A shorter list of games this month due to home renovations, but at least each game got the attention it deserved! Here’s what hit my table in November.
Unconscious Mind
The first game I played this month is Unconscious Mind by Fantasia. It’s huge, lengthy, and crunchy – everything I like in a game. The theme of Unconscious Mind is pretty cool, and I feel like this game has so much more to explore. I wanted to write a review, but decided to hold off until I’ve played more because there’s so much going on that it deserves extra attention. I’ll definitely be playing more since it has worker placement, a really good solo bot, and lots of fun ways to reach your end goals. This is exactly the kind of game I like. [1-4 players, 90-120 minutes]
Solo games of the month
Dieson Crusoe
I’ve written about this before I think – it’s a great little game that works like Robinson Crusoe but really small and short. You’re still discovering the island, building stuff, trying to survive. It’s pretty tough. I really like these VHS cases for the games. The cloth maps are a smart choice so everything fits in the VHS case. I actually took it to a work conference because it’s the kind of game you can put in a bag and play in your hotel room and really feel like you’re playing a full game. [1 player, 30-45 minutes]
Rome: Fate of an Empire
This comes in the same VHS case format, but if you could feel them, this one’s way heavier because it’s full of cards. People compare it to Mage Knight because of the mechanics and all the things you can do. The most important thing about this game is how easy it is to get into and how hard it can become. At first you’re like “oh I can build a little settlement here” or “I can go here and do this.” But as you go along you notice – oh, I really need a strategy. I need to think about what I’m gathering, what resources I have, what cards to use. It’s a really deep game and for something that comes in a VHS case that you can take anywhere, it’s great. I highly recommend this as a solo game if you like building, deck building, and resource management. [1 player, 45-60 minutes]
Social deduction games
Lovestruck
Rabble sent me this and we played it at board game club. We had a ton of fun. You obviously can’t compare this to Unconscious Mind – they’re totally different games. This is a simple social deduction game about finding love (or becoming famous) on reality TV. But if you role play and really get into it with a group, it’s going to be a ton of fun. You get social deduction without werewolves or murder or krakens. It’s fun, light, silly and still gives you that social deduction that works great in bigger groups. If you want to play social deduction but with reality TV dating and figuring out who’s there for the right reasons, this is so much fun. [5-10 players, 20-30 minutes]
Feed the Kraken
We played this at board game club too. It’s another deduction game where you figure out who are the pirates, cultists and sailors. Every faction has its own goals – pirates and sailors want to reach their respective coves while cultists want to be fed to the kraken. The game board and kraken movement mechanics force players to make choices you can discuss with the group. I really like that newer players don’t have to role play or get into character – the game naturally creates discussion and finger-pointing through its mechanics. [5-11 players, 30-45 minutes]
Blood on the Clocktower
Multiple people at our club own this so we get to play often. I like to join when we do because it’s really good. Last Friday I was the Scarlet Woman and then became the Imp (the demon) after the previous demon killed themselves because people kept suspecting them. Near the end we were only three people left and I thought I’d win. Then I killed someone who had the power to see what character killed them. They saw I was the demon and tried to convince the group – who almost didn’t believe it! At the last minute they voted me out anyway so I lost. That’s the kind of tension and fun you get with Blood on the Clocktower if you have a good DM, which we have multiple of. I’m growing to love this game more and more as our group gets deeper into it. [5-20 players, 30-120 minutes]
Inventors of the South Tigris
This is a Garphill Games title and another one in the South Tigris series – the last one in the trilogy. I played this a bunch for review purposes. If you follow me you’ve already seen my review. I really like this game, especially all the dice mechanics they included. I like the worker placements and how everything comes together in big chains. You only get one action each turn but you can still create so many combos and interesting things. It really works. [1-4 players, 45-75 minutes]
Conclusion
It’s not an extensive list of games this month, but with bigger games like these, they deserve attention and multiple plays in different situations before you can really judge them. Between the remodel (no kitchen for a while, no floor) and everything else, life happens. I’m happy with what I played – they all gave me lots of joy. It’s not about the numbers.
I know I should probably point out some flaws to help you decide, but I genuinely like all these games. Each one succeeds at what it’s trying to do.
I’ve been using Gamers.Online lately to find more local players – their location-based search has been great for setting up game nights for these bigger games, especially the social deduction ones that need more players.
What did you play this month? I’m curious what others got to the table.
