How To Play Yaxha

Yaxha is a pyramid building game. You are going to make a selection of cubes that you want to add to your pyramid. Then you stack those cubes onto your game board. A lot of the game is going to be about how you choose the cubes and how the cubes score for you.

Getting Cubes

In BGA you select the card that has the cubes you want on it. Every player does that at the same time. In person you use a card to indicate which of the groups of cubes you want. Again, everyone does that at the same time. If you match with no one, you get those cubes to add. If you and someone else match, you then see who has the lowest tie breaker card. That person gets that one and the other person gets the leftover one. Finally you swap your tie breaker card so you won’t win a tie with that person the next time.

Placing Cubes

Then the other big part of the game is placing out your cubes. You need to place them on the lowest level or a a spot on a higher level that is completely filled in. You place starting at a 4 by 4 grid, then 3 by 3 and up to a single cube on top.

On the first level you place cubes however you want. That is going to change based off of how you score in the game. But we’ll talk about scoring next. After the first level, you must place a cube adjacent to a cube of the same color. That might be adjacent below, but if you can’t, you discard a cube.’

Scoring

Once your pyramids are built, you score them. There are two different scoring areas. The first way to score is special bonus scoring cards. These give you objectives as to how to place out your cubes. It might be something like all five colors visible on the bottom layer and you get five points. But they vary in what they are.

The other, bigger, scoring way is that you look at your different colors visible on your pyramid. You find your biggest group of visible cubes for each color and you score them. The larger the group, the more points you are going to score. But keep in mind, cubes in the middle of your pyramid on levels one and two, the 4 by 4 and 3 by 3, don’t count for scoring. The player with the most points is crowned the winner.

What Doesn’t Work

This is a really simple game. I think for a lot of people it is going to feel a bit to simple. Even the gamer-y type elements like the bonus scoring, that is pretty simple in what it is doing. Though, I might play with a kid without them, everyone else is going to understand them really quickly, even if they aren’t gamers. This is going to mean that it won’t work for a lot of people who want a bit more meat on a game. But I plan on talking about it as a positive as well for the game.

What Works

The game is simple to play and get to the table. In fact, it’s simple to teach as well, and that is going to make a good game for a lot of situations. I like a game that has fun elements to it, like stacking up your pyramid while still giving you a few fun choices to make. And Yaxha does that by knowing what it wants to be as a game without adding in too much to it.

I think Yaxha also makes a smart choice with how you get your cubes. That element of deciding do I go for a group I really want but someone else might really want or try for my second best option is good. It’s a simple decision but one that adds a little bit to the game. You might wonder how. I sometimes decide to go for one my opponent will get just so I can get a lower number. Yes, I might miss out on my second best option, but I control my choice for the future.

The game is also good with the scoring and the placement rules. They are simple, and I want that in a game like this. If it were to be much more, it would feel overly complicated for how simple the game is. But I still need to make a choice every now and again about how I place things. And knowing when to start the second layer and how to hopefully not lose out on playing cubes is good in the game. It isn’t a standout element, but one that works.

Who Is Yaxha For?

Yaxha is a great game for the holidays. I talk about holiday games fairly often where on Nerdologists.com. But what is a holiday game? It’s one that is easy to teach and play with basically anyone. It is great for those times when you don’t want to play a party game. So you play something like Yaxha because everyone is able to learn it. Now it is limited to four players, but for that smaller holiday gathering, it is one that works well.

It isn’t going to be for the people who want to play a really heavy or involved game. But those are for when you want to game. Yaxha is for when you want something to do but also want some time to chat around the table.

Final Thoughts and Grade on Yaxha

I think that Yaxha is a fun game. Is it a game that I want to own, maybe. Is it a game that I’ll play all the time, that is unlikely. But it really does have a nice niche for a game. And it is a game with a small footprint. I talk about it as a game where you play it at the holidays with that smaller group and chat. IT is also one you could take to a brewery or coffee shop and play as well as you have a chat. And that is the type of game I like to own a few of so I don’t get board with the ones that I own.

That said, it is simple. And I know that it is not going to be a game for a bunch of people because of that simplicity. But I think without the scoring objective cards it is one that I’d enjoy and my kid could play. So know what you are getting into with Yaxha. And I say try it on BGA if you can because it’s that good sort of game that is just fun to play around with. But it might just be that, try it a couple of times and move on.

Grades

My Grade: B-
Gamer Grade: D+
Casual Grade: B+
Strategy (out of 10): 4
Luck (out of 10): 4
Plan or Adapt: Adapt

I’ve added in something else to maybe help clarify my thoughts a bit more. This is the plan or adapt. I’ll put this disclaimer down to clarify. But is the game, Yaxha, one that you plan from the start and come up with a whole strategy, no. This is a game that you adapt to what is happening and the cubes you get.

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And if you want to know the criteria that I’m using, or the conversation starting point, you can read that article here.

Set Collection Games I Own

As normal, two lists one for set collection games that I own and have played another for set collection games that I own and haven’t played. Because that latter group is likely going to be kept completely.

Set Collection Games I Own and Have Played

• Ticket to Ride
• Ra
• Five Tribes: The Djinns of Naqala
• Sagrada
• Terraforming Mars: Ares Expedition
• Flamecraft
• The Isle of Cats
• The Lord of the Rings
• Sushi Go Party
• Forest Shuffle
• Roll Player
• The Lord of the Rings: Duel for Middle-Earth
• Arboretum
• The Castles of Burgundy
• Calico
• No Thanks!
• Biblios
• Meadow
• Faraway
• Nidavellir
• Imhotep
• Canvas
• Century: Golem Edition
• Potion Explosion
• Yahtzee
• Aquatica
• Point Salad
• Creature Comforts
• Daftosaurus
• Let’s Go! To Japan
• Jump Drive
• Castle Combo
• Parade
• River of Gold
• Rock Hard: 1977
• Paper Dungeons: A Dungeon Scrawler Game
• Circus Flocati
• Archeos Society
• Ohanami
• River Valley Glassworks
• Comic Hunters
• SpellBook
• Floriferous
• Astra
• Ecosystem
• Call to Adventure: The Stormlight Archive
• Marrying Mr Darcy
• Stonespine Architects
• Quiddler
• Pixies
• The Isle of Cats Explore and Draw
• Via Magica
• Tesseract
• Charcuterie
• Butterfly
• Metrorunner
• Gasha
• Trinket Trove
• GAP
• Ramen! Ramen!
• Birds of a Feather: Western North America
• ICECOOL Wizards
• Chop! Chop!
• Featherlight

Set Collection Games I Own and Have Yet to Play

• Ark Nova
• Everdell
• Star Realms
• Tokaido
• Endless Winter: Paleoamericans
• Targi
• Clank Legacy
• Abyss
• Mosaic: A Story of Civilization
• The Vale of Eternity
• Distilled
• Wonderous Creatures
• Cockroach Poker
• Fireball Island: The Curse of Vul-Kar
• Tidal Blades: Heroes of the Reef
• Monumental
• Fantastic Factories
• Deep Regrets
• Eleven: Football Manager
• Trio
• QE
• Cities
• Blue Prints
• Silver 7 Gold
• Oak
• Spirits of the Forest
• Skulls of Sedlec
• Books of Time
• Isle of Trains: All Aboard
• Maple Valley
• Four Gardens
• Marvel: Remix
• Pokemon Splendor
• Santa’s Workshop
• Cascadia: Rolling Hills
• Fika
• Goblin Vaults
• Jurassic Parts
• Longboard
• Senshi
• Boomerang
• Paper Safari
• Zoo-Ography
• Isle of Night
• Properitea
• Sunrise at the Studio

What Set Collection Games Are Leaving

Firstly, the list is massive. I will not mention them all. In particular with the stuff that I have yet to play. I likely should get rid of some of those, but there are ton in there. And I should mention too, I removed some from the list because they aren’t really set collection or because I talked about them before.

Now that we know that the ones I haven’t played are staying, let’s see if there are any that are easy to say they are leaving. I suspect it is going to be tricky because so often set collection is a secondary mechanism in the game. You might score your points off of that, but it’s how you get the sets that is the interesting element of the game.

To highlight this element, we have Sushi Go Party! and Ecosytems. Both are drafting set collection games. But Ecosystems uses a tableau building element for it as well. So they both stay as they do different things.

Easy Leave

The first one leaving is ICECOOL Wizards. This is a fun game, but it’s just less fun than regular ICECOOl. So that one is easy to get rid of because I’d rather play regular ICECOOL.

Another one is going to be Circus Flohcati. The issue with some of these games leaving is more that while they are fun, I’m just less apt to play them. I like Circus Flohcati, it’s just not likely to get played.

Another one is Charcuterie. Again another game that is fairly fun, but it’s almost more hassle to teach the rules than it is to play the game. And the game is extremely light when you get down to it. So the scoring and rules don’t feel like they match up with the game.

Archeos Society is on the pile to leave as well. It is a game that I’ve played at two and I thought it was fairly boring at two. The whole question is when do you collect your set and give the other player access to more cards. And then which tracks do you go up on. But neither of those things are all that interesting as you play it.

Finally, Astra is leaving. It is one that I’ve played on BGA a few times now and it is always just okay. I think the concept is cool, you fill in stars, but the actual execution of the game is meh. It doesn’t feel like fun actions when you take them.

Easy Staying

A number fall into the category of easily staying. You can look at my Top 100 Games this year and last year to see some of the games that I love. But maybe some less obvious ones, Draftosaurus is just a fun game that I enjoy. And there are a lot more, Ohanami, Let’s Go! To Japan, Arobetum and a ton more that I don’t want to list them all. Though I know I should.

What About The Rest?

But let’s instead talk about some that are at the edge of this list. Mainly I want to talk about any set collection games that are similar in their other mechanisms. That is the area where I think I can find games to get rid of potentially. Because while I might enjoy them if they do the same thing, is there one that I want to play more than the others.

And honestly, that is something that I’m finding hard to keep track of right now. Mainly because there are so many differences in how the games play. The one that is probably the biggest maybe for me right now is SpellBook. And the reason that it is a maybe is that while there are a bunch of different sets of cards that you play with, the plays actually seem to be pretty similar as you go. I wish it felt like a more interesting variety in what you were doing. So I think it’s going to leave.

Two others are Biblios and Faraway. Faraway is because I don’t know when I’ll play it in person. I say that, but I like it two player, so I think that I can get it to the table. For Biblios it is more about I haven’t played it in a long time. I like the game quite well, but is that enough to keep it around. Mainly, is it a game I am apt to play again. So while Faraway is going to say, Biblios is going to leave.

Final Thoughts

With how long that list of games is, I was hoping it’d be fewer games to keep. But there is such variety. Some mechanisms are more similar in their games. And while set collection is just set collection, how you do it is very different a lot of the time. And for that reason it is easier to justify keeping a lot of them. How you collect a set is not all equal.

What is your favorite set collection game?

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Catch Up on the Top 100 Games

100 through 91
90 through 81
80 through 71

Top 100 Games (of all time) 2025 Edition 70 through 61

70. Meadow

Published By: Rebel Studio
Designer: Klemens Kalicki

Buy Meadow Here

This game is a beautiful nature game. It’s all about creating a meadow and stacking cards on top of each other really. Each card you select is going to have requirements as to how to place it. To go along with that, the selection process is great. I like how you place a token on a row or column and that token determines which thing you take. So you need to plan that out and sometimes make due with the limited placement access you have.

69. Mountain Goats

Published By: Allplay
Designer: Stefan Risthaus

Buy Mountain Goats Here

Mountain Goats is a little, simple, climbing game. All you do is roll your dice and decide how to split them up. Then you move your mountain goat up the tracks that are those numbers. If you reach the top or are at the top, you gain those points. If someone else is at the top when you get there, you knock them down to the bottom again. The game is so simple, but it works really well

68. burncycle

Published By: Chip Theory Games
Designers: Josh J Carlson, Shannon Wedge

Buy burncycle Here

Now we move to burncycle which is a much bigger game. In this game you complete one off missions as robots. I like the theme of the game, robots took over and now big corporations and people have taken it back and are out after the robots. You need to sneak around to complete missions both in buildings and on the network. And the burndown of the cycle is a great tool for the game as well. Just a lot of really fun elements into a big game.

67. The Lost Expedition

Published By: Osprey Games
Designer: Peer Sylvester

Buy The Lost Expedition Here.

The Lost Expedition is back on the list. This game is a great cooperative game. And I always like to mention, it is a good one for not having too much alpha gaming. The players all make their card choices with no input. And it changes up from morning trek to evening trek, I like that about the game as well. The former is playing cards in numerical order, or they slot in that order, while the other you just play out cards. So it changes up the strategy and sometimes you just end up stuck.

66. ISS Vanguard

Published By: Awaken Realms
Designers: Andrzej Betkiewicz, Krysztof Piskorski, Marcin Swierkot

Buy ISS Vanguard Here.

Now to another big campaign game. This one is all about exploring space and figuring out the mystery of why a message brought humanity out here in the stars. The game is also interesting because it’s split into two parts, the planetary exploration part and then the ship management aspect. I like both parts and it makes for a fun campaign, one that I need to get back to, ideally in a group.

65. Mansions of Madness

Published By: Fantasy Flight Games
Designer: Nikki Valens

Buy Mansions of Madness Here.

Now another scenario based game, Mansions of Madness is a classic at this point. Do you want to go on some big Lovecraftian adventure, but as a one off? This game is going to give you that. I like how grand it is, I like how the app lets the scenarios be different each time (albeit just slightly), and I like how the scenarios you play are so different. This is a good beer and pretzels type of game when you want a big game for an evening.

64. Sonora

Published By: Pandasaurus Games
Designer: Rob Newton

Not Available Currently

I like my roll and write games. And Sonora is a great one for that and it has a fun twist with it. Yes, you get all the combos that you get from a lot of roll and write games. But you also get to flick discs. So instead of rolling dice you are flicking discs with numbers to see what areas you activate. It’s fun to knock someone off a spot that they really wanted. And then, like I said, you go heads down and get to combo as many things as you can.

63. Lands of Galzyr

Published By: Snowdale Design
Designers: Seppo Kuukasjarvi, Sami Laakso

Buy Lands of Galzyr

Lands of Galzyr is an interesting game because it’s really different than most games that I’ve played. This one is all about going on adventures and completing quests. But the stakes, while often cool and interesting, are never that high because what quest you go on, that’s determined by whatever shows up. I like as well how you can rotate your skills, so you might start out sneaking and then end up with great lore, it’s up to you and the quests you take.

62. Kohaku

Published By: 25th Century Games
Designer: Danny Devine

Not Available Currently

I like games where you can draft. And Kohaku gives you that as well as being a beautiful game to play. The copy as own has the acrylic tiles which give it a depth from the surface of the water to the bottom which looks amazing. But the game play is good as well. You pick out a koi and a scoring tile and they need to be adjacent to each other. Then when you play them out, you can never put a koi orthogonally adjacent to another koi and same with scoring tiles. So it’s a bit scoring tableau that you create.

61. Nidavellir

Published By: GRRRE Games
Deisgner: Serge Laget

Buy Nidavellir Here

Finally is Nidavellir. This is a game that I actually got rid of at one point. But then I decided to hop into a three player game on BGA. And I realized what I had not liked about the game before. Nidavellir is a great bidding and dwarf set collection game, but for me, only as a three or more player game. It’s fun to try and get your bids just right and still upgrade your coins. Plus you need to diversify what you collect so you can get the bonus powerful dwarves.

Join Next Week

Just as a reminder, I am streaming my Top 100 Games (of all time) 2025 Edition every Wednesday night at 9 PM Central Time. The next few videos have their links up, so you can click notify on them to know when I go live. Or you can subscribe to the channel and click notify to know whenever a new video comes out. Currently I am playing through Legendary Kingdoms on Monday and then my wife and I are playing Baldur’s Gate 3 on Fridays. So join us for those videos.

And thank you for checking out the video and articles. Let me know what your favorite game from this chunk of 10 is and which one you would love to get played.

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Top 100 Games (of all time) 100 through 91

100. Ecosystem

Published By: Genius Games
Designer: Matt Simpson

Buy Ecosystem here.

I like drafting games a lot and I think that is what keeps Ecosystem on the list. It is a good drafting game with then a good puzzle as you create your tableau of cards in front of you. There are three version of Ecosystem all of which are great though I’m only going to be keeping the one that I show in the picture. That is because that one is easier to teach and learn and play. But any of the versions are pretty easy to learn and all offer their own drafting and tableau building puzzle.

99. Aquatica

Published By: Arcane Wonders
Designer: Ivan Tuzovsky

Buy Aquatica here.

Can you develop the best underwater kingdom is the theme of Aquatica. But the game is really about one central mechanism for me and that is enough to get it onto the list. I wish that the characters were more fun and diverse, but I love the card sliding. When you slide a card up to gain more resources and combo it into a big turn, it just feels good. And the puzzle of optimizing that on each turn is amazing.

It’s worth nothing that I love the puzzle in person but I find it not that great on BGA (Board Game Arena). Mainly, I think on BGA you lose that tactile nature of sliding up cards and seeing how you can work everything together. It makes a tactile thing seem a lot more mechanical on BGA and more interesting when it is in person.

98. Perolga

Published By: Rebel Studio
Designers: Michal Golab Golebiowski and Przemek Woljtkowiak

Buy Pergola Here.

Do you want to make a pretty garden? Perogla is game off set collection and creating a beautiful garden to play in. I like the action or item selection process for the game. The trowels are a fun way to do it, but also the changing extra bonus, depending on where you pick from, really adds to the game as well. Because of that, I think the game offers a bunch of different ways to score points and feels different when I play it

97. Crokinole

There is no designer or publisher on Board Game Geek to post because this game is from 1876 or around then.

Pledge for Crokinole Board Here.

I love Crokinole as a flicking game where I can build up skill. There are other higher flicking and dexterity games on the list, but Crokinole has some things I love about it. In particular that skill level that you are more apt to develop. But it is also a great game for a whole evening, you just sit around, flick discs, have a drink and chat to create a fun activity and casual time. The game is all about scoring points by getting into that center hole, but then strategy as you try and knock your opponents discs off the board.

96. Fleet: The Dice Game

Published By: Eagle-Gryphon Games
Designers: Ben Pinchback and Matt Riddle

Buy Fleet: The Dice Game Here.

Do you want a big roll and write game with two sheets? Then Fleet: The Dice Game might be the roll and write game for you. I like this one because it offers a lot of combos and a lot of paths to scoring points and possible victory. You want to get fish because that is going to give you points, but you also want to get licenses that are going to give you powers. Or maybe you are all in on the market or all in on building the different shops at the wharf. Whatever it is, there is a path for you to try and combo in the game.

95. The Castles of Burgundy

Published By: alea and Awaken Realms
Designer: Stefan Feld

Buy The Castles of Burgundy Special Edition on Miniature Market.

Can you build up the best area of Burgundy to get the most points? That’s what this game is about, getting points in any and every way that you can. Whether it is by adding to flocks or filling an area or delivering goods, you are going to get points. And the dice management in the game is what really makes it work for me. I like figuring out how I can optimize my two dice for a great turn. Or maybe I can’t do that, and now I need to figure out how to pivot to something new.

94. Comic Hunters

Published By: Arcane Wonders
Designer: Diego Sa

Buy Comic Hunters from Amazon here.

Do you like comic books and do you want to have a massive comic collection? That is Comic Hunters in a nutshell as you draft comics to add to your collection. Then you need to determine which ones get added and which ones you spend from your hand putting back into the pool. Plus this game offers multiple different drafts. That sounds like a lot to teach and learn, but it isn’t bad because it’s possible to teach just one draft at a time. And the final bonus is great Marvel comic covers in this game.

93. Dungeon Kart

Published By: Brotherwise Games
Designer: Michael Xuereb

Buy Dungeon Kart here.

Do you want to play Mario Kart but you also want to play a board game? Dungeon Kart is going to let you do both of those things with Boss Monster characters, special powers and spells. This is not my favorite racing game, but it is one that gives me that Mario Kart feel. And the game itself is not too slow in how it plays which I really like.

92. Ace of Spaces

Published By: Devir Games
Designer: Benjamin Amorin

Note: This game is getting an art update after less than welcoming art was included in the game. A new version to buy will be coming.

This is Balatro the board game. Now that isn’t 100% right, but there is similarities between the two. In that you want to beat a boss in this game and you do that with poker hands. In fact you do that several times. And the different bosses you defeat will give you one off or permanent bonuses. There is a bunch of luck in the game, but it’s fast to play, fast to learn, and just a good time for a solo or two player game, in particular solo.

91. Railroad Ink Challenge

Published By: Horrible Guild
Designers: Hjalmar Hach, Lorenzo Silva

Buy Railroad Ink Challenge here.

This is a great roll and write game where you are creating rail and road routes. As you create the routes the more exit points you connect, the more points you get. And longest road and rail routes are going to give you points as well. I like both the Challenge and non-challenge version of the game. But the Challenge version gives you some challenges to go for as well which just adds in a little that I really love for the game.

Join Next Week

Next week I am going to be continuing the list. The plan is 9 PM Central time every Wednesday until the list is done and you can click notify on the YouTube channel (Malts and Meeples) to know when new videos are going live. I also have put up links to some of the upcoming videos already there, so you can click notify on those. What games are going to be in my Top 100 Games (of all time) 2025 edition next week as I do 90 through 81.

Thanks so much for checking out the article and the videos. I hope you have fun with them. I know I have a ton of fun making the list every year.

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How To Play Lost Cities

Lost Cities set collection game. You want to collect the best cards of numbers in five different colors and have the most points after doing that a set number of times. It is possible to play it just once, but most of the time I think that three is what people play.

The turn you take is simple. You play a card from you hand to one of two spots. And then you draw a card to your hand from one of a few spots. You keep on doing this until the deck of cards, one of the spots you draw from, is empty. Then you tally up the points.

Scoring and Playing Cards

The main element of the game to know about is the scoring. In Lost Cities you score points for any of the colors here you play cards at. However, there is a penalty for playing cards at a location. The first card you play down sets that locations value to -20. Though, if you play a number card that negative value is going to be less.

There are two types of card for each number. The first is multiplier cards. These double, triple, or more depending on how many you play, the value of the cards. But it also doubles or triples the value of the negative as well. Then there are number cards. These number cards go from two to ten. And as you play out cards, the multiplier cards need to be played first, and then cards in ascending order. For example, if you play out a four or blue, it is no longer possible for you to play a two of blue or a three of blue.

Discarding and Drawing

So I mentioned that there are multiple places to play to and discard to. Let’s use the example of having a blue two after already playing out a blue four. That card has no value for you. So on your turn you might discard that into the blue pile between the sets you and an opponent are collecting. On the other hand, if your opponent were to discard, for example, a green multiplier and you hadn’t started scoring on green yet, you can draw from there. So you either play to the collection on your side, or the middle for that colors discard. And you either draw from one of those color discard piles or the main deck.

What Doesn’t Work

It’s an abstract game where it is possible to just be dealt a hand that is not great to start out with. It might either be so spread out across all the colors you don’t know what to go for, or it might be so high in numbers that your scoring potential is lower as you don’t want to toss those cards. It isn’t that it doesn’t work, it is just that sometimes you might feel like your starting hand is kind of dead, or you might think, with multiple multiplier cards going into a color is smart idea and then never draw that color.

What Works

Now, that negative I just spoke about, that is also a positive for the game. Lost Cities is all about figuring out when to get into a color so that you don’t end up with negative points. And yes, it is very possible to end up with negative points on a round. Lost Cities reminds me of Hanamikoji in that both of them you work off of imperfect knowledge. And you need to make the best decisions that you can.

Game Speed

I like the speed that the game plays at as well. Now, I say that, I play asynchronously on BGA, so some games do take longer than others. But when the players are on at the same time the turns are simple enough, play and draw, that it moves quickly. So the game speed is good, but to tie it to above, it doesn’t just play itself which means sometimes you end up with a turn that takes a bit longer when you aren’t in the middle of a series of plays.

It is also nice that Lost Cities is played over three rounds. Again, this ties into that negative and why it isn’t much of a negative. When you play Lost Cities over three rounds you get a chance to come back. That allows you to play with a bit more risk sometimes and less other times. But there is almost always the chance to recover.

Meanness and Tightness

Finally, as a two player game this is very back and forth. I know, generally, what you want to get. So that might mean that I hold cards in my hand to try and keep you from scoring as well. There isn’t take that, but I might ruin your plans for a round. But that is also true for what you are doing to me as well. So while the game has elements of being mean, it works, as that sort of thing does better at two players.

But with that comes a fun part of the strategy or something you’ll stumble across. As I play out cards and you collect what I might want, you find that you all of a sudden can get a positive score in that color. So it is possible to pivot in the game like that. But with the deck running out as the timing mechanism you can’t overextend yourself because you might not have enough turns to play everything you need. That challenge and balance works very well.

Who Is Lost Cities For?

Obviously this game is for two people. But I think that this is the sort of game that works well for couples even if both of them maybe don’t love board games. The game is easy enough to learn, there is strategy so it isn’t too light, but it’s simple to play. So it’s a good game for couples and you can play a round in a short time, so it is that evening game as well for when you want to do something and not watch TV.

My Grade and Final Thoughts on Lost Cities

Lost Cities definitely impressed me more than I thought it would. I want to compare it to Hanamikoji because there is that element that I don’t know what is in your hand and you don’t know what is in my hand. It is only based off of what we play that we gather information about the other players hand. And that is true for both of the games, plus the row in the middle, but that is not actually similar in how it is used.

I think that Lost Cities is a game where it is possible to really do poorly at, though. But it is a game that is simple enough to learn. I feel like since I enjoyed the premise at the start it was fine even with my first game going poorly. If I hadn’t, I’m not sure I would have loved it as a concept for a game. Mainly because it is possible to get stomped. So if the puzzle doesn’t draw you in, Lost Cities is unlikely to work. Because the theme is not going to draw you in.

My Grade: B
Gamer Grade: B
Casual Grade: B
Strategy (out of 10): 7
Luck (out of 10): 3

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Though, I think a lot of gamers like to collect types of games that they like. I might say sometimes for the intellectual property or theme. But other times because they just love that type of game. So they play that type of game a lot and they want to own them. That is a valid reason to own them. But it’s not going to be one I talk about coming up here.

What Do I Mean Same Type of Board Game?

First off, let’s define what I mean by that. I mean two different things, and possibly both can be true about a game. The most common is a game with a similar mechanism to it. So that might be that it is a drafting game, deck building game or trick taking game to name a few examples. The other might be that it fits an overall theme of game in some way. By that I mean an adventure game or a filler game. These give you a feel of doing something in particular or a niche in particular of gaming.

Reasons To Own the Same Type of Board Game

Variation

Variation is the first thing that I want to talk about. This means that while a central mechanism might be similar or the theme or feel of the game might be similar they do something differently. So when you decide to pull a game off the shelf you are making a choice between the differences in those games.

Example 1: Stars of Akarios and ISS Vanguard

Both of the above are big space adventure games. But Stars of Akarios is going to give you some exploration but a lot of it is going to be tactical space combat. On the flip side, ISS Vanguard is going to be a lot of planetary exploration and ship management. So while you might get that big grand adventure feel, they vary how you do that.

Example 2: Fox in the Forest and Fox in the Forest Duet

Now we are narrowing down here. Both of these games are two player trick taking games. The difference is one is competitive and one is cooperative. And that is variation on what you are playing.

Variety

The next thing is similar but do you want variety in what you are playing. Meaning if you place a certain style of game a lot do you want variety in what you are playing and when you play it. I find if I play a certain game a lot to fill a particular niche in my gaming, it’ll often get left be the wayside and sold. But if I rotate the games, a game is more apt to stick in my collection.

Example 1: Filler Games

I think that filler games are a great example for this. I own probably 20-30 filler games that are just small box fillers. Why, because they travel very easily with me. And because they travel so easily that means that I can take different games to play with my family. And the same with game night, it makes it easy to pull out of a different one. But, for example, we played Tsuro a ton. And because we played it a ton my wife and I got board of that as a filler game. Tsuro didn’t become a bad game, we just got burned out and tired of it.

Example 2: Trick Taking Games

Much like filler games, I think it would be easy to play a trick taking game over and over again until you burn out on it. Because these games are shorter to play, generally, you might play a couple of games in a sitting. But if you play the same game over and over and over again it starts to become stale. The example of this for me would be Hearts or Euchre on the computer. They are fun, but I played them so much that I am somewhat burned out on them, or at least I was.

Player Count

This one I think is more obvious than some other ones. But I do want to clarify a few things about it. A lot of games I might say player count matters on. But it is possible for a board game to say that the player count is 1-5 and another one of the same style of game and mechanisms to say 1-5 as well and to still be worthwhile having in your collection. What I mean is, what is a game best at for player count. Sometimes a game might say that it plays great at 5 but that takes a 45-60 minute three player game to two hours.

Example: Nidavellir

Now, this is just a single game but it serves my example well. I dislike Nidavellir as a two player. Or it is probably more honest to say I find that it is more fragile as a two player game. But as a three or four player game I love it. So while it has bidding, open drafting, and set collection, I will not play it at two. So I want other games two fill in that player count.

Complexity

Another question is how complex a game is. Because sometimes a game might give you a similar feeling or use a similar mechanism but might be complex at different levels. And for that reason it might create a lot more difficulty to get a game to the table and for that reason you might play it with a certain group or situation versus another game.

Example: Aeon’s End versus Astro Knights

Both of these are cooperative deck building boss battler games. There are some differences to them, but I think that one is easier to table than another. In particular, Astro Knights is a simpler game to teach and play, in my opinion. Some of that is because there is less work to get it to the table. The deck that you set-up to buy from in the game is much faster and simpler to do. I also think that it is a bit more streamlined with understanding the heroes.

Game Length

The final one I have for the list is game length. Now I mention game length with player count. And that can be a factor with that as well. But sometimes it matters less with player count and more with how long you want to mess around with that mechanism or how much time you have to play a game. If I want to play a trick taking game and I have ten minutes versus forty minutes that is going to change the game that I play.

Example: Hero Realms vs Clank! In! Space!

Which do I pick when I want a short deck building game? Clank! In! Space! even at two players can take a while. Especially if the players are playing safe and trying to get the best treasure and not rush the end of the game. On the flip side, Hero Realms is a fast two player head to head battler of a game. And it escalates quickly in the deck building. So while a game can draw out a little bit because of healing, it is shorter and faster to play.

What Deck Building Games Do I Need?

So let’s run down my game collection here. In particular, I want to talk about deck building games because that is a style of game that I love. But do I need all of them that I own? First off, let’s create a little list of the deck building games I own. I likely will miss some, but here is that list.

• Clank! Adventure Deck Building Game + Expansions
• Clank! In! Space! + Expansions
• Clank! Catacombs + Expansions
• Clank! Legacy 1 & 2
• Ascension + Expansions
• Xenoshyft: Onslaught
• Xenoshyft: Dreadmire
• Hero Realms
• Aeons End + Expansions
• Aeons End Legacy 1 & 2
• Lost Ruins of Arnak
• Mistborn
• Harry Potter Hogwarts Battle
• Anng’s Destiny
• Nightfall
• Thunderstone Quest
• Tanto Cuoro
• Star Wars: The Deck Building Game
• Astro Knights

So let’s start out, a few that are safe on the list because I just need to play them. So when I run through everything games like Clank! Legacy, Aeon’s End Legacy 2, Anng’s Destiny, Nightfall, Thunderstone Quest, Tanto Cuoro and Star Wars: The Deck Building Game are all safe.

Variation

Variation is going to make a few more safe on the list. Firstly, Lost Ruins of Arnak is a great example of game that is safe. While there is a deck building element to the game it is more of a worker placement and resource management game, or at least as much of that as it is deck building.

Likewise, Mistborn does unique things with it’s powering up mechanisms and that is going to make it a bit more unique than some. And it has a solid solo and cooperative mode to it as well which makes it versatile. But it’s mainly the the metal burning system and leveling up that make it varied from other deck building games.

A question should be asked about Astro Knights and Aeon’s End. While there are some differences, mainly how the market works, the game mechanisms are pretty similar. But each of them has their own niche. I am apt to pull out Astro Knights when I want to introduce someone to deck building but Aeon’s End is less likely. And I think I’d play Astro Knights at a higher player count as well, though it does have the same issue as Aeon’s End.

Game Length and Player Count

I am lumping them together here because they often times are the same thing. So Hero Realms and the Star Wars: Deck Building Game are interesting because they are both two player. Do I need to two two player only deck building games. I say that, but I own to make Hero Realms a solo deck building game as well.

Then I also look at games like Clank! (all versions, Xenoshyft, and Aeon’s End, all games that are bigger deck building games that are going to take longer to play. So do I need them all. In particular I am looking at Clank! because I own so many different versions. Aeon’s End I do as well, but since I own them they can mix and match. Clank! Adventure Deck Building Game, Clank! In! Space! and Clank! Catacombs do not mix and match, so it is a question if I need them all.

Complexity

Now complexity is a spot where I look at it and I think, Ascension is likely safe, but not maybe all the expansions for it. Ascension is a good straightforward deck building game. If I want to just introduce the concept of deck building the base game works wonderfully. But some of the expansions add a bunch more to the game. And while they are stand alone so I don’t need to mix them in, or I can use just them, it does make it harder to get to the table sometimes.

Am I getting Rid of Any?

Honestly, I think I am. Just in this moment, I think I talked myself into getting rid of Clank! The Adventure Deck Building Game and Clank! In! Space!. Why, because while I really like both of them, I think I am just going to play Clank! Catacombs. And if that is the case, why am I going to keep all of them around?

As well as Hero Realms. That one or the Star Wars: Deck Building game is on the chopping block. Now, I know that I said I haven’t played the Star Wars game. This upcoming Tuesday I am likely to have a friend over for gaming. And since it is going to be two of us, that is going to be a chance to get the Star Wars: Deck Building Game played. If I like it, I think that Hero Realms is going.

Upcoming Series

I need to get rid of more games from my board game collection. So that means I need to prep more games for selling. So why not use this framework, clump games together, and see which ones maybe should leave the collection. It’ll kind of be like the culling videos that I did a few years ago, and I might actually turn it into that as well for the Malts and Meeples YouTube channel. So join me on this journey.

Is there any way that I should consider whether or not game overlap is needed or not?

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How To Play Trinket Trove

Like I said, Trinket Trove is a game of drafting and set collection. You score points for the sets that you collect throughout the game. But, that is not where most of the game is. In Trinket Trove, it is all about how you draft.

At the start of the game players are dealt hands of four cards. Then a number of cards equal to the number of players is dealt out. A second card is added to the first card, so there is one stack of two, at lower player counts or two at higher player counts. Then in turn order players bid with cards from their hand to see who picks first.

Bidding

When you bid, you select a number of cards from your hand. This could be 0 or it could be all of them. The number of cards you select is your bid. So if you put out two cards, your bid is two. Now, other players can still bid two, since bidding is for turn order. When you bid you the same number as someone else you look at the numbers on the cards. In the case of a tie, the player who bid first is higher in turn order.

Now, I said you can bid zero. When you bid zero you flip the top card of the deck. That is going to be your bid. But you flip your token over to zero so that everyone knows your bid is zero. So even if you flip a seven and it looks like you have one card, you will not go ahead of players who bid one card.

Drafting

Players in turn order then select two groups of cards. The rules for selecting those groups of cards is pretty simple. You can select any pile, from those flipped or those bid. However, you cannot select the cards that you bid with. If you are the last player in the round and the card you bid with has not been taken, then you can select it.

Rounds

The new turn order is then set for the next round of bidding with the player who bid the most last time going first this time. This is a disadvantage to selecting first the previous round. The game continues until you play either six rounds or five rounds, depending on player count.

The game is clever in that it has you deal out six cards, in a six round game, into a separate pile. The extra card on the first card flipped out comes from that pile. So you use it as a mechanism to count down the rounds.

What Doesn’t Work

I think that the game is going to feel different between player counts. And I suspect that I am going to like it best at higher player counts. Why? Because there is a massive stack of trinkets in the game. Now, it is possible that you could remove some at lower player counts, but that would be a lot of work sorting cards. So instead when you play with two or three, the cards you see is going to be limited. That makes some sets hard to collect, or riskier anyways.

What Works

I love the bidding in this game. I think it is really clever. The idea that your cards, which you are collecting for your set collection are also what you bid with works so well. It reminds me in some ways how Biblios often times has you make tough decisions like that, how do you want to use your cards, for points or not? And it’s a slick system that is easy to keep track of.

Draftable Bids

The fact that you bid is also one of the piles that can be taken is interesting. I always hope to remember what people are taking and then toss out a low bid with something they want. If they take it, that is hopefully going to mean that something I want is available. And then when you bid big because there is something you really want, say two cards or maybe even three, then you know someone else is going to grab that. So do you want to do that.

But, at the same time, a big bid early is interesting. And yes, I know I’m talking a lot about the same thing. It is interesting because if I bid big early, then you might bid two cards so you can get my three. That means, though that I might get two piles or two cards that I like better than what I bid. So there is good strategy in the game.

Game Speed/Set-up

This is a fast game. The slowest element is the bidding and even that is not that slow. I think that someone could spend their time trying to figure out an optimal combination and bid to start. But most of the time, you want to bid as little as possible and not bid anything that would hurt your sets. So I think it is good game in terms of speed of play.

And the set-up is really simple as well. You shuffle up the cards, set 6 or 10 aside, deal out four, and shuffle up player tiles to determine order for the first round. That is it. Now, it is mainly a card game, so I expect the set-up to be fast. But it delivers on that expectation.

Artwork

I want to call out the artwork as well for this game. I think it is great and Sandara Tang, whom I knew first from Flame Craft, is back with some great cute artwork. And I like that the artwork on the cards is always slightly different. But they were smart from a usability standpoint with that art. If a shell is green on one card it might be blue on another, but the shape of the shell never changes. I like that as it allows me to recognize cards very quickly.

Easy Enough to Learn

Finally, I want to talk about how the game is easy enough to learn. I say it is easy enough to learn because I think there is a learning curve when it comes to the bidding. And there is a learning curve when understanding the likelihood of cards coming out of the deck. So while there is a thinky element to the game, overall it is not a complex game to teach others how to play.

Who Is Trinket Trove For?

I think people who like drafting and set collection are going to like the twist of bidding on this game. Mainly because it’s not that blind bidding and it’s not increasing bidding. Plus, it is a good filler style of game. And now, I play a lot of filler style of games, but this one is a good filler game for gamers. There is strategy to the game, but when two groups are playing longer games and one wraps up, this is a good game to keep the brain working, but won’t take too long.

Final Thoughts and Grade on Trinket Trove

Trinket Trove is a great game for me. I like it at lower player counts. And that is where I have played it mainly. I think there is a benefit to playing it with the maximum of six players. Now, it does come with eight character markers, so I wonder if there is a way to play it with eight, or if they plan a mini pack of cards that can bring it up to eight as an expansion.

I want to talk more about the bidding and how great that is. But in this section, I want to talk about how I think that is the biggest hook to the game. That bidding element is where you can really push for what you need, or potentially mess it up. If I were to pick an element of the game that I like best, it is the bidding. The drafting is good, but it is open drafting. And the set collection is interesting because not everything gains you points at the same speed. But that is still set collection. So the bidding is what makes the game.

My Grade: A
Gamer Grade: B+
Casual Grade: B+
Strategy (out of 10): 6
Luck (out of 10): 6

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How to Play Jaipur

Jaipur is a set collection and set selling game where you collect goods and then sell them for points. In the game there are four different types of items. Three common items and three rarer items. They work the same, for the most part, with minor differences as to when you can sell them. But the rarer items are worth more to sell than the common items. And there are camels that you can get as well, which aren’t worth points until the end of the round. Then whomever has the most gets some bonus points.

Turn Actions

On your turn you take one of three actions. You either take a single card, trade to gain multiple cards, or sell cards. Take is simple, it is just taking a card to add to your hand. Or taking all the camels in the middle market row which don’t go to your hand and thus don’t count to your seven card hand limit. Then a new card is flipped out to fill that row.

Trading is not much more complex. You select the items from the center row and you trade that many items from your camels or cards in hand back into the center row. When you do that, no new cards are added to the center row.

Finally you can sell goods. You can sell as few or as many of a single type of good as you want. There is an exception for rare goods. You need to sell at least two of them. But for either type of good, rare or common, if you sell three or more you gain a bonus tile. And the more you sell, the higher value the bonus tile is. You also take a scoring token of the type of good to add to your scoring for that round per good that you sell. You can sell beyond the number of tokens, you just don’t get a token for that.

End of Round and End of Game

The round ends when one of two conditions is met. Either three of the piles of goods are gone, any combination of rare and common. Or when all the cards in the draw pile are gone. Then players compare to see who has more camels. Whomever is holding a larger herd will gain the camel bonus token that adds five to their score for the round. Player tally up their total score and whomever has the higher for the round wins the round.

The game is played over up to three rounds. Aka the game is best two out of three. If someone wins two rounds in a row, they win the game.

What Doesn’t Work

There is some luck in this game. Though, I want to say that it is pretty limited. The luck is going to come from the cards that are flipped up. You might take a card and then flip into a rare good that you want. But of course, it is a rare good, so your opponent is likely to take it as well. Or it might be a board of only camels. And your opponent will get a free board of new goods if you can’t sell anything.

What Works

The simplicity and speed of the game is great. Even as a turn based game on BGA, it is a fast game. Jaipur with it’s simple actions goes very fast. And I say simple actions, but really it is that combined with limited options that makes the game go fast. As a two player in person game, I suspect I would play this game a few times in a single sitting.

Now, I talk about how simple the game is and how fast it plays. That is not meant to hide the fact that the game offers interesting decisions. And I like that it does that while not being a complex game. I either take a single card or multiple. But as my hand reaches it’s limit, how do I navigate that. It is possible to just trade in a single common good to buy an extra turn to get what you really want. Or you might trade in some of the common goods, giving your opponent a chance for a bigger set, but you get more rare goods. It is just enough strategy for the game.

How the winner of the game is determined is very good as well. There is a bit of luck, so it is possible to just have a really bad round. Now, there is a lot you choose to do to mitigate that, but it is possible. But even if you find yourself having a bad round, there are more, likely. I think this game could have easily gone with, play a round and whomever does best wins. But the best two out of three feels like it offers more to it and balances out that luck.

Who is Jaipur For?

This is a great game for people who like two player games. In particular, I might get this game because it is one that my wife and I could play in an evening. It is simple to learn, set-up, and play. And because it is fast, it is going to be a game that could get played after a kid is in bed. Or maybe you play with someone who works a different type shift, it is an easy game to fit into a busy evening.

Final Thoughts on Jaipur

I like Jaipur. I was not sure how much I was going to like it the first time that I played it. But as I play more, I find that there is more strategy to the game and less luck than you expect at the start. In particular, how you manipulate the center row is really interesting. And I find that there are different strategies that both seem to work for it.

And I really can’t say enough how quickly this game goes. Even with playing a best two out of three rounds, this is a very fast game. I play turn based on everything I do for BGA and this is so fast even in turn based. I imagine it is going to fly by in person. And like I said, I think this is a game that you play two or three times in a single sitting.

So, as I said, I like Jaipur. I think this is a game that I am likely to pick-up. It is a good two player game and like a game like Hanamikoji, it is so fast and easy to teach that it works really well. And I think it is the type of game that my wife would like as well.

My Grade: B+
Gamer Grade: B
Casual Grade: B
Strategy (out of 10): 6
Luck (out of 10): 6

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How To Play Trekking Through History

Trekking Through History is a time travel game where you are exploring history over three days. Each day makes up one of your rounds. In each day you spend twelve time or more to gather cards and experiences and add them to your timeline. That is most of the game, whomever has the most points at the end of the game is the winner. And we’ll talk about the different ways to get points next.

Getting Points

You get points in two main ways, though there is a third that I’ll touch on briefly first. Those ways are ending your day at exactly twelve time, filling in your daily travel itinerary, and creating runs of time travelled from oldest to newest.

So we already completely covered the first. That is just ending your day with exactly twelve. Let’s talk about the itinerary next. Each day you get an itinerary that has four different columns. Each column corresponds to a different type of event that you can find in the timeline. So as you select your next event to add to your timeline, you need to get events that will give you the right tokens. You fill in tokens on your sheet from top to bottom. Some of the spots give you points for covering them. Others give you points if you complete a row. And there is one more resource we’ll talk about soon.

The other way is by creating a run for your timeline. When you grab a new card you always need it to be more recent than your previous one you grabbed. If it is, you add it to your run of cards. If it isn’t you start a new run of cards. But you keep the old run of cards as well. At the end of the game you score each of your runs of cards. If it’s a single card you lose three points, two you get zero and then it keeps going up from there.

Turn Order

The final thing I want to talk about is turn order. I talked about the twelve time that you can spend. You actually can spend over that, but you always stop at twelve on the time track. And as I mentioned, if you like it up correctly and stop right on twelve you get a bonus three points.

Each card you take, beyond having the different tokens, is going to make you spend an amount of time. There is a resource you can get, time crystals that let you reduce the time. So what does this have to do with turn order?

Well, whomever is furthest back on the clock, the time tracker, gets to go next. And if you spend time and land on a spot with someone else, you go on top of them. So then the player on top of that stack is going to go next. The time crystals allow you to reduce your time so that you are able to go multiple turns in a row.

Then, at the end of the game, whomever has the most points wins.

What Doesn’t Work

This is a pretty light game and there is a decent amount of luck to it. Especially in lower player count games the cards for the timeline don’t change that much. So it is possible that in the beginning you get a card that is way back in time, in the BCE (Before Common Era) range and then you need to jump up a long ways and create a gap. So as players you are somewhat dealing with the luck of the cards.

What Works

Firstly the simplicity of this game is great. And not only the simplicity, but one of the things I talk about with a lot of games, the speed of the game play as well. A few turns might take a bit more time. And this is because you want to get the right tokens to optimize your itinerary for the day. But for the most part, most of them are fast, and the game as a whole, three rounds, is really fast as well.

But with that simplicity of what you are doing, I really like that they add in the itinerary. If it is just a game of collecting times and putting them into your timeline in order, that is not super interesting. But the addition of the itinerary gives you that one thing to think about that keeps the game from feeling too simple. How do I get the tokens I need to hit that next big scoring objective is pretty commonly a thought in my head. So I am able to plan out my turns a little bit that way.

And the time crystals are fun as well. They are a resource that is worth a point at the end of the game. But it is almost always better to use them in the game. Why, because it helps you set-up your timeline and it helps you get more cards for that run. It’s another simple thing, but manipulating the turn order is a lot of fun with them. And it can lead to some big swings in your advantage if you do it right.

Who is Trekking Through History For?

This is going to be a game that will be light for a lot of people I’m sure. I find it light as well and I’ll talk about that more. But this is a great game for families in a ton of ways. Firstly, the game play is easy enough to play with kids. I think that even pretty young kids could start to figure it out. And easily by the time your kid is eight, this is a game that you could play.

But the other big reason that this is such a great family game is that it teaches history. Each card, on the back, is going to tell you about the historical event that the card is depicting or the person on the card. It is an amazing opportunity to play a fun game and learn.

Final Thoughts on Trekking Through History

I find Trekking Through History to be a very enjoyable game. It is easy to teach, learn, and play. And sometimes that is an important thing for a game night. Add in the history that you learn form it, and that is a great added element to what you are doing in the game. Plus the game offers just enough to be a solid game as well. There is just enough strategy in filling out the itinerary to keep me engaged and just enough manipulation of the time track with the time crystals.

I suspect a number of people would find this game too simple. And I get that, it is simple but it is a game with a very specific focus for why it was made. It is a chance to play a game and learn about history and engage as a kid and as a family. My kid is not quite old enough to play it yet. But I’m excited for the time when I can use this to help him keep learning and have a fun time doing so. There is more to this than the game Timeline, which can do the same thing, but not a ton more.

My Grade: B-
Gamer Grade: C-
Casual Grade: A
Strategy (out of 10): 4
Luck (out of 10): 6

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How to Play Coffee Rush

Coffee Rush is a game of order fulfillment. The more orders you fulfill, the more points that you get. And points are the determining factor to the game. However, as more orders come in, you might find yourself flooded with them. So if you fail to complete an order, they are negative points for you at the end of the game.

The main board of the game is a grid made up of the ingredients that you need to complete an order. Some of them are special and give you some of the rarer ingredients. You place a worker on the board at the start of the game. On your turn you move that worker three spaces (some rules for more) and you collect the ingredients that you stop on with your three moves. Then you send those ingredients to cups, which you have three of, and fulfill orders if you can.

As you complete more orders you can trade in completed orders for special rules. It might allow you to double up on ingredients on some spots or move your worker in other ways around the board. But when you spend those orders you spend your points for the game.

Once you are done with your turn, all your orders shift down. And when you complete an order, your opponents add an order to the top of their display. So as players, you control how many orders are out there for your opponents to complete.

What Doesn’t Work

This is a fast and low scoring game. I think for some people it is going to feel like it’s over too fast. Or it is going to feel like you can’t fully explore the game. You want to try and unlock things for the benefit, but if you unlock too many things, you just spent all of your points in the game. I’ll talk about why that is something I like, but it means that the scores are very low in the game. And if you don’t track the end of the game, you might have no points at the end.

What Works

Upgrades

Let’s start out with that element that showed up in the negative. I think it is a positive as well. I like the question you need to ask yourself. Do I get an upgrade? The upgrade might let me consistently get two drinks done a turn, so I need two or three turns to make up for what I’ve spent. Is there enough time in the game? And that is a great tension for a game to have.

Tension and Interaction

Coffee Rush is a game with a good pressure to the gameplay. When you complete the turn and orders drop down further into your queue, you feel the pressure. Or if someone completes two orders and now you end up with a big backlog to do, there is good pressure in the game. I like that tension of trying to complete things and seeing if you can make the game more difficult for your opponents.

That interaction with your opponents for getting them more orders is great. Does it make sense, no, but it is very fun to do. Mainly because it’s a positive and a negative interaction. And there aren’t a ton more in the game. On that central ingredient board you move around can’t end your turn on a spot with an opponent, but that is about it for interaction. But the interaction of I give you an order which can be points positively or negatively is great.

Game Speed

Finally, I mentioned it, Coffee Rush is a fast game. I mean both for turns and for the complete game. It is one that is going to go by quickly and some might say too quickly. But I like games with snappy turns where you won’t get too bogged down in it. The turn still matters, the game isn’t playing itself, but it isn’t going to lock you up deciding what to do for a long time.

Who is Coffee Rush For

This is a fun game, I think, for people who want to play a bit more a game but nothing too complex. It works really well in terms of how simple it is to learn and play. But with that, I think that Coffee Rush is likely for a group where there are more casual gamers. That ease of understanding is going to work well there, but for a group of gamers who want something heavier and thinkier, I don’t think that Coffee Rush is going to offer enough.

Final Thoughts on Coffee Rush

I enjoy Coffee Rush. Is it a perfect game, no, but it is a fun one. My biggest complaint is that I’d love the game to last another two rounds or so. Just that little bit of extra time would let you feel like you completed more. And it would give you a chance to unlock more special moves. In a normal game I feel like I get one, but I’d love to have two of them, or maybe even three if I’m really risking it.

That bit of extra game length would likely also make it feel like the scores are a bit more important. If someone makes it to eight that is a great score. Or someone might miss out on some orders and get negative. But that is part of the fun of Coffee Rush too, it is a fast filler almost game where it is more than filler but not going to bog you down in a huge game.

My Grade: B-
Gamer Grade: C-
Casual Grade: B+
Strategy (out of 10): 5
Luck (out of 10): 2

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