A Feast for Odin

A Feast for Odin is one of those games that, once you spread it across the table, makes you wonder whether you should have brought a second table as well. And yet, behind that imposing first impression lies a game far more approachable than it looks. It gave me a bit of the same feeling as Colonists: large in scale, but not impenetrable.

The game is organized around the action boards and the action choices laid out in front of the players. Although the whole thing looks busy at first, its flow proved smooth: you quickly understand what you are looking at, and the experience moves forward without forcing you into particularly heavy brain burn.

Interaction comes mainly through that shared space of choices and through how the available action on the table takes shape, rather than through any aggressive intent. With the expansion, the additional treasures and the new action board shift the landscape a little; the treasures may make it a notch easier, but I did not see that as a problem.

In general, although Vikings are not a theme that excites me, I always play Uwe's games with pleasure, and Feast confirmed why. We had a great time, the experience was smooth, and the game never allowed its size to become a burden.

Updated session

My opinion did not change in the later play; if anything, the expansion made the experience even more positive. The new action board was the big win for me, while the changes as a whole felt welcome, even if they made the game slightly easier.