Tiletum

We gave Tascini’s carbonara another chance, but the recipe came out heavy again. I would not call it garbage—let’s not go that far—but personally, I consider it by far the weakest of the games released over the last five years. It is a game that simply gave me no tension or energy; as if all the ingredients are in place, but it forgot why they went into the pot.

Before the game even begins, it asks for that mandatory study of the map that pulls me out of the mood. Rather than discovering the game through play, I feel I first have to read my workspace and map out possible moves. For some people, that is part of the pleasure; for me, it is a warm-up that lasts longer than it deserves to.

As the game goes on, turns do not take the same amount of time for everyone, which brings a little more downtime than I would like. There are also balance issues that did not sit well with me, while the randomness of the dice does not always help the experience. In games such as Tekhenu, dice can add character and flavor; here, under certain conditions, the same idea ends up putting you off rather than forcing you to adapt creatively.

I could play it again, but I would not rank it highly when the discussion turns to what to play next. And the most worrying part is that I may even be the most positive person in the group about it. Tiletum is not a disaster; it is simply a dish that is too greasy for me to want a second serving.