Last Will

Last Will is fun card-driven game with a tremendous amount of theme.

The game centers around activating long-term cards (black border cards), playing events (white border cards), and manipulating the real estate market in an effort to spend your money before the other players.

At the begging of each turn players must choose how many cards they wish to draw, how many actions they wish to receive, and how many errand boys they will get to use for their turn. The more of one resource a player chooses the less of the others he or she will receive. This “give and take” style turn planning is just one of the interesting core mechanics present in Last Will. The game also has three levels of special cards that populate the board in a prescribed manner throughout the game in such a way that the offerings become more advanced as the game progresses (i.e. stronger cards only become available in later rounds)- another well-thought-out mechanic.

There are also many interactions/combos between the cards. For instance a player can concentrate on collecting real estate agents so they they can sell their properties for the lowest value possible; or on bringing companions along on certain events to make sure they are able to spend lavishly on each trip/event (i.e. fancy dinners, soirees, balls, carriage rides, etc.); or on getting more actions per turn/or filling their farms with costly stable animals.

All-in-all there are a lot of strategic interactions between the cards but Last Will never feels overwhelming. The game is fairly easy to teach to new players and also plays really well with two players.

Whom of us has never dreamed of spending money without consequence? Well, that ain’t happening here either. In Last Will you go your way to spend money to get even more money, that is if you can spend it fastest. If you lose you change riches for rags. It’s Brewster’s Millions kind of deal, which means you can’t just squander all of it.

I want the finest golden tea set you have (Summary)
The game is combination of bidding, worker placement and hand management. In fact phases of the turn can be divided in these three main events. First you start bidding for your place in rest of the turn, but it isn’t that simple. Same time you also need to balance with how many cards your draw, amount of the errant boys (workers) and action points you have. Then you place the few errant boys you have in hopes of getting everything you want from the main board, whilst you know that it ain’t happening since you can only place one at the time. Lastly you can play the cards from your hand either on your board as reoccurring benefits or play single use event cards, but you need to be careful here too. You only get to keep two cards in your hand at the end of the turn, unless you have School chump-card which allows additional cards on play.

Lets break the phases to smaller bites.
Bidding phase is fairly straight, but no means easy part of the game. In this phase you really need to sacrifice the most, because pretty much always you need to exchange between your place in turn or amount of cards, workers and action points. For instance if you want the first chance to play you need to pick the first spot, but then you only get one extra card and one action point, which isn’t enough, even if you get two workers. Going as last player to bid is often the best place to be if you really need something from the main board. Still in the end, it’s nothing more than just placing one wooden piece to board. That has far reaching consequences.

In worker placement phase you have 1-2 errant boys to place on the main board. There you can influence real estate prices, choose between cards on board or expand your estate. Choosing cards here has real value, since it won’t be random and the game has four different stacks of cards and one special card stack where you can’t take from during bidding round. You’re pressed on to select most important card on first pick, since you most likely won’t get to pick the other one you want and might be you don’t have the worker for it anyway.

There is certain urgency in this round, when you really need to make it count. If you have difficulties adjusting your plans in worker placement games, this might be issue for you. I don’t know a worker placement game where you have more limited chance to pick.

Lastly comes the card management. You have limited space on your board, which you can expand, but it is out from other actions in worker placement. You’re pressed with amount of actions, that always feel too few, and cards in your hand you want to play. Especially since at the end of turn you only can keep two cards. All cards have some value in way or another. Might be you don’t need some now, but next turn might be a different story. Eventually you run to impasse where you need to play card, but don’t have room for it. Luckily you can remove cards from your board, except estates.

I haven’t talked about estates yet. Basically they’re excellent way to drain money, but you can’t have them if you want to win the game.
In farms you can have horses and dogs, visit them and spend money or even better recruit a estate keeper who does the work for you can cost even more money. Mansions work different way, they’re best bought and left alone in most cases. Their value depreciates if not visited, meaning you can buy house with high price and sell it for pennies. Of course you can host huge party there with right card and hasten the process.

So bottom line through all the phases of the turn is setting your priorities right and adjusting on inevitable changes on your plans.

I bought my horse a golden saddle (Components)
Components are standard quality, nothing to complain here. Money is thick enough for handling and moving around with ease. As always cards love to stick on table and are difficult to get off unless you slide them to edge of table, which is difficult on occasion considering the amount of boards, cards and tokens.

Art is beautiful and has comical feature that this game requires. It jogs your imagination and you start thinking that you take your horse in to the restaurant with your lady friend, even if your logic screams that the horse stays outside. Then again your eccentric new millionaire, so who knows.

So I can’t give it to charity for myself? (Learning curve)
One thing that you have to know about this game is that it pars with 7 Wonders on symbol galore. There are multiple different symbols and many of them are not evident as by themselves and you need to consult the rulebooks back where they’re all listed. You can learn most of them after a game or two, but it should be noted that first games take a bit getting used to on symbols.

Rulebook itself is ok, it has nice pictures to explain and considering how diverse the game is, it isn’t all too difficult to play. Explaining the game is fairly difficult for new players and it definitely ain’t a starter game for completely new board game player.

So I get to keep my debts if I lose? (Conclusion)
Game is arguably difficult to learn, but it’s worth it and mastering it takes even longer. No game is same ever really the same since there is so many paths to victory. If you don’t get something you want it doesn’t end the game for you, just nudge bit to different direction and you’re again on the track to penniless. It’s so unlike many other worker placement games, since you don’t have set recipe for each game. However if you get frustrated easily from being forced to adjust and change your plans, you might want to consider not playing this game.

Once players start to understand how it works, it’s something you keep coming back to for deep strategical factor and humour the game contains. It is simply so fun and making your own quips on situation makes it even more fun.

Last Will is a delightful blend of strategy and chaos, where the objective isn’t to amass wealth but to shed it as quickly as possible. Gather your friends (3-4 players) for a hilarious romp through financial mismanagement in this engaging board game.

The beauty of Last Will lies in its simplicity yet depth. While the goal seems straightforward—lose all your money—the paths to bankruptcy are diverse and intriguing. Whether you opt for a streamlined property strategy or explore other avenues, the game ensures a nail-bitingly close competition every time.

Seasoned players, known as “Last Will veterans,” may seem unbeatable in their ability to hemorrhage cash at breakneck speed. Yet, what sets Last Will apart is its uncanny balance. Regardless of the chosen tactic, victory—or rather, defeat—is always within reach. It’s a testament to the game’s design that every strategy, when fully exploited, leads to a thrilling race to insolvency.

But beware: changing tactics mid-game is akin to financial suicide. Last Will punishes indecision with merciless efficiency, making each decision a high-stakes gamble.

For newcomers, the learning curve may be steep, and victory against experienced players may seem elusive at first. However, the journey from financial solvency to destitution is brimming with laughter and camaraderie, ensuring fun from the very first playthrough.

In conclusion, Last Will is a captivating and refreshingly unique board game experience. Whether you’re a seasoned player or a newcomer to the world of financial folly, Last Will promises hours of laughter, strategy, and memorable moments. So gather your friends, embrace your inner spendthrift, and embark on a journey to financial ruin like no other.