BuckeyeDave

I am not a great fan of “real-time” game elements, so I struggled to keep up with the experts at the table. The game was thought-provoking, and required a lot of decisions about selecting resources for moving the ship, storing cargo, deploying engines, positioning weaponry, and placing shields to defend your ships. Enough random elements made the game unpredicatble and added to the fun, but in the end, the advantage to the experience gamer is substantial.

A european-style building game with a wide variety of tiles with different characteristics. The game confronts the player with many decision points, requiring both long-range planning and on-the-fly adaptation. For the regular gamer, this title is thought-provoking and enjoyable.

The game itself is nicely laid out. The individual boards are attractive and there are a variety of well-constructed parts.

As a less experienced gamer, I found this to be tougher to pick up. There are a number of different ways to score, and it took me several rounds to understand all the nuances despite a capable teacher. I was quickly outdistanced by the more experienced gamers, but it was still an enjoyable game and I would enjoy playing it again.

We did make one mistake in playing the game. The rules instruct all players to roll the dice simultaneously at the beginning of the round. We weren’t doing this at first; each player was rolling at the beginning of his turn. This made the game play very slow. When we started rolling all the dice from the beginning of the round, players were able to make decisions more quickly and the pace of the game picked up.

I love this game! The ancient lurks in the depths of his castle… and every turn comes closer to emerging to lay waste to the characters. Characters struggle to defeat adventures, making the most of their resources. Every clue, every ally, every spell can make or break this adventure. As the clock moves on, the suspense grows, and every player must contribute to the success- or failure- of the party. Stamina and Sanity are at risk as the adventurers struggle against time!

I have played this game several times. The game mechanics are easy to pick up, but the individual and group decisions are thought-provoking. Playing cooperatively is a fun dynamic, particularly in settings where the other gamers are more experienced. Can’t wait to have another go at this one!

Took a few rounds to learn. Once we got going, the draft mechanics were fun, and the wide variety of strategic options kept it interesting every round. So many decision points in a quick and simple game!

The scoring is rather complex, since there are six or seven different ways to accumulate points. You really need to balance all of your tactics to maximize the points you accumulate in each category.

The gameplay was smooth and fast-paced. Even with 2/4 players being new to the game, we finished in less than an hour. I will definitely enjoy it more the next time around.