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Cthulhu: Death may Die
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In Cthulhu: Death May Die, inspired by the writings of H.P. Lovecraft, you and your fellow players...
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Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2434 KP) rated Three Strikes – You're Dead! in Books
Jun 28, 2024
Give This Collection a Sporting Chance
This is a collection of 14 crime fiction short stories with a sports theme. And there are plenty of unique sports here. The collection starts out with one of three baseball stories as the hero of a playoff game winds up dead moments after scoring the winning run. We’ve got a bounty hunter who is trying to bring in an ultimate Frisbee player. A college swimming coach is found dead at practice one morning. A woman plans to avenge her brother’s death in the bull riding ring. A biathlete is kidnapped. And a tennis coach finds himself in grave danger.
With all the stories, this is definitely long enough to be a full-length book, so you are getting your money's worth. The twists on a couple of the stories didn't quite work for me, but most of the stories held together very well. Likewise, the characters are all real. Considering the shorter space that the writers had to work with, I am always impressed when they can pull both of those things off. I'm not the biggest sports fan in the world, but I still found myself being pulled into these stories. Whether you are a diehard sports fanatic or have a casual interest at best, you'll enjoy this collection.
With all the stories, this is definitely long enough to be a full-length book, so you are getting your money's worth. The twists on a couple of the stories didn't quite work for me, but most of the stories held together very well. Likewise, the characters are all real. Considering the shorter space that the writers had to work with, I am always impressed when they can pull both of those things off. I'm not the biggest sports fan in the world, but I still found myself being pulled into these stories. Whether you are a diehard sports fanatic or have a casual interest at best, you'll enjoy this collection.
Matthew Krueger (10051 KP) rated Codenames in Tabletop Games
Jul 17, 2020 (Updated Jul 18, 2020)
Fun to play (2 more)
Easy to Learn
High Replayability
Getting the assassin (2 more)
Getting the bystander
Getting the other teams word
Excellent Deduction Party Game
Codenames- is one of the two games i bought at this years Pax East. It is also one of the first board games that i bought. The second being Coup. Now since then I have like 25 board games. I love collecting board games cause i can either play them with my family or go solo. Personality i love going solo in board games.
I learn about this game through the Funhaus Channel. And personality wanted to buy it after watching it. It looked easy, fun and entertaining. So when i saw it at Pax i knew i had to by it. If you dont know what Codenames is or never heard of it. Let me explain.
Codenames is a party deduction word card name for 2-8 people. It came out in 2015, designed by Vlaada Chvátil and published by Czech Games Edition.
The Objective: Two teams compete by each having a "spymaster" give one-word clues that can point to multiple words on the board. The other players on the team attempt to guess their team's words while avoiding the words of the other team.
The Gameplay:
Players split into two teams: red and blue. One player of each team is selected as the team's spymaster; the others are field operatives.
Twenty-five Codename cards, each bearing a word, are laid out in a 5×5 rectangular grid, in random order. A number of these words represent red agents, a number represent blue agents, one represents an assassin, and the others represent innocent bystanders.
The hint's word can be chosen freely, as long as it is not (and does not contain) any of the words on the code name cards still showing at that time. Code name cards are covered as guesses are made.
After a spymaster gives the hint with its word and number, their field operatives make guesses about which code name cards bear words related to the hint and point them out, one at a time. When a code name card is pointed out, the spymaster covers that card with an appropriate identity card – a blue agent card, a red agent card, an innocent bystander card, or the assassin card – as indicated on the spymasters' map of the grid. If the assassin is pointed out, the game ends immediately, with the team who identified him losing. If an agent of the other team is pointed out, the turn ends immediately, and that other team is also one agent closer to winning. If an innocent bystander is pointed out, the turn simply ends.
The game ends when all of one team's agents are identified (winning the game for that team), or when one team has identified the assassin (losing the game).
Its a fun entertaining deduction party card game and can be played over and over again without losing its charm. Its excellent board game and a must buy if you haven't bought it yet.
I learn about this game through the Funhaus Channel. And personality wanted to buy it after watching it. It looked easy, fun and entertaining. So when i saw it at Pax i knew i had to by it. If you dont know what Codenames is or never heard of it. Let me explain.
Codenames is a party deduction word card name for 2-8 people. It came out in 2015, designed by Vlaada Chvátil and published by Czech Games Edition.
The Objective: Two teams compete by each having a "spymaster" give one-word clues that can point to multiple words on the board. The other players on the team attempt to guess their team's words while avoiding the words of the other team.
The Gameplay:
Players split into two teams: red and blue. One player of each team is selected as the team's spymaster; the others are field operatives.
Twenty-five Codename cards, each bearing a word, are laid out in a 5×5 rectangular grid, in random order. A number of these words represent red agents, a number represent blue agents, one represents an assassin, and the others represent innocent bystanders.
The hint's word can be chosen freely, as long as it is not (and does not contain) any of the words on the code name cards still showing at that time. Code name cards are covered as guesses are made.
After a spymaster gives the hint with its word and number, their field operatives make guesses about which code name cards bear words related to the hint and point them out, one at a time. When a code name card is pointed out, the spymaster covers that card with an appropriate identity card – a blue agent card, a red agent card, an innocent bystander card, or the assassin card – as indicated on the spymasters' map of the grid. If the assassin is pointed out, the game ends immediately, with the team who identified him losing. If an agent of the other team is pointed out, the turn ends immediately, and that other team is also one agent closer to winning. If an innocent bystander is pointed out, the turn simply ends.
The game ends when all of one team's agents are identified (winning the game for that team), or when one team has identified the assassin (losing the game).
Its a fun entertaining deduction party card game and can be played over and over again without losing its charm. Its excellent board game and a must buy if you haven't bought it yet.
Purple Phoenix Games (2266 KP) rated The Road to Canterbury in Tabletop Games
Oct 4, 2021
I am not a sinless man. In fact, it’s been years since I’ve been to confession, and at this point I’m afraid I would be there for hours just spilling the beans. I know many pious people, but alas, I am not one. However, I do appreciate those that attempt to live that holy life. It takes a lot of guts and a lot of hard work. I guess I’m a little slothy when it comes to that, personally. Anyway, I know of the Seven Deadly Sins, Cardinal Sins, Capital Vices, or whatever you’d like to call them. In fact, I really like the movie Seven – I think it’s great! That said, let’s find out just “what’s in the box?”
The Road To Canterbury is a game of medieval hand management and area influence. In it players are false pardoners stalking the road to the city of Canterbury as pilgrims make their way there from London. As their companies run across these pardoners, they are offered the chance to purchase pardons – salvation and forgiveness for their sins. However, these pardoners are also keen to help the pilgrims along the path of sin, thus making their faux pardons worth even more money! The pardoner who ends the game with the most money will win along The Road to Canterbury.
DISCLAIMER: We were provided a copy of the Impoverished Pilgrim Edition (2nd edition) game for the purposes of this review. This is a retail copy of the game, so what you see in these photos is exactly what would be received in your box. I do not intend to cover every single rule included in the rulebook, but will describe the overall game flow and major rule set so that our readers may get a sense of how the game plays. For more in depth rules, you may purchase a copy online or from your FLGS. -T
To setup, follow the rulebook, as there are many components to track. The main areas are the Circle of Sin mat that holds the Parson pawn, the decks area that hold the various decks of cards from which players will be drawing, and each player’s personal area where players will hide their earnings and hand of cards behind the privacy screen. Once all is setup somewhat correctly, it should look similar to the photo below. Warning: When I set this up and took the photo, I neglected to realize the red company and the map tiles were translated to the wrong spaces, so just switch those.
The Road to Canterbury is a game of rounds, and each round players will be taking similar steps: Play One Card, Redraw, Perform a Reckoning of Sin. Players will have access to three different types of cards that can be played during the Play One Card phase: Sin cards (five of which are dealt at setup), Pardon cards, and Relic cards. During this phase, the active player can play a Sin card to one of the active Pilgrims to tempt them towards committing that sin. The first time the player adds a Sin card to a Pilgrim, they place one of their corruption cubes on the matching sin on the Circle of Sin. Alternatively, they may play a powerful Relic card that offers adjustments to the rules, or has some interesting results. When a player feels that enough Sin cards of a specific type have been played on a Pilgrim, they may opt to play a matching Pardon card in order to gain precious coin to their pockets. Each Pardon card essentially pardons ALL the sins of that type on the Pilgrim, and the player then collects coins exponentially for a larger total of matching Sin cards on that Pilgrim. If the Parson is currently sitting on the matching sin, the pardoner receives extra coin for it being an especially egregious sin in the eyes of the church. Each time the Pilgrim is pardoned, the pardoner places one of their corruption cubes upon the Pilgrim.
After the active player has played their card, they must Redraw their hand back to five cards, choosing to draw from the Sin, Pardon, or Relic offerings. Some Sin cards may be drawn that are Death Approaches cards. When these surface, they are immediately attached to the Pilgrim whose color matches that of the drawn card’s border color. This essentially eats up a slot on the Pilgrim that could be used for a Sin card to be pardoned.
Once the player has redrawn cards to their hand they must next Perform a Reckoning of Sin. The active player assesses each active Pilgrim to see if they have seven or more cards attached to them. If so, that Pilgrim will perish from the “deadly” sins. Whichever player has placed the most number of corruption cubes upon the Pilgrim is considered present at time of death and will receive credit for the sending to the heavens. They move one of the cubes upon the Pilgrim to the first space on the map tile, earning bonus points and a Last Rites token. Last Rites may be performed immediately to take another turn, or may be held until the end of the game for a 3 VP bonus per token. The most interesting aspect of a Pilgrim dying is the fact that their card now becomes a permanent placeholder underneath their company’s colored banner. So the next Pilgrim to enter play for that company will need only six additional cards to kick the bucket, and so on.
Play continues in this fashion of players taking turns through their three phases. The game ends when all the spaces on the map tile are filled with cubes. Bonus points are counted, coins are added, and the player with the most money/highest score is the winner! The best temptress and pardoner this side of Yorkshire!
Components. I have no experience with the first edition of The Road to Canterbury, so unfortunately I cannot compare and contrast components. However, I have seen many photos and even checked out a review video or two. What I can say about components is that this edition has refreshed the look of nearly everything, and so much for the better. Instead of boring plain cards, there’s just a little more decoration. Not so much to be invasive or distracting, but very tasteful. The component quality throughout is quite stellar. There’s a lot of cardboard in this box, and it all looks and feels great. I do quite like the art style, even though it’s all medievall-y and too artsy for my normal preference. All in all a great quality box of game.
So like I said, I have no experience with this game prior to receiving it and playing through it now. It certainly doesn’t feel like a 10-year-old game, nor does it really feel like many of the Alf Seegert games I have played in the past. Neither of these points are bad at all, just some thoughts I had.
It should be obvious by my ratings graphic that I dig this game a lot. I have nothing like it in my collection, and I am super excited to really bring this out with different types of gamers to see how it fares (once the COVID is no longer an issue, of course). I see this being a hit with my family, who enjoys a lot of take that style games. I see this being a hit with my more thinky gamer friends, because there are just so many juicy choices to be had every turn. I can see this even being a hit with my more gateway friends, because it isn’t terribly heavy, has some humor in it, and I can see the prospect of sowing sin and killing off innocent Pilgrims being attractive to some of my more morbid friends.
For me, I love the ability to take every turn and make important decisions. I try to make every turn meaningful to my agenda, but tactical with what may be at my disposal at the time. When should I play this Relic? Why is named something ridiculous? Should I wait a while longer to pardon this sin, or should I pile on another and then pardon next turn? Ooh, but what if my opponent has the same Pardon card. Am I truly happy that this poor Wife of Bath is about to kick it? GAAHHHHH!
Now it’s no secret that I am a big fan of Dr. Seegert’s games, as I have previously reviewed Fantastiqa and Haven with very high ratings. So, I was not at all surprised that I would love this one as well. It offers so many great choices, looks great on the table, fills a unique void that was present in my collection, and can be played with various types of gamers, even though it is designed for two or three players total. Purple Phoenix Games gives this one an unapologetic 5 / 6. I don’t think it will break into my Top 10, but I certainly won’t rule it out quite yet. More plays with different types of gamers may change my mind on that statement, and I eagerly await my plateful of crow. So if you are like me in your gaming preferences, check out this version of The Road to Canterbury. Let me know how often you tend to grab Relics too, because I feel like I need to utilize them more, but it is so hard to pass up a Sin or Pardon. I Lust after them so very badly.
The Road To Canterbury is a game of medieval hand management and area influence. In it players are false pardoners stalking the road to the city of Canterbury as pilgrims make their way there from London. As their companies run across these pardoners, they are offered the chance to purchase pardons – salvation and forgiveness for their sins. However, these pardoners are also keen to help the pilgrims along the path of sin, thus making their faux pardons worth even more money! The pardoner who ends the game with the most money will win along The Road to Canterbury.
DISCLAIMER: We were provided a copy of the Impoverished Pilgrim Edition (2nd edition) game for the purposes of this review. This is a retail copy of the game, so what you see in these photos is exactly what would be received in your box. I do not intend to cover every single rule included in the rulebook, but will describe the overall game flow and major rule set so that our readers may get a sense of how the game plays. For more in depth rules, you may purchase a copy online or from your FLGS. -T
To setup, follow the rulebook, as there are many components to track. The main areas are the Circle of Sin mat that holds the Parson pawn, the decks area that hold the various decks of cards from which players will be drawing, and each player’s personal area where players will hide their earnings and hand of cards behind the privacy screen. Once all is setup somewhat correctly, it should look similar to the photo below. Warning: When I set this up and took the photo, I neglected to realize the red company and the map tiles were translated to the wrong spaces, so just switch those.
The Road to Canterbury is a game of rounds, and each round players will be taking similar steps: Play One Card, Redraw, Perform a Reckoning of Sin. Players will have access to three different types of cards that can be played during the Play One Card phase: Sin cards (five of which are dealt at setup), Pardon cards, and Relic cards. During this phase, the active player can play a Sin card to one of the active Pilgrims to tempt them towards committing that sin. The first time the player adds a Sin card to a Pilgrim, they place one of their corruption cubes on the matching sin on the Circle of Sin. Alternatively, they may play a powerful Relic card that offers adjustments to the rules, or has some interesting results. When a player feels that enough Sin cards of a specific type have been played on a Pilgrim, they may opt to play a matching Pardon card in order to gain precious coin to their pockets. Each Pardon card essentially pardons ALL the sins of that type on the Pilgrim, and the player then collects coins exponentially for a larger total of matching Sin cards on that Pilgrim. If the Parson is currently sitting on the matching sin, the pardoner receives extra coin for it being an especially egregious sin in the eyes of the church. Each time the Pilgrim is pardoned, the pardoner places one of their corruption cubes upon the Pilgrim.
After the active player has played their card, they must Redraw their hand back to five cards, choosing to draw from the Sin, Pardon, or Relic offerings. Some Sin cards may be drawn that are Death Approaches cards. When these surface, they are immediately attached to the Pilgrim whose color matches that of the drawn card’s border color. This essentially eats up a slot on the Pilgrim that could be used for a Sin card to be pardoned.
Once the player has redrawn cards to their hand they must next Perform a Reckoning of Sin. The active player assesses each active Pilgrim to see if they have seven or more cards attached to them. If so, that Pilgrim will perish from the “deadly” sins. Whichever player has placed the most number of corruption cubes upon the Pilgrim is considered present at time of death and will receive credit for the sending to the heavens. They move one of the cubes upon the Pilgrim to the first space on the map tile, earning bonus points and a Last Rites token. Last Rites may be performed immediately to take another turn, or may be held until the end of the game for a 3 VP bonus per token. The most interesting aspect of a Pilgrim dying is the fact that their card now becomes a permanent placeholder underneath their company’s colored banner. So the next Pilgrim to enter play for that company will need only six additional cards to kick the bucket, and so on.
Play continues in this fashion of players taking turns through their three phases. The game ends when all the spaces on the map tile are filled with cubes. Bonus points are counted, coins are added, and the player with the most money/highest score is the winner! The best temptress and pardoner this side of Yorkshire!
Components. I have no experience with the first edition of The Road to Canterbury, so unfortunately I cannot compare and contrast components. However, I have seen many photos and even checked out a review video or two. What I can say about components is that this edition has refreshed the look of nearly everything, and so much for the better. Instead of boring plain cards, there’s just a little more decoration. Not so much to be invasive or distracting, but very tasteful. The component quality throughout is quite stellar. There’s a lot of cardboard in this box, and it all looks and feels great. I do quite like the art style, even though it’s all medievall-y and too artsy for my normal preference. All in all a great quality box of game.
So like I said, I have no experience with this game prior to receiving it and playing through it now. It certainly doesn’t feel like a 10-year-old game, nor does it really feel like many of the Alf Seegert games I have played in the past. Neither of these points are bad at all, just some thoughts I had.
It should be obvious by my ratings graphic that I dig this game a lot. I have nothing like it in my collection, and I am super excited to really bring this out with different types of gamers to see how it fares (once the COVID is no longer an issue, of course). I see this being a hit with my family, who enjoys a lot of take that style games. I see this being a hit with my more thinky gamer friends, because there are just so many juicy choices to be had every turn. I can see this even being a hit with my more gateway friends, because it isn’t terribly heavy, has some humor in it, and I can see the prospect of sowing sin and killing off innocent Pilgrims being attractive to some of my more morbid friends.
For me, I love the ability to take every turn and make important decisions. I try to make every turn meaningful to my agenda, but tactical with what may be at my disposal at the time. When should I play this Relic? Why is named something ridiculous? Should I wait a while longer to pardon this sin, or should I pile on another and then pardon next turn? Ooh, but what if my opponent has the same Pardon card. Am I truly happy that this poor Wife of Bath is about to kick it? GAAHHHHH!
Now it’s no secret that I am a big fan of Dr. Seegert’s games, as I have previously reviewed Fantastiqa and Haven with very high ratings. So, I was not at all surprised that I would love this one as well. It offers so many great choices, looks great on the table, fills a unique void that was present in my collection, and can be played with various types of gamers, even though it is designed for two or three players total. Purple Phoenix Games gives this one an unapologetic 5 / 6. I don’t think it will break into my Top 10, but I certainly won’t rule it out quite yet. More plays with different types of gamers may change my mind on that statement, and I eagerly await my plateful of crow. So if you are like me in your gaming preferences, check out this version of The Road to Canterbury. Let me know how often you tend to grab Relics too, because I feel like I need to utilize them more, but it is so hard to pass up a Sin or Pardon. I Lust after them so very badly.
Crystal (148 KP) rated Ready Player One in Books
Jun 4, 2018 (Updated Jun 8, 2018)
Gaming references (3 more)
80s Easter eggs
Immersive
Not your typical dystopia
Don't judge a book by its movie
I still have not seen the movie and I have heard mixed reviews. However, I very much enjoyed this book. If you are into young adult dystopia then this book is for you. Ready Player One is one of the few books I've read multiple times. It is one of those books where you can really catch on to little details you may have missed the first time around. This book is chock full of 80s pop culture references.
I say this book is a bit of a slow starter and that is because of the world building. We get to know the main character and his in real life daily issues and also the craftsmanship of the fully immersive VR world that is the Oasis. I felt like I was plugging in along with the other players.
Synopsis: The story takes place in the very near future. Sky rocketing gas prices have forced people to give up driving. Most people now actually work in a VR office rather than commuting. The economy has fallen apart and people depend on the Oasis for everything. The big baddie is a mega corporation that wants to control the Oasis, and in turn control the country/world. Regular kids raised by the Oasis take on this corporation simply by trying to win an Easter egg hunt set up by the games founder. The stakes are high. What starts off as a contest quickly becomes a matter of life and death as our heroes get closer to solving the quest and winning it all.
I say this book is a bit of a slow starter and that is because of the world building. We get to know the main character and his in real life daily issues and also the craftsmanship of the fully immersive VR world that is the Oasis. I felt like I was plugging in along with the other players.
Synopsis: The story takes place in the very near future. Sky rocketing gas prices have forced people to give up driving. Most people now actually work in a VR office rather than commuting. The economy has fallen apart and people depend on the Oasis for everything. The big baddie is a mega corporation that wants to control the Oasis, and in turn control the country/world. Regular kids raised by the Oasis take on this corporation simply by trying to win an Easter egg hunt set up by the games founder. The stakes are high. What starts off as a contest quickly becomes a matter of life and death as our heroes get closer to solving the quest and winning it all.
123 Tracing Numbers: Montessori math game for kids
Education and Games
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Today only, get the app with a 30% discount! Limited time offer! 123 Tracing is an action-packed...
Walk the Plank!
6.3
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In Walk the Plank!, players represent the worst pirates in a captain's crew. The captain has rounded...
Purple Phoenix Games (2266 KP) rated Gorinto in Tabletop Games
Mar 2, 2020
I have been noticing that as I do more and more reviews and previews I am learning to absolutely adore abstract strategy games. Like, I LOVE them now. So when a call for reviewers came out for a new abstract game with art by Josh Cappel, I was immediately intrigued. I love games with an Asian style (even if loosely themed), and games that reward players for thinking ahead and maximizing their turns. Wait, it plays in 30-60 minutes too? I’m a fan.
A “gorinto” is a Japanese five-tier pagoda tower where each tier is representative of something of religious importance. In this game, each tier is representative of one of the elements: fire, water, wind, earth, and void. In this prototype version, the season tracking pawn is a representative gorinto. To gain deeper understanding of these elements and attain ultimate Wisdom is the goal of the game of Gorinto.
DISCLAIMER: We were provided a prototype copy of this game for the purposes of this review. These are preview copy components, and the final components will be different from these shown. Also, it is not my intention to detail every rule in the game. You are invited to download the rulebook, back the game through the Kickstarter campaign running until March 4, 2020, or purchase through any retailers stocking it after fulfillment. -T
To setup, each player will choose a color, take the play mat of matching color, and place their score marker on the score board. The season tracker will be placed on the scoreboard as well, along with the randomized Goal cards and end-of-game element scoring cards. The main play board will be populated with randomized element tiles pulled from the bag in the shape of a mountain, with 10 tiles placed along the side and top edges of the built mountain of tiles. Determine the first player and the game is ready to be played.
On a player’s turn they will choose one of these outlying tiles to move onto the board. Once placed, the player will choose tiles, based on the placed tile’s power, from the board. For example, “fire spreads tall,” so if a Fire tile is placed on the board, a player may choose any tile from the column where it was placed two spaces above or below the placed tile. The number of tiles that can be plucked from the board depends on the player’s “understanding” of the element (the number of tiles of that type on the player’s board +1). With two tiles on a player’s personal board, they can choose three tiles when moving that type of tile, in the example – fire.
Tiles moved from the left side of the mountain can only move horizontally in their row and tiles moved from the top of the mountain can only move vertically in their column. With each of the elements possessing different ways tiles can be chosen from the mountain, and understanding of each element affecting how many tiles can be chosen, players need to plan ahead for their turns… except that other players will be doing the same and planning their own strategies to destroy their opponents’ plans.
When there are fewer tiles to be moved outside the mountain than there are players, the season (round) ends. At this point, players will score the Goal cards before setting up for the next season.
Each season the Goal cards will be scored – so players will know throughout the game upon what they should be concentrating their efforts. Examples of these Goal cards are: score your tallest stack (1 point per tile), then score your shortest stack (0 points if no tiles on a stack); score your stacks with odd number of tiles twice; score the stack with the median number of tiles three times. By being able to manipulate and keep track of the tile stacks players can be planning their scores ahead of time for each season.
Components. Again, this is a prototype copy of the game, but already one can see the direction this game is headed, and it’s glorious! I have seen the Kickstarter page, and am super excited about seeing nearly every component get a fantastic upgrade. The art direction is incredible, the physical components are plastic and cardboard heaven. I am even pretty happy with this prototype copy. Yeah, the tiles are squarish wooden tiles with stickers, and the retail copy will have sexy interlocking plastic tokens, and the player boards in prototype are rectangular, but the retail copy will have a fancy contoured edge. Even so! The game looks amazing on the table, and will be even more so once it goes to manufacturing in earnest.
I mentioned in my intro that I am falling more in love with abstracts the more I play them. Has it just been that abstracts have been getting better and better lately, or am I leveling up as a gamer? I don’t know and I don’t care. Abstracts hold a very special place in my heart now, and this one is one of the best I have played. Most abstracts get a bad rap for being themeless and boring to look at, but Gorinto brings it and I’m totally diggin’ it. I love games like Gekitai, Calico, Elementos, Hive, and Onitama, and now there’s another to add to my display case of amazing abstracts.
If you enjoy themed abstract strategy games, games that make you think without bogging you down, and games that make you smile even when you lose simply because you enjoyed the experience, you should check this one out. There is still time to back it through Kickstarter, but the campaign ends on Wednesday, March 6. At the time of writing, the campaign is funded at over 500%.
A “gorinto” is a Japanese five-tier pagoda tower where each tier is representative of something of religious importance. In this game, each tier is representative of one of the elements: fire, water, wind, earth, and void. In this prototype version, the season tracking pawn is a representative gorinto. To gain deeper understanding of these elements and attain ultimate Wisdom is the goal of the game of Gorinto.
DISCLAIMER: We were provided a prototype copy of this game for the purposes of this review. These are preview copy components, and the final components will be different from these shown. Also, it is not my intention to detail every rule in the game. You are invited to download the rulebook, back the game through the Kickstarter campaign running until March 4, 2020, or purchase through any retailers stocking it after fulfillment. -T
To setup, each player will choose a color, take the play mat of matching color, and place their score marker on the score board. The season tracker will be placed on the scoreboard as well, along with the randomized Goal cards and end-of-game element scoring cards. The main play board will be populated with randomized element tiles pulled from the bag in the shape of a mountain, with 10 tiles placed along the side and top edges of the built mountain of tiles. Determine the first player and the game is ready to be played.
On a player’s turn they will choose one of these outlying tiles to move onto the board. Once placed, the player will choose tiles, based on the placed tile’s power, from the board. For example, “fire spreads tall,” so if a Fire tile is placed on the board, a player may choose any tile from the column where it was placed two spaces above or below the placed tile. The number of tiles that can be plucked from the board depends on the player’s “understanding” of the element (the number of tiles of that type on the player’s board +1). With two tiles on a player’s personal board, they can choose three tiles when moving that type of tile, in the example – fire.
Tiles moved from the left side of the mountain can only move horizontally in their row and tiles moved from the top of the mountain can only move vertically in their column. With each of the elements possessing different ways tiles can be chosen from the mountain, and understanding of each element affecting how many tiles can be chosen, players need to plan ahead for their turns… except that other players will be doing the same and planning their own strategies to destroy their opponents’ plans.
When there are fewer tiles to be moved outside the mountain than there are players, the season (round) ends. At this point, players will score the Goal cards before setting up for the next season.
Each season the Goal cards will be scored – so players will know throughout the game upon what they should be concentrating their efforts. Examples of these Goal cards are: score your tallest stack (1 point per tile), then score your shortest stack (0 points if no tiles on a stack); score your stacks with odd number of tiles twice; score the stack with the median number of tiles three times. By being able to manipulate and keep track of the tile stacks players can be planning their scores ahead of time for each season.
Components. Again, this is a prototype copy of the game, but already one can see the direction this game is headed, and it’s glorious! I have seen the Kickstarter page, and am super excited about seeing nearly every component get a fantastic upgrade. The art direction is incredible, the physical components are plastic and cardboard heaven. I am even pretty happy with this prototype copy. Yeah, the tiles are squarish wooden tiles with stickers, and the retail copy will have sexy interlocking plastic tokens, and the player boards in prototype are rectangular, but the retail copy will have a fancy contoured edge. Even so! The game looks amazing on the table, and will be even more so once it goes to manufacturing in earnest.
I mentioned in my intro that I am falling more in love with abstracts the more I play them. Has it just been that abstracts have been getting better and better lately, or am I leveling up as a gamer? I don’t know and I don’t care. Abstracts hold a very special place in my heart now, and this one is one of the best I have played. Most abstracts get a bad rap for being themeless and boring to look at, but Gorinto brings it and I’m totally diggin’ it. I love games like Gekitai, Calico, Elementos, Hive, and Onitama, and now there’s another to add to my display case of amazing abstracts.
If you enjoy themed abstract strategy games, games that make you think without bogging you down, and games that make you smile even when you lose simply because you enjoyed the experience, you should check this one out. There is still time to back it through Kickstarter, but the campaign ends on Wednesday, March 6. At the time of writing, the campaign is funded at over 500%.