Search
Search results
N. F. Simpson: Collected Plays: A Resounding Tinkle; The Hole; Gladly Otherwise; One Way Pendulum; The Cresta Run; Was He Anyone?; If So, Then Yes
6.0
Rate It
Book
"I'm terribly methodical and orderly, but I have a strange, underlying contempt for it ...what I try...
Neil LaBute: Plays 1: Filthy Talk for Troubled Times; The Mercy Seat; Some Girl(s); This is How it Goes; Helter Skelter; A Second of Pleasure
Book
Filthy Talk for Troubled Time is one of his earliest plays. A downbeat night at a topless bar...
Simon Gray: Plays: Otherwise Engaged; Dog Days; Molly; Plaintiff and Defendants; Two Sundays; Pig in a Poke; Man in a Side Car: Volume 2:
Book
'A superbly written play, a funny play, an agonising play. It is, moreover, a play of truth and...
Using Shakespeare's Plays to Explore Education Policy Today: Neoliberalism Through the Lens of Renaissance Humanism
Book
Shakespeare is revered as the greatest writer in the English language, yet education reform in the...
Purple Phoenix Games (2266 KP) rated Peak Oil Profiteer in Tabletop Games
Jun 11, 2021
One of the most important energy resources in the world is oil. We have a finite amount, it is used in our everyday lives, and it is always in demand. So imagine if a country found a new supply of oil – everyone would be fighting for a piece! Enter Peak Oil Profiteer, a game that puts you in charge of an oil corporation vying for money and oil in this new-found oil vein. Sound like something you might be interested in? Keep reading and see what it’s all about!
Disclaimer: For this preview, we played the Tabletopia version of the game. The pictures you will see below are screenshots from my plays online. Also, I do not intend to rehash the entire rulebook, but rather provide a general overview of the rules and gameplay. For a more in-depth look, check it out when it hits Kickstarter! -L
Peak Oil Profiteer is an economic game of area majority/movement, network building, and simultaneous action selection in which players take on the roles of oil corporations competing to make the most money in an oil-rich country before corruption overtakes the land. There is a power struggle between 3 Factions, so play your cards right (literally) to come out ahead. To setup for a game, set the board in the middle of the table, populate the 3 Faction Tracks with their corresponding cubes, place the Corruption cube on 93%, create the Contingency deck (as described in the rules), shuffle the Blackmail deck, and give each player their 5 Action cards, starting Money, and 3 Pawns in their color. Flip all 9 Leader tokens face-down, shuffle them, and randomly give one to each player, placing the remaining Leader tokens face-up near the board.
The game is played over a series of rounds. At the start of every round, one card from the Contingency deck will be revealed/resolved. Contingency cards will either be Events (that will most likely alter the rules for the current round), or Consultants (to be ‘hired’ by an individual player for special abilities). Once the Contingency card has been dealt with, the round moves to the next phase: Action Selection. All players have the same 5 Action cards, numbered 1-5, available to them every round. Players will select one of their 5 Action cards and place it face-down in front of them. Then, in numerical order, all Action cards will be resolved. When your Action number has been called, you will reveal your Action card, perform the corresponding action, and take the card back into your hand. Once all players have performed their Action for the round, check the Corruption track – if it has reached 100% then the game ends, and if not then the game moves to a new round.
The 5 Actions available to all player are: 1. Networking, 2. Sell Weapons, 3. Buy Drilling Rights, 4. Sell Oil, and 5. Contingency. Networking allows you to collect Blackmail in order to win control of Faction Leaders. You may only Sell Weapons to a Faction if you control at least one of its Leaders. You will earn a set amount of Money, and a new Troop cube will be added to the game board. To Buy Drilling Rights from a Faction, you again need to control at least one of its Leaders. Pay for the rights, and then add one of your Pawns to that region of the board. Once you’ve got Drilling Rights, you can Sell Oil. Remove your Pawn from the corresponding region, and collect the appropriate amount of Money. And lastly, Contingency allows you to either ‘hire’ a Consultant, or perform an extra action as a result of an Event.
The amount of Money that you pay/earn for each of the actions is dictated by the Faction Tracks. For example, the price of Weapons decreases as Factions get more Troops on the board, which means you won’t earn as much selling to a Faction with lots of Troops in play. You have to time your Actions wisely in order to maximize your profit! If, at the end of a round, the Corruption track has reached 100%, the game ends. Players count up their Money, and the player with the highest earnings is declared the winner.
Although the theme isn’t something that would normally appeal to me, I have to say that Peak Oil
Profiteer is a solid game. The gameplay is straightforward, the player interaction is competitive but not combative, and the strategy keeps you engaged all game. The ultimate goal is to earn the most Money, and the Faction Track creates sort of a “commodity speculation” type mechanic to the gameplay. The costs vary depending on the Faction Track, and it can be manipulated by all players. That in and of itself creates some fun player interaction because the Faction Track affects all players. Doing something to block an opponent now may come back to bite you next round. Another neat element about Peak Oil Profiteer is that players select their Actions simultaneously, and they are then resolved in numerical order. Depending on where your turn falls in the round, you might be able to do just what you had planned, unless an opponent went before you and changed the game layout. There is an amount of uncertainty that forces players to adjust their strategy on the fly and adapt to the current situation.
I will say that resolving Actions in numerical order does kind of add an element of Action Programming, if you will. Once you have selected your Action this round, you are locked in. No matter what happens before your turn, you must perform your selected Action if at all possible. It creates some neat strategic opportunities, but at the same time, can feel like you’ve been blocked out. Just something to consider! Normally, I would touch on components, but as this was a Tabletopia version of the game, I can’t really do so. I will say that the art style and card/board layouts online are thematic and immersive. If the physical version of the game looks anything like this digital version, it’ll be a good looking game! One component that I especially appreciated was that each player gets a Player Reference/Round Reference card. It gives you the information you need without being too wordy, and it stops you from having to refer back to the rule book every turn. So big thanks from me for that!
Having never played the original Peak Oil game, I have to say that Peak Oil Profiteer made a good impression on me. It’s fast to teach and learn, engaging, and strategic enough to keep you thinking. The fluctuation of the Faction Track, and the order of Action resolution add elements of uncertainty and ‘luck’ (if you will) that keep the game from having a clear run-away winner. Everyone is in it until the very end, and the race for the most Money is a nail-biter for sure. If you’re looking for something interactive but not too confrontational, while also putting your strategic chops to the test, consider backing Peak Oil Profiteer on Kickstarter!
Disclaimer: For this preview, we played the Tabletopia version of the game. The pictures you will see below are screenshots from my plays online. Also, I do not intend to rehash the entire rulebook, but rather provide a general overview of the rules and gameplay. For a more in-depth look, check it out when it hits Kickstarter! -L
Peak Oil Profiteer is an economic game of area majority/movement, network building, and simultaneous action selection in which players take on the roles of oil corporations competing to make the most money in an oil-rich country before corruption overtakes the land. There is a power struggle between 3 Factions, so play your cards right (literally) to come out ahead. To setup for a game, set the board in the middle of the table, populate the 3 Faction Tracks with their corresponding cubes, place the Corruption cube on 93%, create the Contingency deck (as described in the rules), shuffle the Blackmail deck, and give each player their 5 Action cards, starting Money, and 3 Pawns in their color. Flip all 9 Leader tokens face-down, shuffle them, and randomly give one to each player, placing the remaining Leader tokens face-up near the board.
The game is played over a series of rounds. At the start of every round, one card from the Contingency deck will be revealed/resolved. Contingency cards will either be Events (that will most likely alter the rules for the current round), or Consultants (to be ‘hired’ by an individual player for special abilities). Once the Contingency card has been dealt with, the round moves to the next phase: Action Selection. All players have the same 5 Action cards, numbered 1-5, available to them every round. Players will select one of their 5 Action cards and place it face-down in front of them. Then, in numerical order, all Action cards will be resolved. When your Action number has been called, you will reveal your Action card, perform the corresponding action, and take the card back into your hand. Once all players have performed their Action for the round, check the Corruption track – if it has reached 100% then the game ends, and if not then the game moves to a new round.
The 5 Actions available to all player are: 1. Networking, 2. Sell Weapons, 3. Buy Drilling Rights, 4. Sell Oil, and 5. Contingency. Networking allows you to collect Blackmail in order to win control of Faction Leaders. You may only Sell Weapons to a Faction if you control at least one of its Leaders. You will earn a set amount of Money, and a new Troop cube will be added to the game board. To Buy Drilling Rights from a Faction, you again need to control at least one of its Leaders. Pay for the rights, and then add one of your Pawns to that region of the board. Once you’ve got Drilling Rights, you can Sell Oil. Remove your Pawn from the corresponding region, and collect the appropriate amount of Money. And lastly, Contingency allows you to either ‘hire’ a Consultant, or perform an extra action as a result of an Event.
The amount of Money that you pay/earn for each of the actions is dictated by the Faction Tracks. For example, the price of Weapons decreases as Factions get more Troops on the board, which means you won’t earn as much selling to a Faction with lots of Troops in play. You have to time your Actions wisely in order to maximize your profit! If, at the end of a round, the Corruption track has reached 100%, the game ends. Players count up their Money, and the player with the highest earnings is declared the winner.
Although the theme isn’t something that would normally appeal to me, I have to say that Peak Oil
Profiteer is a solid game. The gameplay is straightforward, the player interaction is competitive but not combative, and the strategy keeps you engaged all game. The ultimate goal is to earn the most Money, and the Faction Track creates sort of a “commodity speculation” type mechanic to the gameplay. The costs vary depending on the Faction Track, and it can be manipulated by all players. That in and of itself creates some fun player interaction because the Faction Track affects all players. Doing something to block an opponent now may come back to bite you next round. Another neat element about Peak Oil Profiteer is that players select their Actions simultaneously, and they are then resolved in numerical order. Depending on where your turn falls in the round, you might be able to do just what you had planned, unless an opponent went before you and changed the game layout. There is an amount of uncertainty that forces players to adjust their strategy on the fly and adapt to the current situation.
I will say that resolving Actions in numerical order does kind of add an element of Action Programming, if you will. Once you have selected your Action this round, you are locked in. No matter what happens before your turn, you must perform your selected Action if at all possible. It creates some neat strategic opportunities, but at the same time, can feel like you’ve been blocked out. Just something to consider! Normally, I would touch on components, but as this was a Tabletopia version of the game, I can’t really do so. I will say that the art style and card/board layouts online are thematic and immersive. If the physical version of the game looks anything like this digital version, it’ll be a good looking game! One component that I especially appreciated was that each player gets a Player Reference/Round Reference card. It gives you the information you need without being too wordy, and it stops you from having to refer back to the rule book every turn. So big thanks from me for that!
Having never played the original Peak Oil game, I have to say that Peak Oil Profiteer made a good impression on me. It’s fast to teach and learn, engaging, and strategic enough to keep you thinking. The fluctuation of the Faction Track, and the order of Action resolution add elements of uncertainty and ‘luck’ (if you will) that keep the game from having a clear run-away winner. Everyone is in it until the very end, and the race for the most Money is a nail-biter for sure. If you’re looking for something interactive but not too confrontational, while also putting your strategic chops to the test, consider backing Peak Oil Profiteer on Kickstarter!
Purple Phoenix Games (2266 KP) rated Quests: Heroes of Sorcado in Tabletop Games
May 26, 2021
I’ve mentioned before that we at Purple Phoenix Games are currently working our way through a DnD 5e campaign. For almost all of us, this has been our first foray into the world of role-playing games. It’s a lot of fun, although it’s quite a daunting task at first. But more often these days, you can find board games that serve as fun, cooperative, and easier to learn/manage versions of these popular role-playing giants. Enter Quests: Heroes of Sorcado. How does it fare in the lineup of campaign-driven board games? Let the demo adventure help you decide.
Disclaimer: For this preview, we were provided with a Tabletop Simulator file for the demo/prequel adventure. These are not the final components, since it is a digital file, but the artwork and rulebook are mostly finalized – so the gameplay is what you will get in the physical copies of the game. -L
Quests: Heroes of Sorcado is a cooperative, campaign-driven game in which 1-6 players will take on the roles of party members with the goal of completing all 8 of the included adventures. The game does come with a tutorial/prequel adventure to help introduce players to the mechanics and overall gameplay before diving in to the full game. To setup for this Adventure Zero, place the game board within reach of all players, set aside the Campaign and Adventure books, place the Boss card for this adventure face-down above the board, and sort and place Potion/Loot/Armor/Health tokens in their corresponding areas. Set the 6 required Adventurers for the prequel in a circle near the game board, and take the listed Health and Starting Equipment for each Adventurer. The prequel uses only a single Location, so set that Deck in one of the Location spaces of the board, and the game is now ready to begin!
Depending on the player count, everyone will take on the role of at least one of the Adventurers, and the game itself is wholly cooperative. Here is how Adventure Zero works. Each Adventurer, in clockwise order, will be dealt 1 face-down Location card. Then, starting from the first dealt Location card, the Adventurers will take turns revealing their card. Some cards are Events or Story Moments, and prompt players to read from the Adventure/Campaign books. These cards often describe a scenario and require the player to select one of several provided choices, either earning a reward or penalizing the group. Most cards are Monster cards and will begin a combat! Each of the Adventurers has varying values for the four Stats of the game: Strength, Intelligence, Dexterity, and Wisdom. Combat in the game involves rolling a d20 and adding the appropriate Stat modifiers to the roll. You can also use Potions and Equipment to buff your rolls as well. How do you determine success or failure? Every Monster has a weakness to a specific Stat, so you will use that Stat modifier to enhance your rolls. Equal or exceed the Monster’s weakness, and it is defeated! Depending on the difficulty/level of the Monster, you will either fight with 2-6 Adventurers – adding their modifiers and abilities to your roll as well. How you setup your Adventurers is important, as adjacency is what helps determine who can be in each combat. If you defeat a Monster, collect the reward (Loot tokens, Potions, or Treasure cards), and the game continues to the next player. If you lose the fight, the Monster moves to the next Adventurer and combat begins anew. Once every Location card has been revealed and resolved, the Adventurers will reveal the Boss card and the final combat begins! Even though each combat has one primary Adventurer/player at the helm, the game is cooperative, so make sure you’ve got that teamwork mentality!
I have to say that I was pleasantly surprised by Quests: Heroes of Sorcado. The gameplay may seem a bit involved at first, but it actually flows pretty seamlessly and effortlessly. As someone who has played a handful of other campaign-driven board games before, I have to say that this one was by far the easiest for me to learn and play. Resolve Location cards, beat Monsters, and (hopefully) defeat the final Boss. Pretty straight-forward, and I really appreciate that. One thing that helps make it so user-friendly is that the game is based on only 4 Stats, instead of every conceivable Stat used in other role-playing games. That helps keep the game uncomplicated, while still offering players options every turn. Another thing that I really like? The Campaign/Adventure books are pre-written stories, prompts, and scenarios that allow the game to be truly cooperative. No need for an all-knowing Game Master here, as everything is already laid out for you. I also really like these pre-written aspects because it helps deliver the role-playing feel without pressuring the players to create their own campaign. Yes, there are still some ‘choose your adventure’ elements to it, but it doesn’t give so many options to overwhelm players.
That being said, I do have to mention that this is a campaign-driven game, so you will know the main storyline after your first complete playthrough. Although you would know the Monsters/Events/Boss/etc. of each adventure, the shuffle and draw of the decks would allow for variability, and thus replayability. You know the all the twists in the story, but will be able to play with different hero combinations as well! All 8 adventures will take quite some time to complete though, so don’t let the fact that you’ll know the main storyline after one playthrough turn you off from the game completely! Normally, I like to talk about the components of a game. Since this was a Tabletop Simulator version of the game, I am unable to really do so. I will commend the artwork and style of the game though – it is very thematic, engaging, colorful, and fun to look at. The text and abilities are clear, I love the color-coded modifiers, and the cards are all pretty intuitive. I have no doubts that the physical copies of the game will be quality productions as well.
As I stated above, this preview only covers the demo/prequel adventure, and its real purpose is to introduce players to the gameplay. That being said, I know that the full adventures will offer players additional elements (Side Quests, trading Loot and Potions, ‘level up’ the Adventurers, etc.) that will just add to the experience. Yes, there is the ‘one and done’ aspect of a campaign-driven game, but there is so much content in the full game to keep you going for quite a long time. If you’re looking at getting into this genre of game, but are worried about complexity, I would highly recommend Quests: Heroes of Sorcado. The gameplay overall is simple and straight-forward, while still offering the epic campaign feel. This one hits Kickstarter today, so head on over and check it out for yourself!
Disclaimer: For this preview, we were provided with a Tabletop Simulator file for the demo/prequel adventure. These are not the final components, since it is a digital file, but the artwork and rulebook are mostly finalized – so the gameplay is what you will get in the physical copies of the game. -L
Quests: Heroes of Sorcado is a cooperative, campaign-driven game in which 1-6 players will take on the roles of party members with the goal of completing all 8 of the included adventures. The game does come with a tutorial/prequel adventure to help introduce players to the mechanics and overall gameplay before diving in to the full game. To setup for this Adventure Zero, place the game board within reach of all players, set aside the Campaign and Adventure books, place the Boss card for this adventure face-down above the board, and sort and place Potion/Loot/Armor/Health tokens in their corresponding areas. Set the 6 required Adventurers for the prequel in a circle near the game board, and take the listed Health and Starting Equipment for each Adventurer. The prequel uses only a single Location, so set that Deck in one of the Location spaces of the board, and the game is now ready to begin!
Depending on the player count, everyone will take on the role of at least one of the Adventurers, and the game itself is wholly cooperative. Here is how Adventure Zero works. Each Adventurer, in clockwise order, will be dealt 1 face-down Location card. Then, starting from the first dealt Location card, the Adventurers will take turns revealing their card. Some cards are Events or Story Moments, and prompt players to read from the Adventure/Campaign books. These cards often describe a scenario and require the player to select one of several provided choices, either earning a reward or penalizing the group. Most cards are Monster cards and will begin a combat! Each of the Adventurers has varying values for the four Stats of the game: Strength, Intelligence, Dexterity, and Wisdom. Combat in the game involves rolling a d20 and adding the appropriate Stat modifiers to the roll. You can also use Potions and Equipment to buff your rolls as well. How do you determine success or failure? Every Monster has a weakness to a specific Stat, so you will use that Stat modifier to enhance your rolls. Equal or exceed the Monster’s weakness, and it is defeated! Depending on the difficulty/level of the Monster, you will either fight with 2-6 Adventurers – adding their modifiers and abilities to your roll as well. How you setup your Adventurers is important, as adjacency is what helps determine who can be in each combat. If you defeat a Monster, collect the reward (Loot tokens, Potions, or Treasure cards), and the game continues to the next player. If you lose the fight, the Monster moves to the next Adventurer and combat begins anew. Once every Location card has been revealed and resolved, the Adventurers will reveal the Boss card and the final combat begins! Even though each combat has one primary Adventurer/player at the helm, the game is cooperative, so make sure you’ve got that teamwork mentality!
I have to say that I was pleasantly surprised by Quests: Heroes of Sorcado. The gameplay may seem a bit involved at first, but it actually flows pretty seamlessly and effortlessly. As someone who has played a handful of other campaign-driven board games before, I have to say that this one was by far the easiest for me to learn and play. Resolve Location cards, beat Monsters, and (hopefully) defeat the final Boss. Pretty straight-forward, and I really appreciate that. One thing that helps make it so user-friendly is that the game is based on only 4 Stats, instead of every conceivable Stat used in other role-playing games. That helps keep the game uncomplicated, while still offering players options every turn. Another thing that I really like? The Campaign/Adventure books are pre-written stories, prompts, and scenarios that allow the game to be truly cooperative. No need for an all-knowing Game Master here, as everything is already laid out for you. I also really like these pre-written aspects because it helps deliver the role-playing feel without pressuring the players to create their own campaign. Yes, there are still some ‘choose your adventure’ elements to it, but it doesn’t give so many options to overwhelm players.
That being said, I do have to mention that this is a campaign-driven game, so you will know the main storyline after your first complete playthrough. Although you would know the Monsters/Events/Boss/etc. of each adventure, the shuffle and draw of the decks would allow for variability, and thus replayability. You know the all the twists in the story, but will be able to play with different hero combinations as well! All 8 adventures will take quite some time to complete though, so don’t let the fact that you’ll know the main storyline after one playthrough turn you off from the game completely! Normally, I like to talk about the components of a game. Since this was a Tabletop Simulator version of the game, I am unable to really do so. I will commend the artwork and style of the game though – it is very thematic, engaging, colorful, and fun to look at. The text and abilities are clear, I love the color-coded modifiers, and the cards are all pretty intuitive. I have no doubts that the physical copies of the game will be quality productions as well.
As I stated above, this preview only covers the demo/prequel adventure, and its real purpose is to introduce players to the gameplay. That being said, I know that the full adventures will offer players additional elements (Side Quests, trading Loot and Potions, ‘level up’ the Adventurers, etc.) that will just add to the experience. Yes, there is the ‘one and done’ aspect of a campaign-driven game, but there is so much content in the full game to keep you going for quite a long time. If you’re looking at getting into this genre of game, but are worried about complexity, I would highly recommend Quests: Heroes of Sorcado. The gameplay overall is simple and straight-forward, while still offering the epic campaign feel. This one hits Kickstarter today, so head on over and check it out for yourself!
Purple Phoenix Games (2266 KP) rated Festival! in Tabletop Games
Nov 24, 2020
Remember music festivals, or concerts of any kind? I most certainly do. I used to perform almost every weekend with my band pre-COVID. Well, I haven’t performed in over eight months as of this writing. I miss it so much. So when I heard that a designer was working on a game about musicians putting on music festivals I just had to check it out.
Festival! is a competitive set collection game for larger groups, three to seven players. It is set in a medieval kingdom and the game lasts for four festivals. During the game players will be collecting sets of cards to be scored immediately and collecting other cards to be scored at the game’s end.
DISCLAIMER: We were provided a prototype copy of this game for the purposes of this review. These are preview copy components, and I do not know for sure if the final components will be any different from these shown. Also, it is not my intention to detail every rule in the game, but give an idea of how the game plays. You are invited to download the rulebook, back the game through the forthcoming Kickstarter campaign, or through any retailers stocking it after fulfillment. -T
To setup, place the board in the middle of the table. Each player chooses a color of pawn to represent them and places one pawn on the 0 space upon the scoring track and the other pawn in the Festival! area upon the board. The game comes with four different types of cards and each type will be shuffled and placed face-down in stacks as in the photo below. Place the festival marker on either the 0 or 4 space (the rules are not clear, but it is to track the number of festivals, so just choose one) and give the first player busteeple to the youngest player. The game may now begin.
Festival! is played over several turns, but the first three turns will see players taking turns to travel to the different areas of the board and collect cards once they arrive. The initial Festival! area is located between the City and Village areas so a player can choose to move their pawn into either of those areas. As is printed on the board areas themselves, when players arrive in the Country they will immediately draw three Ensemble (green) cards to their hand and their turn is over. A trip to the Village affords the player two Ensemble cards to be drawn, while a visit to the City will allow a player to either draw one Ensemble card OR play as many cards from their hand as they choose. Finally, should the player’s wanderlust urge them to the Palace, they may draw a Palace card to be played to their tableau immediately. Movement from one area to the next is always done to the adjacent area. So if in the Village a player may only move to either the Country or the City. If in the Country a player may only move to the Village.
As I mentioned, the first three turns are head start rounds where players are merely collecting cards to amass a hand (of limit 7) of cards that can be played in sets in their personal tableau. These cards are divided into Exotic, Percussion, Melodic, and Choir cards. Players may play as many cards as they like when in the City, but will score bonus set and superset points if they are able to lay down multiple unique cards in each group. For example, a Horn card is worth one VP alone, but with three other unique Melodic cards earns bonus points for the entire set.
After the first three turns have been played, the first player will then flip a Festival card (stacked on the game board) at the beginning of each turn. It is from this stack that the four “Festival!” cards are located, and they are the time trackers for the game. If the result is “Preparation,” the turns continue as normal with no change. However, should the flipped card be a “Festival!” face, then players within range of the Festival Stages may claim a stage and participate in the festival. Participation in the festival simply means that players may play cards as normally played in the City, but then are entitled to one of the drawn Finale cards. These cards are scored at the end of the game and typically award bonus points for various reasons.
Play continues in this fashion of traveling the board areas to collect cards, performing in festivals, and earning the most amount of VP at game end, which is immediately following the fourth festival. The player with the most VP is the winner!
Components. Again, this is a prototype copy of the game, so the components may be different upon completion of a successful Kickstarter campaign. What we were provided, however, is a good-looking, though muted, game board, a ton of cards, and some painted wooden tokens. The tokens are fine, and I am sure will look different once the game is finalized. The cards are good, an interesting dimension, and the art upon them is good and simple. In fact, the cards’ art remind me of several computer icon sets, specifically Shadow or Sardi (though I use Sweet-Rainbow).
But how does it play? Okay, every time I get a new game I always play it solo multi-handed. During this initial play I had several questions for the designer about scenarios and other oddities that were not covered in the rulebook. He graciously, and immediately, answered my questions and the next play through ran quite smoothly. So I am sure the rulebook will be tweaked quite a bit before final production.
Once I was playing the right way the game ran smoothly and quickly. I found myself planning my turn in advance, however your success truly is dependent on the cards you draw. Ensemble cards are just the instruments, voices, and Minstrel (wild) cards, while the Palace cards are the rule-breaking fun cards. They allow increased travel, protection from certain cards in the deck, and other goodies I won’t spoil here. So having a nice collection of Palace cards can alleviate a lot of the random card draw issues that will plague players who refuse to grab the Palace cards. As I played more and more I found that I generally follow one strategy, but have to switch up tactics depending on my card draws. This is good and okay (not “bad”). Going in with a plan of attack is great, and being able to become flexible mid-game is enjoyable.
Overall this one is surprising to me because I was initially frustrated with the vague rulebook, but once I truly knew the real rules and how everything played together I found a real fondness for it. Festival! will probably never make it close to my Top 10 Games of All Time list, but for larger groups who are tiring of the hidden traitor or social deduction games, this one is a breath of fresh air. It can handle up to seven players, and is an easier teach than many other games for mid-to-large groups.
So if you are looking for something different for a weird player count, and you need some more medieval rock star games in your collection please check out Festival!. (Do I need the period there or am I covered with the exclamation point from the title of the game? I was not an English major.) I think you will be pleasantly surprised at how this unassuming set collection game (with aspects of take-that which I did not explore here) will perform. I am looking forward to following the Kickstarter campaign set to launch in Spring 2021, so keep it on your radars, people.
Festival! is a competitive set collection game for larger groups, three to seven players. It is set in a medieval kingdom and the game lasts for four festivals. During the game players will be collecting sets of cards to be scored immediately and collecting other cards to be scored at the game’s end.
DISCLAIMER: We were provided a prototype copy of this game for the purposes of this review. These are preview copy components, and I do not know for sure if the final components will be any different from these shown. Also, it is not my intention to detail every rule in the game, but give an idea of how the game plays. You are invited to download the rulebook, back the game through the forthcoming Kickstarter campaign, or through any retailers stocking it after fulfillment. -T
To setup, place the board in the middle of the table. Each player chooses a color of pawn to represent them and places one pawn on the 0 space upon the scoring track and the other pawn in the Festival! area upon the board. The game comes with four different types of cards and each type will be shuffled and placed face-down in stacks as in the photo below. Place the festival marker on either the 0 or 4 space (the rules are not clear, but it is to track the number of festivals, so just choose one) and give the first player busteeple to the youngest player. The game may now begin.
Festival! is played over several turns, but the first three turns will see players taking turns to travel to the different areas of the board and collect cards once they arrive. The initial Festival! area is located between the City and Village areas so a player can choose to move their pawn into either of those areas. As is printed on the board areas themselves, when players arrive in the Country they will immediately draw three Ensemble (green) cards to their hand and their turn is over. A trip to the Village affords the player two Ensemble cards to be drawn, while a visit to the City will allow a player to either draw one Ensemble card OR play as many cards from their hand as they choose. Finally, should the player’s wanderlust urge them to the Palace, they may draw a Palace card to be played to their tableau immediately. Movement from one area to the next is always done to the adjacent area. So if in the Village a player may only move to either the Country or the City. If in the Country a player may only move to the Village.
As I mentioned, the first three turns are head start rounds where players are merely collecting cards to amass a hand (of limit 7) of cards that can be played in sets in their personal tableau. These cards are divided into Exotic, Percussion, Melodic, and Choir cards. Players may play as many cards as they like when in the City, but will score bonus set and superset points if they are able to lay down multiple unique cards in each group. For example, a Horn card is worth one VP alone, but with three other unique Melodic cards earns bonus points for the entire set.
After the first three turns have been played, the first player will then flip a Festival card (stacked on the game board) at the beginning of each turn. It is from this stack that the four “Festival!” cards are located, and they are the time trackers for the game. If the result is “Preparation,” the turns continue as normal with no change. However, should the flipped card be a “Festival!” face, then players within range of the Festival Stages may claim a stage and participate in the festival. Participation in the festival simply means that players may play cards as normally played in the City, but then are entitled to one of the drawn Finale cards. These cards are scored at the end of the game and typically award bonus points for various reasons.
Play continues in this fashion of traveling the board areas to collect cards, performing in festivals, and earning the most amount of VP at game end, which is immediately following the fourth festival. The player with the most VP is the winner!
Components. Again, this is a prototype copy of the game, so the components may be different upon completion of a successful Kickstarter campaign. What we were provided, however, is a good-looking, though muted, game board, a ton of cards, and some painted wooden tokens. The tokens are fine, and I am sure will look different once the game is finalized. The cards are good, an interesting dimension, and the art upon them is good and simple. In fact, the cards’ art remind me of several computer icon sets, specifically Shadow or Sardi (though I use Sweet-Rainbow).
But how does it play? Okay, every time I get a new game I always play it solo multi-handed. During this initial play I had several questions for the designer about scenarios and other oddities that were not covered in the rulebook. He graciously, and immediately, answered my questions and the next play through ran quite smoothly. So I am sure the rulebook will be tweaked quite a bit before final production.
Once I was playing the right way the game ran smoothly and quickly. I found myself planning my turn in advance, however your success truly is dependent on the cards you draw. Ensemble cards are just the instruments, voices, and Minstrel (wild) cards, while the Palace cards are the rule-breaking fun cards. They allow increased travel, protection from certain cards in the deck, and other goodies I won’t spoil here. So having a nice collection of Palace cards can alleviate a lot of the random card draw issues that will plague players who refuse to grab the Palace cards. As I played more and more I found that I generally follow one strategy, but have to switch up tactics depending on my card draws. This is good and okay (not “bad”). Going in with a plan of attack is great, and being able to become flexible mid-game is enjoyable.
Overall this one is surprising to me because I was initially frustrated with the vague rulebook, but once I truly knew the real rules and how everything played together I found a real fondness for it. Festival! will probably never make it close to my Top 10 Games of All Time list, but for larger groups who are tiring of the hidden traitor or social deduction games, this one is a breath of fresh air. It can handle up to seven players, and is an easier teach than many other games for mid-to-large groups.
So if you are looking for something different for a weird player count, and you need some more medieval rock star games in your collection please check out Festival!. (Do I need the period there or am I covered with the exclamation point from the title of the game? I was not an English major.) I think you will be pleasantly surprised at how this unassuming set collection game (with aspects of take-that which I did not explore here) will perform. I am looking forward to following the Kickstarter campaign set to launch in Spring 2021, so keep it on your radars, people.
Purple Phoenix Games (2266 KP) rated Beasty Bar in Tabletop Games
Jun 12, 2019
When I say ‘nightclub,’ I know what you’re thinking – strobe lights, loud music, and dancing. What you DON’T think of is the fact that getting into the club in the first place probably means you had to wait in line outside. Some people take their clubbing very seriously, and the entrance line can become a cut-throat battlefield of subtle tricks or blatant line-jumping to get you ahead (literally) of the other patrons!
Welcome to Beasty Bar – the hottest nightclub in the animal kingdom! The house is jumpin’ and the line is out the door! All of the animals are dressed to the nines and are vying for an opportunity to get into the club. But unfortunately, only a certain number of animals will be granted access. So, naturally, it’s time to get sly! Each animal has a different tactic, but if they’re not careful, they could get booted out of the line completely!
In Beasty Bar, a game of hand management with a sprinkle of ‘take that,’ players are trying to get the most animals from their hand into the club. All players receive an identical deck of cards, which are then shuffled, and draw 4 cards into their hand. On their turn, players will play one card from their hand into the line, perform the corresponding action, address any on-going abilities, and draw another card from their deck. Each animal card has a special ability, either immediate or on-going, that can be used to alter its place in the line. Choose your cards wisely – all players have the same pool of cards, and a power you used to your benefit could later be used against you! Once all cards have been played, the game ends – the player with the most animals in the club is the winner!
I generally do not like ‘Take That’ games – I can be pretty competitive and this mechanic can sometimes turn confrontational for me. That being said, I actually like Beasty Bar. Since it has such a small play area (only 5 cards at a time), the line-up is always changing. And that requires some fast and strategic thinking that negates the ‘Take That’ aspect for me – I am more focused on getting my animals ahead in line than I am in booting my opponents out of the way out of spite. You really have to think about what animal abilities you want to use and when, depending on the current line-up. Yes, cards will inevitably be kicked out of the line, but for me it doesn’t feel as vengeful in this game.
I really like that this game is easy to learn and fast to play. The concept and gameplay are simple enough, they only need to be explained once. And the game plays relatively quickly, so you can either play it multiple times in a row or use it as a filler between some heavier/longer games. All of the animal abilities are outlined in the rulebook, but if you’re ever unsure of an animal’s power, it is illustrated right at the bottom of the card for you! Gone are the days of referring back to the rulebook every turn to double-check, or having to reveal a card in your hand because you have to ask for clarification again.
Is Beasty Bar my favorite game? Absolutely not. But it’s one that I don’t mind playing when I am crunched for time or need to take a breather from a more complicated game. It’s made its way into my collection, and I think it’s going to stay. Purple Phoenix Games gives Beasty Bar a 7 / 12 (Bryan and Josh have not played it yet).
https://purplephoenixgames.wordpress.com/2019/01/18/beasty-bar-review/
Welcome to Beasty Bar – the hottest nightclub in the animal kingdom! The house is jumpin’ and the line is out the door! All of the animals are dressed to the nines and are vying for an opportunity to get into the club. But unfortunately, only a certain number of animals will be granted access. So, naturally, it’s time to get sly! Each animal has a different tactic, but if they’re not careful, they could get booted out of the line completely!
In Beasty Bar, a game of hand management with a sprinkle of ‘take that,’ players are trying to get the most animals from their hand into the club. All players receive an identical deck of cards, which are then shuffled, and draw 4 cards into their hand. On their turn, players will play one card from their hand into the line, perform the corresponding action, address any on-going abilities, and draw another card from their deck. Each animal card has a special ability, either immediate or on-going, that can be used to alter its place in the line. Choose your cards wisely – all players have the same pool of cards, and a power you used to your benefit could later be used against you! Once all cards have been played, the game ends – the player with the most animals in the club is the winner!
I generally do not like ‘Take That’ games – I can be pretty competitive and this mechanic can sometimes turn confrontational for me. That being said, I actually like Beasty Bar. Since it has such a small play area (only 5 cards at a time), the line-up is always changing. And that requires some fast and strategic thinking that negates the ‘Take That’ aspect for me – I am more focused on getting my animals ahead in line than I am in booting my opponents out of the way out of spite. You really have to think about what animal abilities you want to use and when, depending on the current line-up. Yes, cards will inevitably be kicked out of the line, but for me it doesn’t feel as vengeful in this game.
I really like that this game is easy to learn and fast to play. The concept and gameplay are simple enough, they only need to be explained once. And the game plays relatively quickly, so you can either play it multiple times in a row or use it as a filler between some heavier/longer games. All of the animal abilities are outlined in the rulebook, but if you’re ever unsure of an animal’s power, it is illustrated right at the bottom of the card for you! Gone are the days of referring back to the rulebook every turn to double-check, or having to reveal a card in your hand because you have to ask for clarification again.
Is Beasty Bar my favorite game? Absolutely not. But it’s one that I don’t mind playing when I am crunched for time or need to take a breather from a more complicated game. It’s made its way into my collection, and I think it’s going to stay. Purple Phoenix Games gives Beasty Bar a 7 / 12 (Bryan and Josh have not played it yet).
https://purplephoenixgames.wordpress.com/2019/01/18/beasty-bar-review/
Starbase Orion
Games
App
"The best 4X game currently available for mobile" - PocketTactics.com "This one is geek heaven" -...