Tag: Area Control

When playing games with an Area Control aspect, players are typically rewarded for controlling the majority of a particular space.

Plunderbund

| OTSG Staff
Plunderbund

Plunderbund

You lead a guild striving to dominate the market for illegal goods in the Sprawl, a city rich in history and lawlessness. Recruit and task an army of agents, racketeers, spymasters and others to build your reputation by selling your goods and causing chaos for your rivals. Through a light deck building mechanism you attempt to create the strongest network of agents, racketeers and the most desirable black market goods. Winners and losers are determined by a fun, yet sophisticated, supply & demand mechanic.

Plunderbund combines the innate corruption and profiteering of prohibition Chicago and the lawlessness of the fantasy setting, the Sprawl.

It’s an era before cell phones, e-commerce and customer relationship management tools, an honest guild had to get business the hard way: thieving, sorcery, money laundering and bribery.

Plunderbund is your chance to lead your guild to fame, fortune or disaster as you navigate the whims of the notoriously picky Sprawl consumer and deal with underhanded tactics from rivals determined to steal your business.

Each player will lead a guild with the power to decide where your finite resources are invested. A light deck building mechanic enables you to acquire and improve your black market goods, add agents, add racketeers, disrupt your rivals’ operations or just wreak havoc. Cards are added to your deck through a simple snake draft from a limited selection of over twenty different recruits.

Your guild gains reputation (VPs) as a sophisticated yet simply implemented supply and demand mechanic helps you sell your black market goods to merchants. At the end of the game you will be compared to your rivals on the strength of your network of agents, number of racketeers and black market goods qualities. All this growth comes at a cost, you have to take favors as you try to build your operation without the benefit of any gold in your coffers. As they say “paybacks are hell”. Fail to payback your favors and you pay the price as you see your reputation diminished at the end of the game.

Over the course of twelve months, divided into four seasons, you will build your reputation on the backs of your guild recruits and their abilities.

All seasons have three months. Each month players:
1) Place demand coins
2) Draw cards and payback favors
3) Determine cards to put into play and pay for them
4) Calculate and receive goods

After three months have been played:
1) Compete for demand
2) Recruit guild member using a limited snake draft
3) Start the next season

After the end of the fourth season, the game is over and final reputation is tallied.

There are two key concepts in Plunderbund. The first is the supply and demand mechanism. The game starts with the placement of demand at open merchants. The demand generated is correlated with the products being offered by the guilds. In the early game, demand is mostly based on the appeal and ingenuity of the products. Later, as with any market, quality and price become more important. Each demand coin expresses a customer’s preference. Some customers want the best appeal, some want the best ingenuity, some want the best quality, and some want the lowest price.

Your goal is to win more demand coins than other guilds by having the best network of rogues and the best product. The rogues are your sales team. The more rogues you have in place, the more deals you can win and the more your guild reputation soars. Over the course of the game you will build out your ability to compete for demand.

To win a merchant’s demand coin, you must have an “Agent” on that merchant. If you have the only agent on a merchant, you are nearly certain to win. If another guild’s agent is on that merchant, then you must compete. The winner is the player who is leading in that product attribute. So, if the customer has expressed an interest in high quality then the guild with the best quality has a chance to win.

You can only win a demand coin if you can supply a good. Goods are earned (stolen, fenced, you name it) at the end of each month. The number of goods you generate each month is based on your investment in your supply chain (which lowers price) and quality. For each competition you win, you decide whether you want to take that specific demand coin or pass. If you pass, the demand coin either stays on the board or is won by a rival guild. Suffice it to say, you need goods to have a chance win Plunderbund.

The second key concept is the favor economy. Instead of paying money to get things done for your guild, you take favors. These favors are used to put your guild members to work (each card has a favor cost ranging from zero to four). These favor cards go in your discard pile. Fortunately, paying back a favor is easy. As soon as you draw the favor card into your play area, from your draw pile, it is immediately considered payed back. In this way, favors are an opportunity cost. If you end the game with favors that are not paid back, they are deducted from your end of game score. Favor management is an essential part of Plunderbund.

If you understand these key concepts, then you are ready to build your guild reputation and win Plunderbund.

Game Mechanics:

  • Area Control
  • Deck Building
  • Economic
  • Open Drafting
  • Worker Placement

Game Specifications:

  • 2 – 5 Players
  • 60 – 150 Minutes
  • Difficulty Weight 2.83

Petrichor

| OTSG Staff
Petrichor

Petrichor

Petrichor is the earthy scent produced when rain falls on dry soil. The word is constructed from Greek (πέτρα) petra, meaning “stone”, and (ἰχώρ) īchōr, the fluid that flows in the veins of the gods in Greek mythology.

Welcome to the lush world of Petrichor; you are a cloud. Your entire purpose in life is to expand, sire other clouds and water crops. Unfortunately, your mates (who are also clouds) have a similar plan. It’s up to you to manipulate the weather and assimilate these rogue clouds to contribute to the growth of as many crops as possible – all in order to claim the title of Most Valuable Cloud.

Petrichor is a highly interactive board game, playable by 1-4 people (up to 5 with the expansion, see below). It’s an action selection/area influence game, with 4 simple actions which interact with the various fields in ever surprising ways. The players move clouds with water droplets, and then rain those droplets onto specific fields, to make sure they have the right amount of water for the Harvest. During a Harvest, crops that have been watered enough are scored! Players are able to influence when, and how often the harvest happens. Players need to strike a fine balance between maintaining control of the different fields as well as influencing Harvest, to make sure the two come together at the optimal time.

Game Mechanics:

  • Area Control
  • Hand Management

Game Specifications:

  • 1 – 4 Players
  • 20 – 80 Minutes
  • Difficulty Weight 2.99

Path of Light and Shadow

| OTSG Staff
Path of Light and Shadow

Path of Light and Shadow

The Realms lay divided, their former wonder lost and forgotten. The Tyrant Queen has seized the throne, forcing the rightful heirs deep into exile. You are the sons and daughters of the once-great houses: Foxway, Gorga, Mherzeen, and Spyre. Under the tutelage of advisors, you have gathered your followers, your conscripts. The time has come to take back what is yours.

Path of Light and Shadow is a massive empire-building experience, combining area control, deck management, and civilization customization. As players vie for control of The Realms, they must enlist and promote supporters, outfit their burgeoning empire with powerful technologies, align with powerful leaders, and lay siege to rival exiles after the throne. Above all else, each player must decide what type of leader they will become, cruel or merciful. But choose wisely, for each path has its rewards and perils.

Game Mechanics:

  • Area Control
  • Civilization
  • Deck Building
  • Dice Rolling
  • Hand Management

Game Specifications:

  • 2 – 4 Players
  • 60 – 120 Minutes
  • Difficulty Weight 3.16

The Others

| OTSG Staff
The Others

The Others

In The Others, the world stands on the brink of apocalypse, as the fanatics of the Hell Club have summoned the 7 Deadly Sins to lay waste to our reality. Slowly the Others have creeped into our lives, corrupting society from within. The city of Haven is the key to their invasion, but it will not go down without a fight, thanks to the actions of the paranormal organization known as F.A.I.T.H. (Federal Authority for the Interdiction of Transdimensional Horrors). Each session of The Others is played with one player controlling the forces of a single Sin, against the other players who control a team of 7 FAITH heroes. The heroes cooperate to survive the Sin’s attacks and accomplish the missions set before them, while the Sin attempts to thwart the heroes in all ways (preferably by destroying them).

The heroes are divided into different classes, each specialized in a different aspect of the game. Leaders are good at helping the other members of the team. Bruisers are excellent melee fighters. Snipers are experts at using guns to put down monsters from a distance. And Fixers have the resourcefulness and knowledge of the occult necessary to resolve supernatural crises that spread through the city. Each hero also has their own stats and unique abilities that set them apart from all others. Knowing when to bring in the right reinforcement can be key to FAITH’s victory.

Corruption is one of the main mechanics of the game. It is both a way for the Sin to consume heroes, and a way for heroes to accomplish amazing feats they wouldn’t be capable of normally. Taking corruption grants heroes powerful bonuses (as long as they keep taking corruption), but when they become fully corrupted, their darkest secrets may come back to haunt them and tear the team from within, or their flesh might simply succumb to the sinful influences.

The Sins player, on the other hand, has access to the different monsters of each Sin, including Abominations, a Controller, and the terrifying Avatar of Sin! These monsters can attempt to destroy the heroes, or simply hinder their progress on their missions. Each Sin provides the Sins Player with a different deck of Sins cards that can be played at different times to surprise players with different effects, often tied to the strategy of each Sin. Yes, because each Sin taints the game with an overarching mechanic that is always in effect. For example, Pride punishes prideful heroes that venture into the streets on their own, while Sloth punishes heroes who try to move quickly across the board. Heroes will need to learn to deal with the different influence of each Sin, which will always stand between them and their mission.

The Sins are also aided by Acolytes, with each session using a different type. These lowly corrupted servants of darkness can fight and stand in the way of heroes, but they also have a once per round special ability that reflects their previous lives. For example, corrupted hobos take equipment from heroes, corrupted nuns corrupt the city districts, and corrupted doctors keep heroes from healing.

There are 7 different stories that players can embark on for each session of The Others. Each of them brings different special rules, different dynamics, and a unique system of branching missions the heroes need to accomplish in order to be victorious. There are Terror stories, which are more straightforward, focusing on action and combat; Corruption stories revolve around the Corruption spreading through the city and the heroes themselves; and Redemption stories rely on saving the city and the few innocents that remain. Each story can be played on a different map setup, which further makes the dynamic of each session unique.

The board used in The Others is made up of several tiles, each depicting a different city district and different configurations of streets. As the city of Haven still belongs to humanity, and it’s the Sins that are attempting to take it over, the heroes can use it to get different benefits each district offers them. For example, they can go to the hospital to heal wounds, to the museum to get rid of corruption, to the RavenCorp tower to get new equipment, or to the police station to call in an orbital strike. What districts are available on each map, and their location, can greatly change the dynamic of the game.

As the game progresses, and depending on how badly the heroes fare against storyline plot twists and developments, the Apocalypse Track will advance, making the Sins gradually stronger and more terrifying. Apocalypse cards, tied to the type of story being played (Terror, Corruption, or Redemption) introduce new twists and challenges to the game, even bringing in the members of the Hell Club themselves!

Heroes will die. Either in noble sacrifice, torn apart by claws and tentacles, or consumed by the corruption welling up in their souls. The question is whether the FAITH team will manage to fulfill their final mission in time, or whether the Sins will reign supreme over humanity.

Game Mechanics:

  • Area Control
  • Area Movement
  • Dice Rolling
  • Team Based

Game Specifications:

  • 2 – 5 Players
  • ~90 Minutes
  • Difficulty Weight 3.03

Of War and Men WWII

| OTSG Staff
Of War and Men WWII

Of War and Men WWII

Of War and Men is a WWII based, squad-level card game that introduces the individual heart of a soldier into the framework and strategies of war. Build effective fireteams and create or discover the land as you cross the war torn map and try to outflank, outmaneuver, and out gun the enemy. As any good leader, you must consider the individual strengths and weaknesses of your soldiers to make sure your Mission is a success.
In one Mission, you must rescue or capture the Resistance soldier who has recovered secret plans and get them safely back to your camp. In another, you must parachute into the landing zone and capture the bridge in order to win the day. This 2-4 person game can be played within an hour, or track your soldiers across an entire campaign, awarding medals for courage and valor, while determining the ability of green troops coming in to replace lost heroes. Replay-ability is high since each encounter will vary based on Mission, fireteams, map builds, and general unpredictability of war.

But these aren’t just pieces on a board. You aren’t just sending in soldier #2, but rather, you are sending in Corporal “Pokey” Johnston. His bio informs you that he’s a down home roots kind of guy from Colorado. He hasn’t been able to hit the broadside of a barn on this mission. However, you’ve been saving that “Act of Valor” card and you decide to play it with Corporal Johnston and he turns the tide of battle. These aren’t just names on a roster. These aren’t just numbers on a map. These are your men. These are your brothers in arms.

Game Mechanics:

  • Area Control
  • Campaign
  • Hand Management
  • Wargame

Game Specifications:

  • 2 – 4 Players
  • 60 – 90 Minutes
  • Difficulty Weight 3.00

Northgard

| OTSG Staff
Northgard: Uncharted Lands

Northgard: Uncharted Lands

Based on the universe of the Northgard video game, Northgard: Uncharted Lands is a game of conquest and exploration set in the age of vikings. Each player controls a Viking clan, looking to achieve victory by reaping glory in various ways or controlling the most prized territories of this new continent.

The game focus is on streamlined rules and mechanisms, allowing for a fast-paced and smooth rhythm of play. Each turn, players alternate their actions to adapt their strategies to their opponents’ moves and the expansion of the board. Fame (i.e., points) can be earned by exploring, fighting, and controlling and developing territories. The various corresponding actions are played through the cards that the players have in hand. At the end of each turn, they have to choose a new card to improve their personal deck as their clans develop new tactics and technologies.

The conquest of Northgard also requires clever management of resources to build new buildings, improve your warriors’ effectiveness, better your hand of cards, and upgrade your clan’s specificities. The winter phase makes this management more difficult as you have to feed your units to keep them healthy and happy.

The pace of the game is set by the players as the game ends after seven turns, but can also be cut short at any time if one of them is in control of three closed territories hosting certain types of buildings.

Game Mechanics:

  • Area Control
  • Campaign
  • Deck Building
  • Dice Rolling
  • Tile Placement

Game Specifications:

  • 2 – 5 Players
  • 45 – 90 Minutes
  • Difficulty Weight 2.73

Nemo’s War

| OTSG Staff
Nemo’s War

Nemo’s War

Set in year 1870, you set sail in this amazing electric-powered submarine, assuming the role and motive of Captain Nemo as you travel across the seas on missions of science, exploration, anti-Imperialism, and War!

With this supercharged second edition of Nemo’s War, prepare yourself for the adventure of a lifetime!

Game Mechanics:

  • Action Points
  • Area Control
  • Area Movement
  • Cooperative
  • Dice Rolling
  • Push Your Luck
  • Wargame

Game Specifications:

  • 1 – 4 Players
  • 60 – 120 Minutes
  • Difficulty Weight 3.20

Mosaic

| OTSG Staff
Mosaic

Mosaic

Mosaic is an action selection game. On your turn, you will perform one of seven actions and acquire components.

Acquiring Components is important in creating the unique mosaic of your civilization. They are used as prerequisites for many new technologies, as well as for scoring. Also, by pursuing specialization in one or more Civilization Components, you may be able to claim a ‘Golden Age’ of that type.

As the game goes on and your Civilization grows, scoring cards are eventually revealed from the four decks. Each time a scoring card is revealed, your Civilization will score for each region that you dominate with your cities and military units. After the third scoring card is revealed, there is one final turn and the game ends. You will then score for your cities and towns, your wonders, projects, and golden ages, and for all of your cards that score for your unique Civilization Components.

Game Mechanics:

  • Area Control
  • Civilization
  • Hand Management
  • Open Drafting
  • Set Collection

Game Specifications:

  • 1 – 6 Players
  • 90 – 120 Minutes
  • Difficulty Weight 2.79

Mezo

| OTSG Staff
Mezo

Mezo

It is a time of blood, of ritual, of war. Gods walk among the tribes, each hungering for the devotion that gives them form. Though the gods are many, only one will endure the ages above all others.

Mezo is an innovative game of area control for 2-4 players inspired by Mayan mythology. You will control a powerful god and it’s tribe of followers. These tribes will clash for dominance, build step pyramids, and make sacrifices all in the name of their god. Featuring massive god miniatures, each with vastly asymmetrical strategies, as well as numerous ways for you to achieve victory, Mezo is a unique take on the area control genre.

Key Points
– Innovative and intuitive area control with multiple ways to win.
– Massive Mayan god figures, each with their own unique strategies and actions.
– A rich Mayan theme, beautiful artwork, and engaging gameplay.

Game Mechanics:

  • Area Control

Game Specifications:

  • 2 – 4 Players
  • 90 – 120 Minutes
  • Difficulty Weight 3.27

Lacrimosa

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Lacrimosa

Lacrimosa

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart is dead. His last conscious action on his deathbed was composing the Lacrimosa movement of his Opus Requiem. You, as one of his sponsors, will meet with the widow in order to participate one last time in the funding of the works of the Austrian genius. Also, you will reminisce and retell all your memories alongside Mozart in order to make sure that she portrays you under the best light when writing her memoirs in order to enter history as Mozart’s most important patron.

In Lacrimosa, players take the roles of patrons of the late musician, contributing with their fundings to the composer’s works one last time. During the game, you play in two different timelines: the present and the past. In the present, you commission the missing parts of the Requiem from other composers in order to complete it. When developing past events, the game takes place in five epochs in which you contribute by buying new compositions from the composer to sell or exhibit, accompany him on the different journeys through the main courts and theaters in Europe, and gather the resources you need in order to support the musician during his career.

During the game, you play cards from a limited hand that you will improve as the game progresses. These cards can be played either as actions or as resource generators, and players need to optimize their resources and finances in order to support their best version of the story and their relationship with Mozart.

Game Mechanics:

  • Action Points
  • Area Control
  • Deck Building
  • Open Drafting

Game Specifications:

  • 1 – 4 Players
  • ~90 Minutes
  • Difficulty Weight 3.10