Review
Ecos: First Continent
Ecos: First Continent gives bingo an engine-building shell, with worthwhile drafting and almost no downtime, but an experience gap that can leave newer players merely turning cards while someone else runs away with it.
- Published
- 2019
- Designer
- John D. Clair
- Publisher
- Alderac Entertainment Group, Arclight Games, Gen-X Games (GenX)
- Players
- 2–6
- Playing time
- 75 min
I have not played Augustus, so I will not pretend to settle the copying allegations aimed at Eclair. But Ecos: First Continent looks like an engine builder wearing bingo as a hat, and the hat is doing a fair amount of work.
The opening card draft is where the game acquires real purpose. If you engage with it, you can set up a plan rather than merely wait to see what appears; cards then trigger and your little ecosystem begins to assemble its chains.
But Ecos: First Continent looks like an engine builder wearing bingo as a hat, and the hat is doing a fair amount of work.
EdgyJellyfish
The pace is brisk and downtime is nearly absent, which makes it easy enough to put in front of non-gamers. Then the experienced player starts linking eco effects, opens a forty-point lead, and everyone else may be left turning cards over while trying to identify the moment the game quietly departed.
There is interest here, and strategy beneath the surface, but bingo never changes shape enough for me to want another helping. A straightforward pass from me: 6/10.
A straightforward pass from me: 6/10.
EdgyJellyfish
Source: BoardGameGeek
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