War Chest

War Chest arrived from nowhere and delivered exactly what I want from a tense filler: clean conflict, sharp decisions, and the sense that every move on the board leaves a mark. It is an abstract war game that feels like draughts crossed with Manuever, without burying you under rules before the battle has even begun.

At heart, it is an area-control game in which players fight for position and presence on the board. It is very easy to learn, but reading the available possibilities correctly and forming the right plan is another matter.

The interaction is immediate and martial: you do not quietly build your own little kingdom; you step into the other player's space and make them answer. In two-versus-two, the partnership brings discussion and coordination, but the clarity of the duel ultimately suits the game better.

As a two-player game, War Chest is an excellent, unreserved recommendation for any collection: quick, entertaining, and considerably deeper than it first appears.

Updated session

The later play did not alter the view that this is a terrific game; it only overturned the first judgement on two-versus-two. The four-player version proved slightly weaker and slightly less engaging than the two-player game, where the contest is more direct and the tension is not divided.