Luiz Gustavo Mendes

Let’s Review More: Metrorunner

June 23, 2024 Luiz Gustavo Mendes

1-5 Players

Designer: Stephen Kerr

Artist: Ignacio Bazán Lazcano

Publisher: Thunderwork Games

Thunderworks stepped out of the Roll Player universe and allied with designer Stephen Kerr to have a go at the classic cyberpunk big corporations world with Metrorunner. But is this job a hit or bust?

Gameplay

On a player’s turn, they will first move one or two spaces clockwise on the track, then either do the space action or a district action. Space actions are simple, like getting resources, getting more jobs, or playing a route mini-game to get resources and some track advancements. A district action is getting resource cubes and finishing jobs from that district.

Whenever a player completes a job, they tuck the completed card on one of three spots (each holding three cards). This gives additional resources or advancements, and also allow the player to compete for majorities and specific combinations.

Players keep going until someone crosses either the notoriety or the influence, every one has one last turn and the game is over.

Solo Gameplay

The AI system is very simple. You play with two tokens to represent them, and after you turn you turn over one AI card. They will move to block spaces, take jobs away, and or remove cubes, and advance on tracks depending on how it’s notoriety compares to you. However, the Automa does not score, instead the game has a beat your own score system.

Components

Everything has a classic cyberpunk look, with lots of acrylics and pseudo code flying around. However, the presentation never superceeds usability, and the iconography is simple and objective.

One thing I highly highly highly appreciate is how the players board are made. They have elevated slots on the back that you can easily tuck the cards with messing everything around. Having played a lot of games with cards being tucked behind player boards, that is a very welcome addition.

Just one additional note, you have the option to get the metal version of the hack tiles. It’s totally unnecessary, but wow is it satisfying to manipulate!

Conclusion

Metrorunner is an incredibly well produced game, but, most importantly, it’s engaging and fun. It’s a fairly light and quick game, but it takes that spirit and runs with it, pun intended. Rules are easy to understand, that game doesn’t overstay its welcome, but I do feel it rewards repeated plays to learn the efficiency puzzle. If you’re into this weight, it’s a great addition to your collection.

Score: 8.5/10

PnP Review

PnP Review: Cavern

June 18, 2024June 18, 2024 Luiz Gustavo Mendes

1-99 players

Designer: Brad Hiscock

Artist: Peter Zalba

Publisher: Conviveal Games

This game takes us, surprisingly enough, to a cavern to look for treasures, fight enemies, and use all of our courage and guile to make it out. But is this adventure as thrilling as it sounds or do are we kept in the dark?

Gameplay

On player’s turns, you roll a d20 for movement. That movement can be 2 or 3 spaces and either only orthogonal or diagonal as well. Dark and rough spaces cost more to leave, and you can only ever go on each space twice. Then you can get equipment or weapons, face enemies, or roll for events, like finding the exit or fighting the boss.

Fighting is easy, just roll the d20 and try to beat the foe’s target number. All enemies are static, just varying the level. You only get one shot, and take 1 damage if you don’t succeed. Game ends when you find and decide to go out of the exit. Then you can either keep your level and try the next level, or just count the points.

Solo Gameplay

This game plays the same either solo or multiplayer. The only difference is comparing the scores to each opponent or to a table.

Components

First thing I noticed in the game is how gorgeous the art is. Instead of going for the usual minimalistic or simplistic look most one page pnp games, Cavern opts for a full graphic design with unique well rendered backs for each map and great iconography.

However, usability was not well thought. A lot of information is relegated to the rulebook only, and it’s information that needs to be consulted fairly often. With the real state on each map, a lot could have been added to ease up the play. My main gripe is the lack of a table for the events, since they only happen once. A way to keep track of which happen and to mark them on the map was critical, and it’s missing.

Conclusion

Cavern is, without a doubt, a fun game. It’s a light and quick exploration game, where you have to plan how much you risk and how much if enough. However, there are a great number of one page games on the market, and specifically there are a few with the same theme and feel of Cavern. And, with that, Cavern feels that it was not cooked long enough. It lacks polish on the structure and lacks a impending sense of tension and time crunch.

Score: 6 / 10

PnP Review

PnP Review: Dreamscape Kingdoms

May 24, 2024 Luiz Gustavo Mendes

1-4 players

Designer: Kamil Sklorz

Artist: DicePen Studios

Publisher: DiceTiki

Besides the gorgeous map, I was attracted to Dreamscape Kingdoms for a good area majority one page game with good solo support. Does it deliver or does it become a nightmare?

Gameplay

On each turn, a player rolls dice equal to the number of players plus one, than each one drafts one to place. The dice indicates either the column or row to place their minions and the player decides from their available groups which value to write on the chosen spot. Then the player spreads to the same number of adjacent spots. Then the first player passes to the right and another turn begins. When players place all their 8 groups, game is over.

Scoring is about majority counting the number in each section plus one for each marked area adjacent. Players count majorities on each row, column, area, and terrain type.

Solo Gameplay

The automated player, called nightmare machine, can be included in any count but 4, with one being mandatory for 2 players and 2 for solo.

The machines act after the players, but can have multiple turns in a row. You roll two dice for roll and column, then two more for starting position and subsequent spread, and the machines always place 3 strength groups, which makes things easier. The scoring works mostly the same, but your trying to get a certain amount of points more than the highest scoring machine.

Components

My printer will need to forgive me, but I had to print this full color. The style of the sheet is gorgeous, and iconography is clear and the layout is well done. It is very colorful and ink consuming, but that is forgivable S it is one sheet for all players.

There are multiple additional maps that offer variety not only on layout, but add in more aspects, like new scoring conditions, goals and such.

Conclusion

There are two aspects of this game that really elevate it from a simple area majority to something great. First is the variable power placement. It adds a lot of thought on each individual placement and how it will interact with each scoring opportunity. Second is the spread. Not only it keeps the game quicker by filling up more map, but also allows tactic reaches and blocks.

In addition, the solo mode is well thought. It feels alive and competitive, and the point adjustment helps bridge the needed gap.

Overall, it’s a great package. It’s a well thought well balanced endeavor that offers a ton of interesting decision space.

Score: 8.5/10

PnP Review

PnP Review: Chateau

April 19, 2024 Luiz Gustavo Mendes

1-99 Players
Designer: Martin Van Rossum
Artist: Luis R. Blanco
Publisher: Rolling Rhino Games

As part of the crowdfunding campaign for Artic Roll, Rolling Rhino made available their previous games, including Chateau, a game about building castles in Europe. It looked good, so I decided to try it out. Is it just a fancy exterior, or does it have a good foundation?

Gameplay

Each player gets a castle sheet, and needs a writing utensil. Interesting that, unlike most roll and writes, each player gets a different sheet with their own layout and special powers, which is interesting. You also need two dice.

At each turn, a player rolls both dice, and players use them to add shapes to their castle. 1s are actually marked in the castle of the player to your left, 2s and 3s are shapes that can be used over and over again, 4s and 5s and shapes that can be used only once, and 6s you choose a symbol and mark off all of those symbols. If you ever can’t, or don’t want to, mark a shape, you mark a single one. Each castle also has their own unique power that can used in addition, usually a few times per game. The first player to completely fill their castle is the winner.

Solo Gameplay

Single player is almost the multiplayer version, and you’re trying to fill your castle in the least amount of turns. Everything is the same, except the 1s need to marked in the most open space possible.

Components

What initially caught my attention was how beautiful the maps are. All of them are actual castles, and the drawing is based on their actual layout using a top-view depiction. Each map also have a beautiful picture on the back with what the castle actually looks like, and all of them have a little snippet in the rules about their history, which I appreciate.

Speaking about the rules, they are well laid out and explained, leaving almost no issues to be had. It is indeed a simple game, but the rules do a good job encompassing all nuances of each map. Aside from the history, each map also get a little snippet of strategy.

Conclusion

The first time I read the rules, the game seemed actually a bit too simple for my taste. There aren’t a lot of restrictions on the placement, other than the obvious ones. But once I tried my first map, it left me with an important question in mind: WHY CAN’T I STOP PLAYING THIS?
It is rules light, yes, but there is a lot of planning and thought behind it. You need to see what shapes you want to use and when, what spaces you leave open and when to use your castle power. It’s a quick game, but so satisfying.
I’m so glad to get that, it is a very fun addition to my collection, one I can’t wait to have more people play and explore. Also, I’m not a great in balancing powers, but all castles do seem to be very well balanced, so kudos to Rolling Rhino

Score: 9/10

PnP Review

PnP Review : Voyages

April 4, 2024 Luiz Gustavo Mendes

1-100 Players

Designers: Matthew Dunstan, Rory Muldoon

Artist: Rory Muldoon

Publisher: Postmark Games

Take on the high seas with 3 dice, a pen and a sheet with Voyages. You’ll be managing the winds, taking on tasks with your crew and encountering all sorts of stuff. Does this PnP sail smoothly or does it sink?

Gameplay

Each turn, a player rolls 3 dice, and players assign them to one of three aspects. One will dictate the direction the ship goes and one on its speed. Whenever you land on an icon exactly (or hit land), you gain the associated benefits. The final die is assigned to the duties of the ship, and it varies for each of the different Voyages available for the game, 5 at the time of this review. Accumulating certain bonuses will give you stars, which are worth points and also trigger the end of the game.

Scoring is each star you got, each region and Island visited, and various other bonuses also depending on the voyage.

Solo Gameplay

Same as Multiplayer, but stars do not trigger the end of the game, instead it’s a fixed number of turns. You have to get at least 3 stars, and then you check if you beat your own score.

The game also offers a solo campaign, where the better you perform at each map the more benefits you get. However, there are additional challenges to be faced.

Components

Each player needs its own sheet and writing utensil, and three shared dice. The maps are well laid and iconography is quite clear. Each map has its own set of additional rules, but all work very well within the base system of Voyage 1, while also adding its own unique forms of scoring and challenges. Some have you facing enemy ships, while others have hidden islands to be discovered.

Conclusion

Easily this became one of my most played PnPs as soon as I first got it. There are a ton of ways to accomplish your goals on each map, but they are mostly mutually exclusive, so each turn you have gruelling choices to make. And with each new map, the game gets better for the variety, though none of the maps are duds, even the first one. It’s a quick, simple, challenging and rewarding experience.

Score: 9/10

Review

Let’s Review More: Lata

March 29, 2024March 29, 2024 Luiz Gustavo Mendes

1-4 Players

Designers: Rola & Costa

Artist: Marina Costa

Publisher: Pythagoras

With the second edition of Cafe, Pythagoras started its small box collection called Quinas. The second of this collection is last year’s Lata, about the production of can sardines and mackarels. Can this be a good game or is this collection just fishy?

Gameplay

At the beginning of each of six rounds, players bid with their action points for turn order. Then, following that order, they get more cards for their factory, then spend actions to activate their production cards, spend that production to fulfill contracts for money, and to get end of game scoring.

At the end of each round, the contract and end of game scoring are refilled and every production is discarded except for regular sardines.

Solo Gameplay

The game flow is the same for solo, except or instead or the initial bid, the player spend their actions to see more production cards. Since they have to add two, and some spots cost money, the player can be forced to place unwanted cards and disrupt their engine. There is no win or lose, it’s a beat your own score type of deal.

Each of the player boards have a solo specific side with its own twists, like one starts with no money and another only have options of pairs.

Components

As usual for Pythagoras, the components are somewhat minimalistic and very theme driven. That means that it’s not the most obvious for gameplay, but they do look good. The cards have a nice quality, and the artwork is well done. Symbology is fine, not the best, but the rulebook is clear enough that I didn’t find a lot of issues playing, even on the first time.

Conclusion

I really enjoyed Cafe, their first on the collection, but I like Lata even better. It feels like a tighter and more cohesive game, while still having the high efficiency gameplay elements.

Specifically for solo, this feels more well tested and developed, which I appreciate. And the fact we have four different boards add to the variation.

Score: 8/10

PnP Review

PnP Review: Villagers of the Oak Dell

March 27, 2024 Luiz Gustavo Mendes

100 players
Designers: Przemysław Fornal, Michał Łopato
Artist: Roman Kucharski
Publisher: Two Accorn Games

I was drawn to Villagers of the Oak Dell because it seemed like a fairly ambitious euro in just two sheets of paper. But did it live up to the expectations?

Gameplay

On each turn, four dice are rolled and assigned into one of each section or the wheel. All 1s are attacks, all others generate different resources. The resources are people to either go to the castle or defend the village, connections to reach resources in the village, wood to build buildings, and digs.

But for a lot of the usage of the resources generated, you can Chain into other actions. Also, at the end of each turn, the color you selected activates on the Castle, potentially generating more resources. And every so often, there is a produce round, where your buildings produce even more. Things can get crazy!

Solo Gameplay

Exactly the same, you’re just beating your own high score.

Components

To play, you need four dice, preferably in the four colors of the wheel, a village sheet and a dice wheel sheet. Additionally, there are 9 goal cards. They are also releasing season specific sheets that add in special mechanisms.

Conclusion

A little bit Hadrian’s Wall, a little bit Fleet the Dice Game, and a whole lotta crazy combo going around. Oak Dell is a very generous game, but efficiency is so rewarding here. The generosity is very tied to the planning of each resource, and how balanced you are.

The base game is already a bunch, but each new sheet brings in new challenges. Either the resources in the castle are limited, or there is flood, or even fishing.

What a little gem. Highly recommended if you like intense but quick playing Roll and writes

Score: 9 /10

Review

Let’s Review More: Ark Nova

March 22, 2024March 22, 2024 Luiz Gustavo Mendes

1-4 Players

Designer: Mathias Wigge

Publisher: Capstone Games / Feuerland Spiele

I’m slowly venturing into the heavier side, specially on euros. Ark Nova is a game that has made a big impact on BGG, but is the fame deserved or is it hype?

Gameplay

In Ark Nova, you are managing a scientific zoo, by playing animals, acquiring sponsors and making deals with universities and other zoos. This is all based on a very interesting 5 action card system, where each card lies under a position 1-5 that determines the strength of the action. When you take the action, it goes to the 1 position, pushing all others one space up. Each action can also be upgraded to a more versatile version where you can usually do multiple things at a time.

By playing cards and doing many actions, you go up on two different scoring tracks, appeal and conservation. Appeal is your actual points, and also your income, while conservation gives you bonuses and has ranges that subtract from your score. Once those two meet, the game will end, and the score will be your appeal minus the lower range of your conservation, which can be negative.

Solo Gameplay

Solo play replaces the break system that some action use to move the game forward and activate income with a fixed time system. You start with seven cubes, and each action moves one to the left. After the last one is moved, the break is triggered like on the multiplayer game, the top cube goes to the main board, and you reset with one cube less. At the end of the sixth round, game is over. You have to be positive to win.

Components

Ark Nova has a ton of pieces, from habitats from sizes 1-5, special habitats and other diverse tokens. Thankfully, it comes with two trays where you can organize them and make them super quick to both setup and tear down the game. Components have a simplistic look, very euro-y, but are very effective in their usage.

This is a card based game, and believe it there is variety. The pile of cards is absolutely huge! Normally this can be good or bad, but Ark Nova does not require specific cards, but actually is all about collections of symbols, and there is a nice spread. Cards also present some scientific information and try to be as thematically accurate as possible.

Just a little quibble though: this has to be the blandest and uninspired money ever. It doesn’t even look like money. But, honestly, it’s not the star of the show anyway.

Conclusion

I love card based euros, so there is a lot of competition on this area. Does Ark Nova shine? Oh, yes, it does. Before playing I was a bit intimidated by the many things happening in this game, but it takes but a few rounds to get adjusted, and its heart it is a very fluid game. The action card system is the big differential, and it works beautifully, creating a lot of tension and very interesting decision spaces throughout the game.

Also, this is a game where you can’t do everything. That’s not just a statement, it’s a built in mechanism. You can only upgrade 4 out of the 5 cards, you can only partner with 4 out of the 5 zoos. You upgrade or have more workers for the influence board, but not both. However, you never feel out of options. Every turn feels relevant and rewarding.

The sheer amount of cards is impressive, and it could be a good or a bad thing if not well balanced. I have now played with I believe most if not all of the deck, and I never had a game where I felt that I couldn’t do anything. The fact that the spread of the symbols is well done, there is always a route you can go to, and very rarely is the same. Just be aware that the deck is a pain to shuffle…

Score: 9.5/10

PnP Review

PnP Review: Evil Lab

March 20, 2024 Luiz Gustavo Mendes

1-99 Players

Designer: Kristopher Lagarto

Publisher: Polterdice

Link: https://shop.dicepen.pl/shp/products/details/prd:471

The premise is simple. Be evil, do evil manipulations of genes. But, actually, fill up coloured shapes and try to get formations. Evil-y, of course!

Components

Evil Lab just need one sheet per player. There also many variation sheets available, each need to be printed separately. Aside from that, you just need two d6s and writing utensils.

Gameplay

Evil Lab is actually a very simple game. Someone rolls two dice, and each player uses one to chose a shape and the other for option between two colours. The caveat is that no shape can be placed besides the same shape. At the end of the game, you get point for each shape, shapes that you have one of every color, and for sequences of shapes of the same color.

Solo Gameplay

No change, it’s a high score deal, with each sheet having its own specific chart.

Conclusion

If you are just foraging in the PnP world, this is a great start. Evil Lab is simple, but intriguing and fun. I also enjoy each variation, though I think it could have been implemented in a different manner, more printer friendly, but that’s a minor quibble.

Score: 7.5

Review

Let’s Review More: Wyrmspan

February 22, 2024March 22, 2024 Luiz Gustavo Mendes

1-5 Players
Designer: Connie Vogelman
Publisher: Stonemaier Games

Following both the big hit Wingspan, Stonemaier got together again with the designer of the fantastic Apiary to create a follow up based on dragons. Does it take flight or does it fail to scale well?

Gameplay

During 4 rounds, players first spend their coins to take one of three actions. You can play cabe cards to one of your three caves, play dragons on your caves, or explore each location, activating each space up until where you have dragons. At the end of each round players dispute in end of round criteria, like Dragons that are friendly, cave cards played, etc.

Exploring and lots of dragon and cave abilities will have players go around a guild. Most spaces have resources to get, but on top and bottom are spaces where you place a cube to either get a one time ability or end game points

Solo Gameplay

Well, I am a huge fan of Automa Factory, and my absolute favorites are Wingspan and Apiary. Well, to no one’s surprise, the solo mode is just as clean and elegant. With two modes, but basically the Automa focuses on going around the guild mat, and it does do it quite fast. At each brown location, it will either get some cards for endgame points or place a cube on the guild.

Components

Stonemaier went fairly minimalistic. All tokens are cardboard, and there is no fancy card tray or dice tower. What it does offer is a huge deck or unique dragons with gorgeous artwork and a lot more usability. And while Wingspan had factoids on the cards, Wyrmspan left that to a totally unnecessary but just as much awesome book with individual facts for each creature. I don’t mind the lack of storage, specially since expansions will come and all, and I very much appreciate the option to upgrade to premium components separately.

Wyrmspan or Wingspan

Of course this moment would come. Well, how close are they? I’d say 70%. They share the same DNA, but there is enough to differentiate to avoid redundancy.

But which is better? It’s a hard question. On one hand, Wyrmspan comes with a ton of adjustments based on feedback for Wingspan. On the other hand, Wingspan has so many cool expansions that add a lot.

Comparing base to base, it will come down to play style and preference. Wingspan has the idea of diminishing actions with increasingly explosive turns. Wyrmspan breaks down a lot of the habitats explosive capabilities between the exploration, caves and more dragons with played abilities. This means less explosions but more constant bursts.

Wingspan is also the tighter of the two games, being harder to make exactly the plays you need. Wyrmspan is more giving, with a variety of resources always coming your way. Also, Wyrmspan has a bigger interaction with the guild.

Conclusion

If you already have an opinion on Wingspan, the chances of having the same on Wyrmspan are quite big. That being said, for me it was love at first play. Each game I appreciate more the changes Connie Vogelman brought to the system created by Elizabeth Hargrave. It all feels familiar, yet novel. My only criticism is that the solo play felt a bit easier, specially when comparing the top difficulties.

Score: 9.5/10