The Silver River

I brought it out as the familiar, relatively relaxed first choice before the main course, which looked quite capable of provoking reactions. This game was very different from the one we had played years ago, yet my opinion remained more or less the same: The Silver River is very honest about what it wants to be.

At its core, it is a generous euro, with the game developing over rounds and the early decisions mattering for how the rest of it opens up. It is not one of those games you exhaust with a quick, smug sequence of actions; it spreads itself across the table and wants players to pay attention to what is happening around them.

And that is where its main point lies: it can take some punches. If the slaps start flying from the first or second round, the interaction brings it noticeably to life and the game gains much better tension. Conversely, when everyone is stroking each other and playing peacefully, it remains a big euro that runs a little longer than I would like. Do not turn it into a session of mutual politeness; put some pressure on one another.

It is a shame it was never reprinted, because I would have liked to find both mini expansions: from what I know, they add the necessary freshness and replayability. As it stands, I still consider it an honest game — but to show its best version, it needs players willing not to behave too civilly.