A pretty good game, but not one that I relish nor look forward to pulling out any time soon---partially because of how little it fires my imagination, and also because so much of it is simply pulling little bits out of bags and moving little bits from one pile of little bits to another pile of little bits. The rulebook is poorly written---it misses the big pictures while focusing on details in a haphazard order without ever giving a clear view of game play in words or images: I understood how to play only through inference and extrapolations. Not a lot of personality here, but the sheeples are cute, and it functions well as a component puzzle.
Stalin can borrow my copy while I play Cave Evil, Ambush!, and Mage Knight.
Codeword Cromwell: The German Invasion of England, 8 June 1940 (2014) Review
My first experience with a full on war game was with Codeword Cromwell. I really enjoyed the experience and found the rulebook clear in almost every regard (excepting only the enemy movement/infiltration aspect), and the experience was certainly immersive along the lines of my favorite boardgames, such as Cave Evil, Space Alert, and Mage Knight. Although I am new to this type of cardboard warfare and slower than many might be, I wonder if I will ever play a mission of Codeword Cromwell that clocks in at the estimated two hour mark...? I was defeated in the final turn of my first game, and would estimate my game was close to 6 hours, including internet reconnaissance missions to try to figure out a few of the rules. No small amount of time is spent laying German antagonist counters--roll to determine the orientation of their arrival, roll again to pinpoint the arrival spot, roll again to determine their number, which then requires referral to charts. And in later turns this process might happen four or five times for the 1/12th of a turn that is the enemy deployment phase. But to be clear the content of this game is much more than just fighting.
My biggest gripe is regarding the multiple cross references that could have been cleaner had text been put on cards (and had certain rolls been instinctual rather than following a baroque number system (eg. not things like 3, 7, and 11 hit)). These choices obfuscate gameplay and slow down an already long game. My other criticism is for the digitally crafted illustrations in a medium that cries out for something that does not look computer rendered. I wonder how many gamers want to look at a CG model on a piece of cardboard? It seems like the wrong choice for the audience in general and is definitely the wrong choice for my taste in a tactile board game.
The individualized nature of the flavor text (esp. the character cards) and their effects on play (sometimes extreme and sometimes mild) builds the story and depending on what happens, certain people in the resistance really start to take on more personality. Codeword Cromwell is more than just dice and counter combat, though there is a lot of that happening for sure. Overall, this narrative driven battlework fully met my hopes of what this sub-genre could offer and inspires me to play it again and seek out others.
RoboRally (1994) Review
Clever premise that is well developed--especially the upgrades to the 'bots. Fun and usually delivers some excitement and big laughs while also demanding a decent amount of foresight. Piles of clever restrictions and limited abilities make every 'bot a sympathetic underdog.
Scythe (2016) Review
This is a very nice looking game that is engaging, though not immersive, and clearly presented (other than the somewhat abstruse solitary/Automa booklet, which is far better conceived than explained).
Overall, Scythe is largely geared towards point gathering via private achievements (ie. resource gathering) that limit how much I am going to enjoy it. Unlike the modifier tallying of my favorite solitary game (Mage Knight), the combat here in Scythe is perhaps too simple, though clearly fighting is not the focal point. In none of my favorite games am I focused on points/achievements more than story, adventure, conflict, atmosphere, and characters, and what keeps Scythe from being Cave Evil or Mage Knight or Space Alert or Robo Rally is that I see numbers and score cards more than any imaginary world . Still, I enjoyed this solid game enough to play it twice in a row, and it's nice to manipulate the game pieces and to look at. Also, those player cards with the embedded slots for pieces/meeples are superb.
DungeonQuest Revised Edition (2014) Review
It's fun watching things unfold, but random to a degree where I had a hard time getting too invested in achieving any goals or living or dying. The catacombs aspect and the chamber tiles are the most interesting elements here.