![]() I want to bludgeon my opponent into submission in Memoir '44. I want to locate the titular orb before anyone else in The Search for Planet X. I want to cross the finish line in Charioteer. (Euro games are a healthy 0-for-3 so far!) I want to hunt down and destroy the Rebel base in Star Wars: Rebellion. I want my games to be fun and exciting, and games that just sling points at you right and left don't leave much room for dramatic endings. Flamme Rouge and Snow Tails are racing games where your options dwindle as your riders tire or your sled accumulates damage, and it can have a drastic impact on the decision space as the finish line nears.ģ) Objective-based victory (or at least game-end) conditions. And to be clear, the progression doesn't always have to be from strong to weak or from few options to many. Deckbuilding and engine-building games usually do this really well, while most worker placement games fail miserably. Said another way, I want my turns at the end of the game to feel markedly different from my turns at the beginning. The best example of this, of course, is Terraforming Mars.Ģ) A clear sense of progression. The easiest way to circumvent this is by having a huge deck of (preferably unique) cards that force you to adapt your strategy to your resources, rather than the other way around. I can't stand games that allow you to play the same basic strategy every game (I'm looking at you, abstracts and euros!). As I hunt for new games to try, here are the general Likes and Yikes I use as a filter.ġ) A big ol' stack of cards. ![]() I am very picky when it comes to games, preferring to play a small handful of truly great games over and over again rather than fill my shelves with mediocre games that only get played a few times a year. My wife and I ruthlessly curate our collection, as evidenced by a previously owned-to-owned ratio of nearly 5:1. I'll admit the words "Likes" and "Yikes" are probably too weak and too strong, respectively, but I couldn't resist the childishly cheesy title!īefore I go, I wanted to give you a little background on myself so you know what perspective I'll be writing these reviews from. Yikes: Where did this game go wrong? What could be improved? Why should you avoid it at all costs? Likes: What feels special or unique about this game? Does it use cards in a clever way? Does it evoke any strong emotions? Do I find myself being pulled back for another play? To that end, this new format allows me to focus on the aspects of the game that really stood out to me, whether good or bad: While my previous format forced me to touch on all of the important aspects of a game-how does it look on the table, what do turns feel like, is it fun, etc.-I often found myself with a lot to say in one category and nothing to say for another. To give my review writing a double espresso jolt of caffeine, I'm debuting a new format: welcome to Likes & Yikes reviews! While there are many reasons for that, one is that I've simply grown bored with my standard review format (for an example, see my review of Grand Austria Hotel). I've written nearly 50 game reviews here on BGG, but a quick glance at the list reveals that I haven't written a single review in nearly 9 months.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |