Imagine my wonderful surprise when, upon reaching for my newest box of Lucky Charms recently, I discovered a devilishly clever board game on the box. Giving it a solo run-through first before introducing it to my gaming group, I got to observe the many levels of strategy and luck in this stately game. Let's break it down:
Box: The box was perfectly designed for this game, and I really have to hand it to GM for including enough space for all the pieces. As an added bonus, the back of the box doubles as the board game; a highly efficient system I've rarely seen in modern games.
Bits: The board itself is slightly on the small side, but has amazing art. There were times in the game when the theme overtook me and my gaming buddies. We didn't want to leave Leprechaun Village, so quaint and idyllic, and the Chocolate Mine had us positively gasping for breath. The Magical Popper didn't work as I had expected, but as it is Magical it can hardly be held at fault. That said, our Popper's die would only land on the Purple Horseshoe for some reason. Finally, the playing pieces are marshmallow's of varying shapes and bitterness. They held up well until Berry Mountain, when most of us begin to experience their slimy disintegration on our finger tips.
Rules: The rules for this game are a little complicated and had us confused for some time, but that's to be expected in a game of this depth. For instance, we weren't initially sure whether or not to include the starting space with the spaces we counted, or whether or not our pieces had to enter "Home" with an exact number a'la Aggravation. After contacting the game's designer in Minneapolis, we were pleased to find out that it didn't really matter, "as long as [we] had fun."
Overview: Lucky's Colver Challenge is not a game for everyone, but I'm certain that gamers who like a lot of strategy mixed in with their breakfast cereal will find it enthralling. This game forces you into those impossible choices, like:
Should I move my 1st, 2nd or 3rd Red Balloon next, considering how Blue Crescent Moon is gaining on my tail?
Should I land on Green Shamrock and send his piece back to home thus destroying our alliance, or place myself right in Yellow Pot o'Gold's warpath as a sacrificial gesture of my loyalty?
Should I eat Steve's Shooting Stars while he's getting milk or leave them on the board?
Since our Magical Pooper would only roll a Horseshoe (the in-game equivalent of the integer FOUR), we found that adventuring around the clover got a little repetitive around lap 30. That said, with the right group and a weekend on your hands, this game provides deep rewards for long hours the likes of which are rarely seen in today's superficial game market. And as you can currently pick it up for roughly $2.50, you really get your money's worth.
Summary: After playing a filler like Twilight Struggle or Caylus, this game's depth, clarity and elegant mechanics really stand out. A break out hit of 2008?!?
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Posted Mon Mar 10, 2008 12:16 am
