Reviews

I completely understand why Woodcraft has received such strong reviews: it has a distinctive central idea and plenty to chew on. On my first play, though, especially at four players, the waiting and some of its design choices kept me at arm’s length.

Skymines is a much better-presented and more readable return to Mombasa, with stronger visuals and enough material not to feel like a lazy retheme. Once you open up the second map, you effectively get a different strategic experience in the same box.

Endless Winter: Paleoamericans is a striking, generous production with a friendly presentation and approachable gameplay, making it a very good gateway for newer players. For me, though, the bling does not conceal the tension or satisfying burn of a heavier euro.

Dark Ages: Holy Roman Empire keeps its core 4X system standing even with 6-8 players, but the “big” game does not solve the weaknesses of the two boxes; it spreads them across a map twice the size. It has the tools and modules for demanding groups, provided everyone wants the same, rather aggressive, experience.

On our third game, with the rules finally fresh and correctly understood, Weather Machine delivered a reasonable playtime along with everything that makes it my least favourite Lacerda game. At four players it is simply tight in a bad way, and faulty cards at this price point are shameful.

Impression is an approachable but slightly brain-burning euro about medieval printers, with an unusual two-phase worker-placement system and engine building that can delightfully run wild. Its poor iconography, however, makes the first encounter far harsher than it needs to be.

1861/1867 opened the year with choo-choos, sporting goodwill, and a table that preferred to keep everyone in the game. A very good session was ultimately decided by 98 dollars.

Atiwa is a fast, pleasant engine builder, but its production and overall sense of finish do not live up to either the Lookout/Uwe name or the “advanced” label.

Lacrimosa is a tightly constructed, thematic euro in which action selection and deck building genuinely serve Mozart’s Requiem. After a second play, I consider it one of the strongest impressions from last year’s releases.

Space Station Phoenix takes a proven euro formula and gives it a genuinely fresh axis. It is not a thematic revolution, but its central idea works so well that the game stands out immediately.

Village Rails is a very honest, quick train-themed filler with route building and a clean individual puzzle. Interaction is available, but thankfully you do not need to turn the table into a scene of exile to have a good time.

Charioteer is a pleasantly light chariot race: quick to teach, easygoing at the table, and enough for a relaxed end to game night. For its label and price, though, it left me feeling that it could have offered more.

Findorff has solid foundations and moves briskly on the table, but ultimately feels like a missed opportunity. It is not a bad game; its problem is that the houses you build leave too little of a mark where they ought to matter.

Terracotta Army is a polished medium-weight euro with worker placement, gentle competition, and the pleasant brain-burn of having to reconsider your plans. It is not essential for every collection, but it is an honest and clearly recommended choice.

Resurgence is a polished, thematic medium euro that wears its ruined-Moscow setting well without becoming either clumsy Ameritrash or a lifeless co-op. It has a tight economy, meaningful interaction, and a production that helps it stand apart.

Marvel: Crisis Protocol finally made it out of my display pile and onto the table, painted and ready for superhero brawling. It is a fast, honest skirmish full of Marvel fan service, and it makes a very credible play for the top of its genre.

Rise has a clean, clever action-selection system and a network of tracks that promises interesting decisions. Yet despite its good raw material, it left me feeling that it stops just short of completing what it sets out to build.

Encyclopedia is a beautiful, satisfying euro with excellent dice drafting, but it undermines itself at the very finish line. Its end-game scoring seems determined to reward monotony instead of everything the rest of the experience does so well.

The Ketchup Mechanism does not make Food Chain Magnate friendlier; it opens up new and much more dangerous routes through it. With the right modules, old certainties disappear — along with any assurance that the game will remain balanced.

Minecraft: Heroes of the Village gave me an easy way to get my son to the table by leaning on his love of Minecraft. As a children’s set-collection game it is perfectly decent, but it lacks a little tension to hold the attention of kids who are already a bit older.

I gave Peak Oil: Profiteer one last chance, mostly because it is short and works well with five players. Thankfully, it is an honest, easy corporate-grab game with plenty of chaos and reversals.

Verdant is a pleasant, beautifully presented follow-up from the team behind Calico and Cascadia, but for me it sits a step behind the latter. Beneath its lovely plants and relaxed look, it has enough bite that a casual approach is not always forgiven.

Dirty Money grabs an excellent theme—money laundering through art and real estate—but does not quite build the game that theme deserves. It is pleasant enough for a while, yet the randomness and weak production send it toward the shelf.

By my fifth or sixth game of Carnegie, I am still uncovering new strategies through its departments. And as that interest holds, I increasingly want to try the variable setup too — but first I need to settle a small suspicion about one very strong opening.