Storm Raiders

I did not expect such a distinctly non-Garphill game from the designer who helped lift Garphill into the euro pantheon. Storm Raiders is a pick-up-and-deliver game, fairly approachable in length—barely reaching an hour and a half—but it does not treat my decisions casually at all.

At its core, I have to organise routes and optimise my movement: pick things up, deliver them, and get the best possible value out of every journey. That is where the brain-burn I enjoy lies, because choosing the right route does not feel like a chore, but like a meaningful puzzle.

The storm continually circling the board disrupts everyone’s plans. It can ruin what I had mapped out, but it is not merely an obstacle: it also creates new opportunities for the next round. Interaction therefore comes mainly through the shared environment and the changes it forces upon our routes.

The only warning bell is AP. There is plenty here to invite overthinking, and a group that does not know when to stop calculating can drag the experience down. If that is kept under control and the table does not tip, though, Storm Raiders is a clever, tight game that delivers a great deal of enjoyment.