Keyside

After the rather strange, mediocre Keyper, I had almost decided that the Key series had run its course for me. And yet, Mr Breeze returns with Keyside and serves up perhaps the best game in the series: distinctive, substantial, and the sort of game that makes you say a sincere “wow.”

The game borrows elements from across the Key series without feeling like a mere collection of references. At its core is a dirty, modified rondel that gradually ends up resembling a mandala and determines how actions will run. It is not a mechanism you can casually explain in one sentence—and it is probably worth seeing it operate on the table at least once.

What matters is that actions do not happen in a vacuum: the group constantly reshapes the landscape. There is cutting each other off, one-upping, and confrontation, with plenty of room for the familiar koukiou-jitsu—fully weaponised complaining. If you enjoy heavy euros where the other players are not merely table decorations, you will find plenty to think about here, and even more reasons to complain creatively.

For my group, that was exactly what we wanted. Keyside has plenty of meat, high replayability, and just the right amount of friction to remain lively from game to game. A great game, and one of the very good ones I played this year—highly recommended.