Step into fifth income turn in Tapestry, and suddenly it’s quiet in there. Cards get set down. Players breathe out. It’s time to do the real work. This game isn’t quite as simple as adding up a grocery list; it’s more like auditing books at a complicated business. For five eras, multiple systems was running … Read more
It’s at this point that Merv gets into a particular flavor of quiet panic. For three years, the game’s been an unfolding sprawl of resource management, spatial reasoning, and opportunistic maneuvering. And then boom: all of that compress into arithmetic. There are buildings sitting around the board, scroll cards hiding in the library, caravan cards … Read more
As we sit back down for the final round of Altiplano, there’s a hush on the table while everyone goes over their boards. Rows of filled-in warehouses, random tiles, and cards that could be worth something but also might not, this is where many player start questioning what they’ve done. Did I get the right … Read more
In most games, the last few minutes feel like strategy, but in Glen More II it’s more of a matter of accounting panic. In Glen More II it’s more of a matter of accounting panic. You spend three rounds moving Scotsmen around, stacking wood, and amassing piles of whisky casks. Finally, it comes down to … Read more
That’s why I get such a particular kind of panic when the High Council is full, and someone yells “Game’s over.” Racing heart, you look around the table: this is going to come down to numbers, not nice plastic bits. And that last phase of the game, the final scoring, will decide a winner … … Read more
Hallertau finishes suddenley. One minute, you’re working your worker and crops, and then it’s done, so what do you do with all these resources? There is an easy answer: head over to your community center for the victory point window. But everything else is on the table. Goods stacked up in your supply area, fields … Read more
By the time last round at Boonlake comes around, strategy gives way to mathematics. You have placed your last inhabitant. You’ve got the majority in the region. You just need to get points. And that’s where careful counting come into play. There are so many tiny settlements to keep track of, and you can’t forget … Read more
