alina

I don’t think there is one BEST game, but it’s about context — where you are, who you are with and what else is going on. For example, Cards Against Humanity is never a game I’d like to whip out at a family camping trip, and Scrabble tends to be a buzz kill at larger/rowdier parties… unless someone takes it upon themselves to only use dirty words or somehow else hijack the game in a ridiculous direction. Considering this, I think Cauldron is best for smaller (but not necessarily tiny!) gatherings of friends/family, where people would like to engage in an interesting strategy game without going into a world of self-absorbed plotting from which silence will descend for the rest of the evening. It does require you to think and plan, but not in isolation — you do continuously interact with other players as you compete for resources and do spells to gather points… and there are chances for moves that can throw another player off-course (think Munchin-like trickery!).

I first got the chance to play Cauldron while it was still in its development phase — the rules were all in place, but we were still using some makeshift pieces… and I immediately liked the game. To play, you collect resources from the board (e.g. frog legs, spider webs) and then brew potions and cast spells to gather points. As you move along in the game, there are chances for more complex spells and for purchasing specialty items (and gloating). The rules are well-balanced. They aren’t so complex that they become burdensome and confusing, and with just enough randomness so that the game remains a bit unpredictable without you feeling your moves to be futile.

The characters in Cauldron each have a unique set of special powers/attributes that would require a different gaming approach and strategy. Because of this, each game of Cauldron has the potential to be slightly different — you can rotate characters and try their different specialities out. Or you can just pick one you think to be your alter ego and try to outcompete your fellow players with your expertise. Either way, you’ll never get bored.

The look and art of Cauldron is fantastic — it’s imaginative, intriguing and friendly. It’s also fairly unique in its design, as even more archetypical characters (e.g. Druid) do not look typical or boring, and with unlikely characters included as well (e.g. Alchemist). It’s a good mix of familiarity without being un-relatable.

Overall, I found Cauldron to be a very well-balanced game — chance and planning; strategy and social interaction; familiarity and uniqueness. Again, a great game for a smaller gathering (3-5 people), and one round won’t take up your whole evening (unless of course you want it to!). Would recommend for players of all ages and all levels of gaming expertise! I am thoroughly impressed with this game and all of its creators and collaborators…!

P.S. Would also like to mention it was created in Canada!… Wooooo Canada!