A lot of catching up here on posting, but I have a few thoughts on recent plays. First off, the disappointments.
In a delightful turn of humor, my sister-in-law and I each got each other Wingspan for Christmas. She is a gamer and a birder, so it seemed perfect. I’d passed it over based on reviews and that I prefer Race for the Galaxy to Race for the Owlaxy. It only got better when we found out her cousins were ALSO going to send us Wingspan, until they got wind that she was giving it to me. It’s a birdy Christmas!
After finishing the quickstart tutorial, I was really pleased. Seemed better than I’d anticpated and I saw a lot of potential. After finishing a game, though, I was decidedly lukewarm. For one, the cards didn’t seem very variable - there aren’t enough things going on to make a meaningful variety. Second, the combo potential in the tableau didn’t end up that exciting. I’ve no doubt it improves over further plays, but most tableau builders I’m spending the first couple games theorycrafting - ah! What if I put these two cards together! Amazing! Here I wasn’t really seeing it, and the forced ordering of card triggering makes the rare, unimpressive combos even harder to pull off.
The real nail in the coffin was the plethora of tiny text. Despite the card powers being common and simple, each card describes its ability in small text. The game dragged on as we were constantly passing and re-passing the market tray and reading and re-reading our tableaus. There’s a non-stop upload of information that is slow and high friction.
Despite Quinns’s complaints, scoring was fine.
All in all, 5/10 after one play. I can see it growing to a 6 or 7 with repeats but I’m pegging it now at “middling.”
Second disappointment, Red Cathedral. Caveat here, I played solo and I’m not sure it’s the best bot or best played at 2 (or simulated 2). But, for my money, Bruxelles 1897 is a far dominant “big game in a small box” experience.
It’s got three things going on - the dice rondel, the workshop upgrades (and then combos), and the race/area control on the cathedral itself. Each of those ended up being a little less exciting than I anticipated. The rondel is on rails with the dice mechanism - either what you want is there or it isn’t, and it’s pretty quick to see your options. Due to the random rolls, you also aren’t much anticipating what your opponents might want and blocking them.
The combos are also out of your control. You put a special power on each die, but where that die will be and how you will use it is completely unpredicable, so you’re just randomly pairing two things and later seeing where and when it helps. Lastly, the area control dynamic is a slow, flat thing. Yes, it’s interesting, but the game state only makes a few changes across the hour your are playing. 6/10, though I’m prepared to be surprised with an 8/10 score if I can play against two other humans and get the full experience.
However, Bruxelles is just so good. While each of Red Cathedrals hooks was a little disappointing upon scrutiny, Bruxelles was constantly surprising me with unexpected textures and new depths. It also has the area control, but each column and crest battle happens quickly and is reset each round, so it’s more like a trick of cards where you contest, reset, contest, reset, and that cycle was more appropriate for the simple mechanic. In Bruxelles, I was constantly assessing my opponents, what resources and money they had, where they could and could not play, and what opportunities each of my moves would open or close for them. There was also a push-your-luck edge with how much money you invested in each architect placement and when you went to the city… I realize if you haven’t played it, then all this means nothing. Suffice to say, Bruxelles was a more dynamic, controlled, and interactive experience that consistently reveals hidden depths, while Red Cathedral was chaotic, solitary, and (at first glance) underdelivered.
But I played other good things this last month too! Will post later.
