War Chest

War Chest was the outsider hit of the year for me. An abstract, area-control war game that came out of nowhere and simply gets so many things right: it is immediate, entertaining, and has that rare quality that makes you want to play one more game straight away.

At its core, it is an area-control game with an abstract martial feel. It struck me as a successful marriage of checkers and Maneuver: its logic is clear enough to grasp effortlessly, yet its decisions have depth.

Its flow is incredibly easy to teach and very difficult to truly master. You play, try to control the space, and manage your options well against your opponent—or, in team play, against the other side. It works wonderfully as a filler precisely because it does not bury you in rules, while still challenging you to play better.

The result is a fantastic game, and I recommend it without reservation for every collection. It is one of those games that proves the obvious in the best possible way: you do not need complicated chaos to have a great time; you need clean ideas and meaningful decisions.

Updated session

My initial impression of the game's quality has not changed: War Chest remains excellent. I did change my mind about player count, though. At first, I thought 2 vs 2 played just as well as—perhaps even better than—the classic two-player game. In the end, I think the four-player version is a little worse and a little more boring, so I clearly prefer the two-player experience.