Excuse the technology hiccups. But last night, I got another game off of my shelf for the first time. Isle of Cats Explore & Draw. The roll and write version of the Isle of Cats big box game. Where it keeps much of it the same but makes the game faster to play, but does it lose too much in the way of strategy? Join me at the table and find out.

The Game – The Isle of Cats Explore & Draw

Like I said at the top, the Explore & Draw is very similar to the base game. You are still trying to rescue all of the cats and get them aboard your ship and lounging in ways to create groups of colors. Plus there are lesson or objective cards that offer other ways to score points here as well.

In regular Isle of Cats the game is split into two parts. There is the drafting of cards and keeping them so that you can use them to gather cats or play lesson cards. And then there is the gathering of cats phase where you put them onto your ship. The explore and draw keeps all of that but condenses it. You create 4 columns of 3 cards each. And those might be cat cards, the first column is all cat cards, or the 4th column has two lesson cards.

Everyone at the same time is picking a column to use to fill in on your boat. In solo you don’t really get to see what, but I didn’t quite play it right. In terms of the solo game play. If it were multiplayer things would change up pretty quickly between players. But it won’t slow down because of everyone going at once.

Initial Impressions

I like the game, I think that it is a nice fast roll and write game to play. I think I could teach it and play it with people in about 45 minutes for the first time. Then after that it’d go even faster. The game has some decision space but not too much. And certain things that it does, making you connect everything for example, means that you are limited in where you can build.

I want to play it and The Isle of Cats more just to see which one I like better. I do think that they hit different spots in my collection, though. When I want the feel of Isle of Cats but faster, Explore and Draw is going to be the way to go. But regular Isle of Cats offers more variety and more depth of strategy.

Upcoming Streams

Wednesday I am continuing with Game 5 of Stars of Akarios. This, I believe, is going to be the last session in the prologue. What adventure awaits us back in space. We’ve braved a planet, done space exploration and now will we be able to get away, regroup and figure out what is going on?

And then on Monday, not sure what I’m going to be streaming. Possibly Long Shot: The Dice Game. Or if I have time to learn Welcome to Dino World or Dinosaur Island Rawr ‘n Write those could be on the list as well. Or looking I have a few other solo games to learn and play, Set a Watch, Ratcatcher, and Coffee Roaster all stand out to me. What sounds best to you?

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