We know by this point in time that I’m a big fan of roll and write games. Imperial Settlers Roll and Write is built off of the engine building game Imperial Settlers by Portal Games. I haven’t played that game, but I got a chance to pick up Imperial Settlers Roll and Write for cheap so I figured that I’d try it. I got it, HexRoller and Copenhagen Roll and Write, and this one for $5 each. But Is Imperial Settlers Roll and Write a good game?

How to Play Imperial Settlers Roll and Write

This game is a bit of an engine building roll and write. You roll dice that give you resources and then an action die that determines how many actions you can take. The main goal of the game is to get victory points by going down four different paths. At the same time you need to build buildings to improve your engine. After ten rounds, the player with the most points wins.

What Doesn’t Work?

The big thing for me is the decision making space in this game. You start down a path and you just see how far you can get down them. While you do build up a little engine and unlock other things, the engine is so small that it’s practically built for you. If you knock out those few engines in the first two rounds or so, now you just push down the tracks.

Plus, rolling for actions is dumb. It’s limited, and there is a power that you can use as well which might help with that. But I roll a die and get three every time, I’m going to score lower when playing solo. If I roll a five every time, I’m going to score much higher. It feels like randomness added for the sake of rolling more dice. And once in a while you don’t use all your actions, but most of the time you can.

What Works?

I like the three abilities that you pick one of to use each round. Like I talked about, Imperial Settlers Roll and Write is a very basic roll and write game. And you do the basic things that you can do. But the choice of which extra ability you use is a decision to make. There is going to be a better one option, but can you figure it out. And I think it’s the most interesting part of figuring out your engine for that round.

Who Is This For?

I think anyone who wants to play a roll and write game and really loves them? Honestly, for me this is not a great game. I think that it’d be decent for someone who wants to try a roll and write with a theme. But they only have played roll and write games like Yahtzee and Qwixx. Something very simple and they just want to try a game that is a little bit more or a game that has what looks like theme.

Final Thoughts – Imperial Settlers Roll and Write

This is not a good roll and write game. The best part of the game might actually be that the dice are wooden. But that also means that they weigh nothing which doesn’t feel right. Overall, the decision space in this game is tiny. It’s can you pick the right bonus for that round and do you roll to get a lot of actions are not? Beyond that the game basically plays itself. And the buildings that give you bonuses, the bonuses are not that intriguing.

I don’t think that people who like roll and writes and play a lot will like this game. Thinking about the game, I am not sure there is a good game in it or how to make it better. More powers, more bonuses, maybe, but it’d end up being a very different roll and write. Would I play it again, sure, if someone pulled it out. But my copy, I’m going to trade it away, maybe someone else will like it better than me.

My Grade: D
Gamer Grade: D
Casual Grade: C-

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