Everdell

Everdell struck me as very cute: a worker-placement and engine-building combo that does not make my life difficult just to prove it is a serious game. I do not really understand its less-than-great reputation, because we genuinely had a lovely time in our first game. It is one of those games I could suggest anytime, in the same pleasantly accessible league as Architects of the West Kingdom.

At its core, I place my workers to open up options and gradually build an engine out of combinations. The satisfaction comes when a move does not merely do something useful right now, but also sets up my next step. It is not indifferent multiplayer solitaire: there is enough racing for the available opportunities that I need to watch everyone else's pace as well.

The interaction mostly comes through those cut-offs and the pressure of timing. I want to get what suits me before someone else takes it, while also trying not to waste actions in my own engine. It has exactly as much brain-burn as I need: enough thought for decisions to matter, without becoming tiring or dragging on too long.

I accept that the opening hand feels fairly important, and that drafting might smooth that out. Even so, my overall impression was clearly positive: a very pleasant, nicely accessible game that I would play again without a second thought. It is an 8/10 for me, and we are already looking at the expansions.

Updated session

The later plays did not change my opinion; they confirmed it. As a change from tiles and cubes, Everdell once again worked as the group's most cheerful engine builder, both on the table and across two or three online games. With or without an expansion, it remained a happy experience with the right running time. It is ideal for a TTS/Tabletopia evening when I want to play something brisk and satisfying without ending up staying up all night.