For What Remains: Out of the Basement

Out of the Basement is one of the three standalone boxes in the For What Remains series, built for solo or head-to-head skirmish battles. I usually look at games by the well-known Da Va Tzi and think they ask a lot for their content; this one, however, caught my attention from the moment I started reading about it. Each box brings map tiles, two armies, and a campaign booklet, and the armies differ enough from one another to provide variety on the table.

The heart of the game is its chit-pull activation. That is where all the juice comes from: activation does not follow a rigid, predictable order, and it keeps the conflict alert and lively. Thankfully, the rules remain simple and clear, so I do not have to wrestle with the rulebook just to get to the fighting.

And it does have fighting: honest, direct fighting. Units clash through attributes that scale, while using d10s instead of d6s helps a great deal in that respect. Beyond individual battles, the experience/campaign system gives the clashes very good continuity and gives later plays a reason to exist beyond simply being another standalone skirmish.

I would not recommend it merely because it is another box with armies and tiles. But if there is a dedicated opponent across the table, For What Remains: Out of the Basement is a very good choice for enjoyable hours, with clear rules, variety, and enough conflict to keep the interest alive.