refill your hand back to to five. You can draw from the draw stack or the Governors inventory if there are tiles there. If there are no tiles left to draw, reshuffle the discard pile to make a new draw stack. If a player cannot refill their hand to five tiles at the end of their turn, the game ends at once. In this case no one escapes. But there will still be a winner. Count victory points shown on the scrolls in your inventory. The starting yard tile shows how many points each scroll colour is worth. Add five points if you escaped. Lose one point if you are shackled. Tiles left in your hand do not score anything. The player with the most victory points wins. If players tie, the one with the highest value scroll in their inventory wins. If still tied, they share the victory. The Spector Expansion This is a solo or multiplayer expansion. But mainly seems to be about allowing the game to now work in solo mode. The multiplayer mode simple works by adding in the new tile and ghost meeple to the game. When you activate the whistle to move the Warder, you can now move the Ghost one room as you wish. Any ghost encountering a prisoner sends the Prisoner running scared back to their bunk. No shackles are added, it just slows you down. In solo mode, simply add in the ghost reference tile to the left of the main reference tile. Then replace the chaplain tile and meeple with the ghost ones. Then, play as usual, but after each of your turns, the Ghost has its own turn! On the Ghosts turn, flip three tiles from the the main stacks and choose one to add to the prison. If one of the tiles is a gold scroll you must pick this one if you can. If any of the tiles have a Shamrock or Whistle you must pick one to set aside, it cannot be added to the prison. When you add the tile that summons a Warder or ghost, you must add it to the prison in a way that is most dangerous to you. Come on, don't be scared! If you cannot add a tile to the prison simple add it to the governors inventory like normal. If any of the remaining two tiles has a Shamrock or whistle then the Whistle effect is triggered. The nearest Warder and Ghost must move towards you. The ghost can move without any restriction. Is is a Ghost after all. The final tile is surrender to the Governor. If the whistle makes its way back to the Governors roll call tole before you escape you lose the game. If you cannot replenish your hand like in the normal game, you also lose. And if the Ghost meeple ever reaches you you also lose! You win only by escaping. There is a score system to see how well you did. Oh, and a cute Ghost Meeple to play with! The Governor's Hound Expansions Talking of cute meeples, this expansion brings in a little doggy meeple! Need any more info? Fine... Begin the game with the dog on the starting yard tile. Add in the six new tiles that introduce a three new bone symbol and three more wild Shamrocks. When you discard a bone tile you can move the dog up to three rooms. The dog cannot move through windows, but anything else is fair game. Including tunnels, where the dog can pop up in any tunnel when it uses them. The room where the dog is will work just like the charms location, and will allow you to add matching contraband to your inventory to that rooms symbol. Adding bones tiles to your inventory adds two points to your final score. Is It Fun? Fled Board Game Review (With The Spector & The Governor's Hound Expansions) There’s something very satisfying about slowly building the prison around you, tile by tile, never quite sure if you’re helping yourself, helping another player, or making life harder later on. Each turn feels like adding another piece to a living, breathing maze, as corridors stretch away, new rooms appear and warders start to patrol. It turns the table into a story that changes every game, and that sense of watching the prison take shape in front of you is half the fun. I also love how every move forces you to make choices that feel sneaky but clever. Do you spend your turn darting into the Warders Quarters to swap contraband for tools and gain points along the way? Or do you take the risk and stray further out in the open to grab something better next time? The roll call adds real tension to this decision. You never quite know when the Governor will summon everyone, and if you’re caught in the wrong place you could find yourself in shackles or sent to solitary. It keeps you thinking, trying to plan a couple of steps ahead; but without decisions ever feeling too heavy. Then there’s the thrill of actually trying to actually escape. You have to collect just the right mix of tools or shamrocks, watch for nightfall when it gets easier, and hope no one else beats you to it. The moment you finally leap over the wall, flip your prisoner tile and know you’ve made it out is brilliant. Even then the game isn’t quite over, because everyone else gets one last turn to catch up or spoil your lead. But you know you will have given yourself a very good chance. But if you don’t win, it will still feel like you’ve taken part in a story right there on the table in front of you. You might have dodged warders, and ghosts, hidden in chapels, made deals, or sent someone else running back to their bunk. It’s messy and a bit unpredictable, but that’s what makes it great. At the end of it all you sit back, look at the prison you built together and the chaos that happened inside, and you can’t help but smile as you tell the stories of the game you just played.

This is a preview copy sent to us for our early opinions. No money exchanged hands. Some art, rules or components will change in the final game. You can follow the Kickstarter page here. Take the Throne is a dynamic and strategic card game where each turn involves clever thinking and anticipating your opponents' moves. The challenge is in reading your opponents and determining which card will give you the edge and bring you closer to ruling the realm. As you play you will embody rival houses, all vying for the same objective: to capture the throne and make your mark on the realm. Players compete to be the first to achieve eight victory points. The most effective way to gain these points is by being on the throne at the end of each round, King Of Tokyo style, but only one Monarch can reign at a time. At the beginning of each turn, every player selects a single card to play. The Monarch aims to maintain power, while the house players seek opportunities to claim the throne for themselves, disrupt other players plans, or work in some sneaky points of their own. Since every card in the game can influence the outcome, choosing the right card at the right moment is essential. How To Set Up Take the Throne Start by deciding who will be the Monarch. This player will use the Monarch deck of six cards, Abdicate, Authority, Command, Consolidate, Defend, and Raid. The other players become House players and will use five House cards each, Attack, Charge, Feint, Infiltrate, and Sabotage. Next, place the Victory Point tokens in the centre of the table so everyone can reach them easily. Each player begins the game with one Victory Point. Once this is set up, you are ready to begin. How To Play Take the Throne Each round, the House players will try to take the throne from the Monarch, while the Monarch’s goal is to keep control of the throne. At the start of every round, each player chooses one card from their hand and places it face down in front of them. All players do this at the same time. Cards will either have an immediate effect as indicated by a lightning bolt symbol, or end of round effect as indicated by a hour glass icon. Some cards have both icons and effects. When everyone has placed their card, the Monarch reveals their card first. If their revealed card shows a lightning bolt icon, then the Monarch player immediately performs the action text written on the card. If there is no lightning bolt icon, play simply passes to the next player without taking any action. Play continues to the left in a clockwise order, with each player revealing their card in turn, and playing out any immediate actions. When this is done and all players have carried out any immediate cation cards they played, all players check their cards for any end of turn effects shown with an hourglass icon and carry out those effects. After this, everyone checks to see who holds the throne. If the Monarch keeps the throne, they gain two Victory Points. If a House player takes the throne, that player gains one Victory Point. They will also swap their discard pile and hand of cards, with that of the previous Monarch player, and both players will form a new hand of cards with their new decks. This is one way to get your cards back, there are others! The game continues in this way with new rounds until one player reaches eight Victory Points while sitting on the throne. You do not take back the cards you have played, they stay on the table for all to see, so people will know what you have left in your hand. If you have eight or more points at the end of the round but do not sit on the throne, you cannot win. But if you have eight points or more and sit on the throne at the end of the round, you win, game over. You could have more points than another player who has eight or more and sits on the throne, but they will still win, as they are on the throne, and you are not. Its not about most points, its about gaining eight or more points, and ending a round on the throne. This is Take The Throne, not gain the victory points! During the game, you can lie and say whatever you feel is right when playing a card. Deceiving other players about your plans is a huge part of this game. Bluff, double bluff, whatever you feel will get inside your opponents' heads and give you the advantage as you play your cards. But what do all these cards do? Let's take a look. First at the Monarch cards. Abdicate This card has an instant and end of round effect. The instant effects forces you to give up the throne, but you gain a point. Then at the end of the round, if no house player has taken the throne, you can take it back yourself! Authority This card has an immediate effect that lets you take a point from another player if they have more points than you. Command This card has an immediate effect that lets you look at any other players unrevealed card. You can then choose any house player and force them to replace their card with another unplayed card from their hand. Consolidate This card has an end of round effect that means you will gain an additional point if you retain the throne at the end of this round. Defend This card has an end of round effect that lets you discard any attack cards played by House players this round. Raid This card has an immediate effect that lets you choose any House player and force them to discard their played card for this round. And here are the House cards: Attack This card has an end of round effect that lets you contend the throne to the strength of one. Other cards also allow you to do this. Each card that has this power has a number on it with a different strength. If more than one card with this power was played, the card with the highest number wins and takes the throne. Although, of course, by the time you come to the end of the round and this effect comes into play, not all cards that had this power that were played will still be there! If there is a tie, the current Monarch chooses between the players with the active played 'take the throne' cards, as to who becomes the new Monarch. Charge This card has an end of round effect to contend the throne at a strength of three. If there are more than one Charge card sin play though, they are all discarded. Feint This card has an immediate and end of round effect. The immediate effect lets you spend a point to play any card from your hand or discard pile! The end of round effect lets you gain an additional point if the additional card you played from your immediate effect lets you take the throne. Trickery! Infiltrate This card has an end of round effect to contest the throne at the strength of two, but if no one else played an Attack card, this card is then discarded. Sabotage This card has an immediate end of round effect. The immediate effects lets you force another player to replace their played card. The end of round effect gives you an additional point so long as the current Monarch retains their status this round. Once you have played a few times, you can if you wish swap out some cards for a few new ones. The House player must always have the Attack and Charge cards and the Monarch player must retain the Raid and Defend cards, but you can then shuffle the rest up and take whatever you end up with. Other players can then either match your hand exactly in a mirror variant, or take their own random hand in a more random asymmetric game. Here are the other cards you can use. Dominate This card has an end of round effect where you can contend the throne, however, you must discard the card unless exactly one Charge card is also in play. Ally This card has an instant and end of round effect. The instant effect means the Monarch must discard their card. The end of round effect means that if another player takes the throne this round, then they can decide if you will then gain zero, one, or two points! Time to make some deals! Reinforce This card has an end of round effect that lets you put all your previously played cards back into your hand to be played again, and then if you are not the Monarch, gain a point. Is It Fun? Take The Throne Party Game Preview This is a brilliantly simple card game that is full of twists and turns, captivating players from the very first deal. The game is designed to engage participants through its cleverly constructed mechanics and simple rules and turn structure from the very off. But the game, despite its simplicity, still incorporates a variety of elements essential for having fun at the gaming table. At its core, the game revolves around themes of sabotage, deceit, trickery, and bluffing, making it a perfect choice for those who enjoy strategic thinking and psychological warfare with their friends. Players are encouraged to adopt different plans, crafting elaborate strategies while simultaneously attempting to outsmart their opponents. Remember, its not just about what card you play, but what card you tell everyone you pan to play. What deals you cut. What lies you tell! Each round presents new opportunities for cunning manoeuvres, where a well-timed bluff can turn the tide of the game in an instant. The beauty of this card game lies in its simplicity. The rules are easy to grasp, allowing newcomers to join in without feeling overwhelmed. Yet, beneath this surface simplicity lies a depth that rewards those who take the time to study their opponents and anticipate their moves. The game encourages players to think several steps ahead, creating a dynamic atmosphere filled with tension and excitement. As the game progresses, players must navigate a landscape of shifting alliances and unexpected betrayals. The twists and turns keep everyone on their toes, as one moment a player may seem to be an ally, and the next, they could be plotting your downfall. This unpredictability is what makes the game so utterly absorbing; as only one player can win after all! Managing your hand of cards is crucial. Knowing when to play each one, and planning when to strike. When to hold back, and when to make your move for victory. The design of the cards themselves adds to the overall experience. Each card is thoughtfully illustrated, enhancing the thematic elements of deception and strategy. The artwork not only captivates the eye but also serves as a visual cue that helps players immerse themselves in the game’s narrative. I am not saying you really do feel like you are attacking when you play the attack card, but at least you can see a huge knight with a giant sword about to attack another person! You can pretend a little! I feel the other thing that holds this game back, and suggests why it has not picked up more following in its crowdfunding attempts, is the box art. It is a little dreary and generic, which is a huge shame, as what lies inside is a box of tricks ready to delight you and your friends. It feels like Coup on steroids. And I love Coup.

We previously reviewed the fantastic little card game Odin, from Helvetiq Games. You can read t hat here . It's a brilliant small box card game that fuses way more than you first see. It's really quite clever. From this genius design, the game has won lots of fans, accolades, and even prizes. So, we set about to talk to Mr. Helvetiq himself, Hadi Barket, founder and chief publisher at Helvetiq. WBG - Hey Heidi! So, we love Odin, but tell us a little but more about the game. How did it come to be part of the Helvetiq line-up? It all started with a meeting in Paris with Bruno Faidutti, the French designer of Citadels. He showed us a co-design he had created with Yohan Goh — a name we hadn’t heard before. While we liked the game, it wasn’t quite the right fit for Helvetiq. We later reached out to Yohan directly to introduce ourselves and set up a meeting at one of the major game fairs. There, he showed us several eclectic and fun prototypes, including a card game called Valhalla. It was perfect for our pocket line — we almost signed it on the spot. In late June, I met with the trio of designers in Seoul. Gary, Hope and Yohan. Great creative minds, choosing to work together. They meet every Monday [to] bounce ideas [off each other, and Odin was born]. WBG - Amazing. Odin recently won the prestigious As d'Or at the Cannes International Games Festival. What does this recognition mean to you personally, and what does it mean for Helvetiq as a company? It’s huge! Anyone working quietly in their corner dreams of a moment like this — recognition in front of thousands of people. That’s exactly what happened, and we felt so much joy. Seeing our love for Odin translate into thousands of people playing it is incredibly fulfilling. WBG - Do awards like this typically lead to a noticeable boost in sales? Absolutely. The As d'Or is nearly as impactful as the Spiel des Jahres. Sales are often multiplied by ten. WBG - Wow! By ten. That's incredible! Congratulations. Can you share some insight into the application process for entering a game into an award like the As d'Or? I'm sure many aspiring designers and publishers would be curious to know how it works. There is no formal application process. We didn’t submit anything — our only “merit” was to publish the game. That may not be the answer people expect, but it’s the truth. From what we’ve heard, the jury — made up of media professionals, show hosts, and even a film actor — played over 500 games. They narrowed that list down to 40, then to 12. Odin was played more than 50 times by the jury, and they decided it would be a great ambassador for the hobby to a wide audience. WBG - What an intriguing process. I wonder who the actor was! So, in your opinion, what makes Odin special or stand out from other games? There are so many great games out there, but Odin evokes a very specific set of emotions. It converges beautifully — you’re never stuck in a game that drags on. You always feel like you’re doing well… until suddenly you lose. Then, of course, you want to play again to prove yourself — haha! (Very true! - WBG) When playing to 15 points over several rounds, the game becomes increasingly tactical and long-sighted. It also plays well from 2 to 6 players — not that common — and it’s ultra-portable. I’m literally writing these answers on a plane with the game on the tray table. Plus, it’s affordable enough that you can buy a few copies to share with friends. WBG - Well safe flight and amazing you have signal up there! Tell us, what’s next in the pipeline for Helvetiq? Any exciting projects you can tease? We’ve signed some amazing designers for upcoming releases: Antoine Bauza (7 Wonders), Théo Rivière (Tucano), and Kaya Miyano (Trio). If that’s not a tease, I don’t know what is. WBG - What I need to know more! ! Lastly, what are your thoughts on the current tariffs imposed by the American government, and how might Helvetiq respond or adapt to these challenges? Business and uncertainty don’t go well together. Game publishing already runs on tight margins, and I’m genuinely concerned about the impact these tariffs will have. But the magic of play remains. Gamers will still be here. I just hope they continue to support their local stores, their publishers, and their designers. WBG - Agreed. I think you need to be open and honest. Show the implications on your business, and then offer buyers the chance to help cover some of the costs at the point of purchase. In my experience, most will. But of course, that is when they buy direct. When you are dealing with resellers and other companies who sell for you, well gosh, good luck! Thanks! Last but not least, thanks for the opportunity to share our story. And if you haven’t played Odin yet… you’re missing out on something small but mighty!

Isla WBG Score: 8.5 (Solo) 6.5 (Multiplayer) /10 Player Count 1-5 You’ll like this if you like: Exploring islands based on dice rolls! Published by: Ocean City Games Ltd Designed by:   Oleta Forde , Aaron Grove , Alexander Lucas This is a free review copy of the game. See our review policy here . I originally previewed this game in its prototype form and was a big fan, particularly of the solo mode. You can read that here . I now have the final version and have been eagerly exploring the Island once again. The game works quite different in multiplayer to solo, and I have tried both again. Both will be covered here, but I will focus more on the solo game, as that is where I feel this game excels. So, with that said, let's get it to the table and see how this game plays. How To Set Up Isla Board Game Give each player a map sheet. There are two sides, so be sure that each player is using the same side. For your first few games, it is recommended to use the front side. Then give each player a pen or pencil, and the tokens required per player (four Flora, three Fauna, two Fossil, one rest, one Boulder, and five Exhaustion tokens), and give one player the first player card. Each player then places their tokens face down onto the map sheet. Then, flip them all over. Each player then has the choice to swap over two tokens, but that's it, and never again in the game! Then place the five Exhaustion tokens that represent the five dice in the spaces provided at the bottom of the map. Place out all the dice by them. Then, take the research cards, shuffle them, and deal out four cards into a line. Place the rest in a face-down pile next to these. Each player will now place their meeple on the start spot on the bottom left of the map, or next to the port on the other side. Then, for a solo game, take one of the Keeper cards, and place this face up in front of you. Place the corresponding Keeper meeple on the starting spot shown for this Keeper on its card. Place your own meeple on the start spot on the bottom left of the map, or next to the port on the other side. For a multiplayer game, take the threat cards, shuffle them up and place them face down in a pile. You are now ready to play! How To Play Isla Board Game Players will now run through six steps, seven for the solo mode. Let's go through them one-by-one. Planning phase. Here each player must declare if they choose to Rest, Explore, or Research this phase. More on what they all mean shortly. Dice Roll Phase. Here, the first player will roll the five dice. In a multiplayer game, if you roll any ones, then you must resolve a Threat card. If you roll more than one die that shows a single pip, you still only resolve a single Threat card. This is a nice development from the early prototype! To resolve a Threat card, draw the top card from the Threat pile and follow the effect shown. If you cannot carry out the instruction, simply discard it. If you draw a card with the same name as a Threat card already in your possession, discard it. Otherwise, do what it says and keep it by you. Only the first person this round resolves the Threat card. Rest Phase. Here, if anyone chooses to rest, they will mark off the Rest box on their player sheet, and then their turn this round ends. But they can now refresh the leftmost exhausted dice token, ready to be used again the next round. You can normally only rest once per game, but you can gain one more Rest token as you play if you move over the space the rest token is randomly placed during set up. Explore Phase. This is the main action in the game. If you choose to Explore, you will pick one of the dice rolled this round by the first player and move that many spaces on the board. At the start, you can choose any die you like from the five rolled. But as you use each die, you must move the exhausted token for the die you used. You cannot use this colour die again until that particular exhausted token becomes unexhausted. This is done mainly by moving over the symbol that represents this die's colour on the board. As you move on the board, you will start at the bottom left space and move your meeple the shown number of spaces on your chosen die. You can move orthogonally in any direction. The idea of the game is to cover as many spaces on the map as possible, reach the exit first, and collect as many Flora and Fauna tokens as possible in order to complete your research goals. You cannot go back over any space you have already visited, and if you ever block yourself in, your game is over. As you move, un-exhaust any die for die symbols that you move over, and claim any tokens you pass over. Moving them into your play area. If you move over a symbol to un-exhaust a die that is not ye t exhausted, you simply waste that power. So don't do it! Research phase. If you choose to research, you can now discard previously obtained research tokens that match any of the current four face-up research cards. You can now take that card, and this will score you the shown points on the card at the end of the game. In solo mode, you will now carry out the Keeper phase. Flip over the top card from the research deck and check the symbol shown on the bottom left of the card. This will show a one, two, or three. Then check the Keeper card you have in play this game, and carry out the action as represented by the one, two, three or blank symbol revealed this turn. This will mostly move the Keeper token from its starting position closer to you. If the Keeper ever reaches your space, it's game over. Finally, prepare for the final round. This will be the sixth phase in multiplayer mode. Discard the rightmost Research card, draw a new one, and place it into the leftmost space. Then move the first player card to the next player if you have more than one player playing. Continue with rounds like this until all players have either exited the island or become lost on the island. This can happen by trapping yourself with no path to explore due to turning in on yourself, running out of available dice to use by not un-exhausting the dice, or, in the solo player mode, by being caught by the Keeper. In multiplayer mode, note that players can end their game in different rounds, but the first to exit will gain a bonus of five, and the second, a bonus of three. In the solo game, you simply gain the five points. Then work out the bonus points gained from the completed research cards you have in front of you. Add these to the points gained or lost from the Threat cards you faced. You then gain one point for each Threat card you faced in the game. Remember, there are no Threat cards in the solo game. Then you gain points for any exhausted dice token that is currently not exhausted. You will gain the points as shown on the tile itself. You will then gain points for the space you reached on the final exit track. The further down you go, the more points you will get. So you will want to end your final turn with a big number. Finally, you will lose one point for any space not covered on the main map. Most points wins! In the solo game, there is a point target to reach. Is It Fun? Isla Board Game Review The multiplayer game of Isla lacks a little something for me. If all players play the game similarly, then you will all mostly cover every space and exit at similar times. The exit first bonus is not enough for me to chase that down and race to the end. There will be some frustration when someone else takes a research card you wanted, but more come so frequently that you can just save your tokens and use them later. They are not different enough from each other to matter too much. So, it becomes a simple game of working out which is the best dice to use, efficiently make your way around the map, cover as many spaces as possible, and collect all the points you can. I find most games are pretty close, and the winner is never left with a feeling they did anything that clever compared to the loser. The threat cards offer some variety, but of course, it is completely random, and one player could be way more affected than another, and there is nothing they can do about it. It just doesn't work for me. BUT! In solo mode, I adore this game. The tension created by the Keeper slowly making their way to you is wonderful. Made by the fact that their movement towards you is never as slow as you think! As they start quite a way from you, depending on which Keeper you choose to face, and they sometimes do not move at all or great distances, you may start the game thinking you have all the time in the world. But then, as you move north and they move south, your paths will quickly come a lot closer than you ever thought! And as you do not always get to control how far you move, and sometimes your choice of die can be quite restricted, getting away from them quickly when you need to can be tough. I have had multiple solo games of Isla where I have been caught, due to my hubris telling me I had all the time in the world. Until BOOM! They got me. Or, I may get close to the Keeper and risk claiming just one more token by taking a path that goes way too close to the Keeper, knowing that only one of the four symbols drawn this round will let them catch you. And of course, that's the symbol you draw. But then plenty of solo games where things have worked out in my favour. It's a wonderfully tight, balanced, and enjoyable experience. The different Keepers all offer a different level of challenge too. So, as I become a little better with the game, I can change which Keeper I am up against, to still keep this balanced game. The setup for this game takes a minute, tops. And the upkeep for the Keeper is seconds per round. As a solo experience, it is close to perfect. All the tension of the main game is there. The frustration and random nature of the Threat cards is removed. And the added pressure of the Keeper brings a lot more of an enjoyable and "I want to beat this game" mechanic to the table. In multiplayer, I want to try and beat my friends. And sometimes do. But I rarely feel I earned that. In the solo game, when I beat the Keeper and get a good score, I feel good about myself. As I face tougher Keepers, I am excited about the challenge. It is a near-perfect solo experience. This is the reverse side of the map to use for a more challenging experience. It is a nice addition, and I enjoy using it. It does make the multiplayer experience a little better as the layout of this is a little more challenging. You can play the multiplayer mode without the Threat cards, which is how I do it. Simply remove them from setup and final scoring. It takes away a lot of the randomness and frustration for me. You still have all the tension from choosing which die to pick, how far to move this time, and what route to take. But without the annoyance of being penalised for things out of your control, that may not happen to other players down to the luck of a roll. And it is in those choices of which dice to pick where this game really excels. You still have this in the multiplier mode, but I find it comes alive in the solo experience. This is because in the solo game, not only are you trying to make your way around the map as efficiently as possible, but you are also trying to avoid capture from the Keeper. As the dice are all different, the choices are deliciously tight. You only want to take the dice when they are at the higher ends. Why take a D12 when it rolls a three? But what if that is all you have left? If the D12 rolls a ten, that is now more tempting. But what if the D6 finally rolled its first six of the day? Should you take the six from the D6 now, knowing that it is at full efficiency? But what if the D12 doesn't roll that high again for a while. I will risk it... Roll again next turn - a 12 on the D12! It paid off. These emotions pop in and out in the multiplayer mode, but will be with you throughout the solo mode. And I love it! Finally, I want to make a note of the rule book. It is excellent. Clearly laid out. Great examples, images, and wording. And I really enjoy the little bits of lore created from the flavor text, dotted around the pages. It's one of the best I have seen in a while. Congratulations to all involved there. So, if you are looking for a new solo game that plays quickly, sets up and packs away in minutes, but offers you some tension and satisfaction, this could well be the one for you.

Corps of Discovery WBG Score: 8/10 Player Count 1-4 You’ll like this if you like: Figuring out intricate puzzles with big time pressures! Published by: Off the Page Games Designed by: Jay Cormier , Sen-Foong Lim This is a free review copy of the Deluxe version of the game. See our review policy here . I originally previewed this game in its prototype form and was a huge fan. You can read that here . I now have my hands on a final production copy, and it is a thing of beauty. While the game mechanics remain unchanged, the components, trays, box layout, and game boards have received a beautiful update. Note that this is the Deluxe edition with wooden components and boards. The game is based on the comic book series Manifest Destiny , which tells a revised history of the Lewis and Clark story, but with Minotaur's! This follows publisher Off The Page's style of converting modern graphic novels into master pieces on the table. Such as Harrow County and MGMT . They have all been fantastic so far, does this new game live up to the hype? Let's get it to the table and find out. How to Set Up Corps of Discovery Board Game First, you need to select which chapter of the game you wish to play. There are a number in the box; it's best to start with the training mission, but then, you can go with whichever level wherever you like. Each chapter offers different components, rules, and challenges. I will cover the base rules here. Once chosen, take the map from the selected chapter and slide it into the map board, using the blank white paper to conceal the images on the front of the map from you as you do this. Then cover each of the circular holes with path tokens, so all spaces are covered. You can then slide out the concealer paper and put it back into the box. Check the side of the map to see where the peak of this map is, and place a rock token onto this spot. The map you chose will have am associated Reference board, place this next to the map board. Each player will now choose their character. Note that not all characters are eligible for the starting missions. If in doubt, pick Lewis and Clark. But in the later chapters, you will have access to more choices. Each character has their own unique power, so this does make a difference. Now, take gear cards based on the number of players: three gear cards for a solo game, two each for two players, and one gear card each for any player count above this. For an easier game, or the first training mission, you can also take the Training gear card. Now, set up the Supply board. First, shuffle the Destiny cards with the cards specific to your chosen chapter. There are matching symbols on all cards, linked to each chapter. Add these to the base Destiny cards, shuffle them up, and draw two cards. These are placed in the spaces available on the right of the Supply board. Next, find the Approach the Arch Challenge card. You always start with this. Add this to the space on the left of the Supply board. Now shuffle the remaining Challenge cards, again with the chapter-specific cards, and deal two more into the remaining two positions. Place the rest into a face-down deck to the side. Now add eight Water tokens into the Water supply along with the Shelter token. Place all the other tokens in the token container to the side of this. Finally, create your Threat deck for this chapter. Take the chapter-specific Threat cards. Shuffle them randomly along with two random misfortune Threat cards to form a face-down Threat pile. There may be additional setup for later chapters, but otherwise, you will now be ready to play. How to Play Corps of Discovery Board Game Choose a starting player, and now take it in turns, or do it all yourself in solo, to remove one of the path tokens, to reveal and action the symbol below. You will start with one of the spaces to the right of the board, next to the river. Thematically, you are coming off a boat from the river, and exploring into the land. You can pick any space you want from the right most column to start, but then for subsequent turns, you need to build orthogonally from this first space, to form a path. Then, you can build off any other space you have opened. If you come across a rock, then you must go another way. Rocks represent impassable mountains. When you take the path token, add it to the space on the Supply board above the first Challenge card. Each card will have a number within a sun icon on the top right. This will represent the time you have to complete this challenge. For example, for the first 'Approach the Arch' card, you have five turns to complete this card. This is represented by the path tokens. So, when you remove one, flip it over to show the sun side, and add it to the space above the card. When you add the fifth token, this card must now be finished. The card will show what is needed to complete it successfully, generally a mix of resources. On the bottom of the card, it will show the consequences of passing or failing the card. Even if you have the right resources, you can choose to fail if you want the resources for other things. If you pass, put the required resources back into the supply and claim the success from passing the card. If you fail, then fulfil the consequences of failing. Generally losing water! But sometimes you have to take a Sample token, which will clog up your backpack. When a challenge card is concluded, remove it from the board and check to see if you have items in your backpack beyond your limit. If so, you will lose one water a resolve any Monsters that have consequences, if you have any in play at this point. Your limit starts with four items, but you can expand this to six if you have built a shelter. If you have a shelter, you cannot ever become fatigued. Then, move on to the next card. When you finish the third card, that is the end of your day. There are then some end-of-day processes to run through, namely spending food, if you have one, to feed your troops. If you don't, you lose. That's it. Game over! If you do have food, congratulations, you live to fight another day. Now, check to see if you have a Monster in play. If you do, do nothing. If you don't, reveal one Threat card. Then, refresh any gear or characters you may have used their powers for, and reveal three new challenge cards and move on to the next day. What you are looking to do each game is fulfil the chosen chapter's missions. This could be to simply fulfil six challenge cards, as in the training mission. Or for later chapters, you may need to find ways to kill monsters, locate giant plants, or other adventures that I won't spoil here. The way you do this is by exploring the map and finding the right resources to complete each chapter's missions, all the while remembering to get food for each day and completing enough challenge cards so you don't run out of water. This is a mix of resource management, pattern recognition, and cooperative/solo deduction. And what I mean by that is, this adventure is not about luck. You will have clues given to you each game as to where certain things lie. And its your job to work out each maps puzzle. You will be given a mini map in the extra rules section of each map to help with this. This will show you the layout of certain items on the board. These are items that are always next to each other in a specific formation. Orientated in any way, but always in this manner. You will also have clues on the reference board. These will be in the form of rules, such as Water and Wood are always orthogonally next to each other. So, if you reveal one of those, you will get an idea as to where the other will be. You will also be told how many Wood resources can be found on each row and column, and other clues about various other resources in that chapter. You can use multiple clues, pieced together to form more solid information. Some spaces will even be clues, such as Hills that will tell you how many of a specific thing will be in a row. When you reveal these, they do not count as an action, so you can discard the path token you removed to reveal this and have another turn. And this is the meat of the game. Working out from the clues you have and the spaces you have revealed so far, where the thing you desperately need may be. And making educated guesses on your subsequent turns. Each turn will be important. You will not have many free goes in this game. You always need one more thing to avoid disaster, or to avoid death in various ways. Do not fail the mission or you will run out of water. Do not forget food, otherwise you will starve at the end of the day. But do not forget the main goal in the chapter, otherwise you will be running around for days without achieving your quest. There are multiple free actions you can do in and around exploring the map, such as using your gear or characters' power, or the Destiny cards available to you. These will all be pretty much self-explanatory, but ultimately will help you in your quest, giving you the chance to gain extra resources, challenge cards to prepare yourself, or even gain new Destiny cards such as the Gear cards below. You can also build fires using various resources. Two fires allow you to backtrack. As in, if you see something under a path token you don't like the look of, discard your fire token, put the path token back, and go again! So, good luck! And make every step count! Is it Fun? Corps of Discovery Board Game Review The sense of adventure in this game is off the scale! As will the sense of tension and enjoyable discussion. As a two-player cooperative experience, I adore this game. Everything feels important. From turn one, you feel a sense of urgency to get exactly what you need. But you start with minimal information. Where the peak is. That's it. But you will quickly form a picture in your mind of where certain things are, and the discussion to get there is what makes this game special. As such, as a solo adventure, which is how BGG suggests this game should be played, this game does not work for me. I enjoy it, and I can see some sense to it. I also understand why others would really enjoy it. But the game is elevated so much by the decisions of working out where things are, I miss that too much in solo mode to have fun. There are a lot of maps in the box, so you won't be in a situation where you start to learn the board. That isn't really possible. And the setup is so well thought out, you won't see anything before you are ready to play. The game has gone to extreme measures to create a strong aesthetic and also functional experience. With the expansion included in this game, there are also a lot more maps and variations of types of games. New challenges will be set. New goals are required to fulfil the requirements of the later maps. And if you do complete them all, start to learn the layout of the aps, well you can access you maps from games website. You can check that out here . Seemingly, the fun in this game will never end! After I finished with the prototype, I said this: I cannot wait to see what other people think of this game. But I also want it back on my shelves to play again and again. I want to try the other chapter. [That I did not have with the prototype]. I want to try this with other people. It is a fantastic game and one that will live long in my memory, until I can get my hands on it again! And now I have it back, I feel exactly the same way. This game feels unique in my collection. It offers things other games come close to, but do not bring to the table in such a clever and well-integrated way at this. The art and theme work perfectly with the original comics, as is always the way with games from this publisher. And as always, I am blown away by the high level of development quality of everything in this box. This is a top notch production. (Again, please note this is the deluxe version!) There is a huge sense of discovery, both in terms of the game itself and all the new maps to play. The different expansions to try out and the new ways to play this game keep me coming back for more. Each Chapter feels quite different, and each map for each level offers its own new set of challenges. I can see this being a real mainstay in my collection, being played more often than others due to its accessibility, game length, ease of getting to the table, but also, and mainly, due to the fun it delivers when I play. It is the sort of game I think about a lot after completing it and then want to play again and again, no matter how many times I play. My thirst for this game only increases with more games. I cannot seem to stop thinking about this game or stop wanting to play. Some games can be a little disappointing. If you lose, you can sometimes lose quickly, and then you think, oh, that's a shame. I may never play that map again, and it only lasted for 20 minutes or so. But then you see all the other maps and quickly move on. I may well play them all again. I doubt I will remember the location of everything on every one. So this thought is not true, but ending a game like this quickly with a loss can be disappointing. Not frustrating or annoying. Disappointing. But that is only because you wanted to keep exploring and get a sense of completion from winning. And as I move through the various chapters, the sense that the game is ramping up with me works so well, in that I feel that every game is incredibly close. When I win, I win narrowly. It ends in a sudden death way where it feels like one wrong turn - and it's game over. But one correct deduction and the right choice, and victory could be ours. The difficulty ramps up perfectly across the maps and chapters with my learning and understanding of the game. So as new challenges are put before me, I seem to be able to stand up to them, but only narrowly. And not all the time. Victories always feel hard-fought and celebrated as a group with great excitement. Just when you think all is lost, you will see a power on a character, gear, or destiny card that you realise can buy you one more turn. Will that be enough to find the thing you need? ' Well, maybe if I use our two fires, we can actually have two more turns. And if we find this specific resources, we can do that, to do this, and win the game! ' Moments like this will be commonplace, and oh so joyous. I will cherish this game for years to come. Like the other games from Jay and the team at Off the Page Games, it makes me want to read the comics that inspired this. I did that with Harrow County and loved it. It also made the experience of playing the game better as I understood the characters, story, and lore a little better. Here, with the story of Lewis and Clark being more well-known, I can piece together the extra components added by the comics, but I still want to read them all and fully immerse myself into this theme. As that is what this game does to you. It picks you up and draws you in. It says come on an adventure with me, and then play again-and-again. Win or lose, you will have fun. Oh, and check out this new way to play, and have you tried this map? Oh, and did you know you could get even more!? OK! Enough already, I'm sold.