Review
Gandhi: The Decolonization of British India, 1917 – 1947
Gandhi is an odd, advanced COIN that makes no effort to ease newcomers into the series. Its awkward rules and unusual balances are precisely what make it worth a look for experienced players.
Gandhi: The Decolonization of British India, 1917 – 1947
- Published
- 2019
- Designer
- Bruce Mansfield
- Publisher
- GMT Games
- Players
- 1–4
- Playing time
- 240 min
Gandhi: The Decolonization of British India, 1917 – 1947 is an unusual COIN, and plainly one of the more demanding entries in the line. It is not a first or second stop for anyone learning the genre: the rules have sharp edges, the rulebook offers little mercy, and the game’s balance takes time at the table before it begins to make sense.
At its core, it keeps the asymmetric COIN approach: each side works within its own constraints and aims, while the order of actions forces you to decide when to press and when to hold back. A sound plan is not enough; you must carry it out when the game gives you the opening.
It is not a first or second stop for anyone learning the genre: the rules have sharp edges, the rulebook offers little mercy, and the game’s balance takes time at the table before it begins to make sense.
TheCuttlefish
That is where its peculiar balances matter. Players are not operating politely alongside one another; they lean on each other’s moves, disrupt each other’s tempo, and exploit openings that may last for a single chance. You will spot a move that suits you, then immediately wonder whom it suits more.
After eight titles have already taken the COIN system across so much ground, Gandhi needed a reason to be different. It is a difficult, distinctive entry for COIN devotees only — and for exactly those people, it feels necessary.
It is a difficult, distinctive entry for COIN devotees only — and for exactly those people, it feels necessary.
TheCuttlefish
Source: BoardGameGeek
0 comments
Sign in to react or comment.
