Cogs and Commissars

Cogs and Commissars came to the table in honour of Little Communist, one of the two major absences from our gathering. I had bought it specifically for him, and from the first moment it was clear that this is a joke game: cards such as Computin and Gorbarobot, along with the proletariat’s rage at the bourgeoisie and the commissars, are the real spectacle.

At its core, it is a classic game of this kind. We play cards, pursue progress toward victory, and mainly enjoy the funny names and the theme unfolding across the table.

Interaction comes through that race, with everyone constantly ending up a breath away from winning. The problem is that the game is designed to go in circles: the home stretch drags on for too long, everyone remains tantalisingly close for ages, and the tension ends up becoming tiring rather than building to a climax.

Still, I cannot say that I felt cheated. Cogs and Commissars is exactly what it looks like: a silly thematic object for the right group, not something you buy for the gameplay. Like A Star is Porn, you bring it out for the laughs and the atmosphere—and it is best left at that.