Endless Winter: Paleoamericans

Endless Winter had me wondering ever since its Kickstarter days. On one hand, Kordonski’s name inspired confidence; on the other, the entire campaign gave me an overproduced feeling, like a pricier, shinier version of Architects of the Western Kingdom. I had already backed Resurgence, so I passed on it at the time. But when I finally saw it on the table, served up with tea and crumpets, I immediately understood that it is fantastic as a physical object: a genuinely lavish production, with eye candy and artwork that invites you to pick it up and play.

At its core, it is straightforward worker placement with resource management. I send out workers, gather and manage resources, and try to build an efficient route to scoring without having to wrestle with obscure rules or a heavy procedure.

Around that core are three or four smaller minigames that feed into the final score. Interaction comes mainly through the shared board and worker-placement choices, while the overall flow remains friendly and easy to teach. It is a very clean recipe: plenty to look at, but nothing ever becomes truly threatening or especially difficult.

And that is exactly where my reservation lies. The game is beautiful, well made and, especially at its Kickstarter price, makes you wonder how all of that fit into the box in today’s inflationary times. I will happily add it to my collection for groups with less experienced players, because as a gateway it is superbly presented. It is just that, for me, its appeal runs out quickly: I did not feel that sweet burn of the classic euros my group prefers, and by the end almost everything had been maxed out for scoring. I honestly cannot see why it so often sits alongside much heavier and more demanding games in so many people’s personal top 5, 9, or 10 lists.