The World of SMOG: Rise of Moloch is a 1vs game: skirmish game with puzzle elements from CMON. The action takes place in a whimsical steampunk setting: gentlemen and women protect the Empire itself and the world as a whole from strange monsters from another dimension, controlled by an evil nemesis. This review covers the basics. There are many more buns in the kickstarter version, but I haven't gotten my hands on them yet. First of all, I would like to note that the game looks great. Beautiful, creative drawing style, very detailed miniatures. It is not surprising, because it is a game from CMON. This company has a lot of experience in the production of quality parts and components thanks to the line of "Zombicides", which has raised millions. The rules of Rise of Moloch resemble Zombicide in some ways, but there's nothing shameful about leaning on the shoulders of titans, so to speak. Rise of Moloch is not at all a Zombicide clone in a different setting. COMPONENTS  There is enough content in the database: about 60 miniatures, a dozen tablets, 6 maps, a dozen room tiles, etc., many cards and tokens. This is all without taking into account kickstarter bonuses and add-ons. Everything looks great: high-quality illustrations, nice design. Spectacular miniatures in the style of steampunk fantasy, where metal, flesh and magic grow, are the product of whimsical fantasy. Like straight out of a Tim Powers novel or the Quicksilver books. There are links to Jumping Jack, Anubis, IT, The League of Gentlemen and more. The illustrations are in no way inferior to the miniatures in processing and atmosphere: the spirit of the Victorian era is perfectly transferred to the game. Of course, all the components are of high quality as you would expect from CMON: thick tiles and tokens, thick cards, etc.  I only have a few small comments. First, the cards are a bit shiny and slippery, so they don't hold well on tablets. Secondly, if you lay out the tokens on the tablets in the designated places, then there will be a lot of them, they can cover some of the key indicators and icons. Thirdly, why was it necessary to paint the figures in pale blue and bright yellow colors?! A very strange decision. Both colors look off-topic. Figures really need painting. Even if you are not an artist, it is worth at least grounding them so that the details become visible. However, these are all trailers. The game is very good. RULES The rulebook isn't the best, but it's far from the worst. Surprisingly for CMON, their rulebooks are usually well laid out. But for some reason, this one is not very clear in places and suffers from typographical errors in the description of the layout. More developed sights would not have hurt. Not that they are bad, but they miss a couple of important points. Also, clearer examples, including ambiguous moments, would not hurt. There are no such problems in the "Zombicide" rulebooks. Overall not the level expected from CMON. Of course, it doesn't particularly interfere with playing, just minor flaws. PREPARATION FOR THE GAME Rise of Moloch has two modes - single player quests and campaign. In the campaign book, you will find a large plot insert before each scenario, a description of the layout, special rules and an image of the field in an exploded view. In solo quest mode, you simply play one of these scenarios with a fixed set of bonuses. In the campaign mode, the received bonuses are saved from mission to mission. They themselves are very different: from straightforward skirmishes to tricky puzzles, key item transfers, NPC rescues, etc. The field consists of several large tiles, on top of which are placed small rooms that reflect and other locations, providing a very diverse field. Next, the starting location of the characters and the victory condition are indicated. As a rule, gentlemen need to complete some task to win, and nemeses need to bring their HP to zero several times. GAME PROCESS  Since this is a 1 vs. all game, one player always takes on the role of nemesis (bad guy) and the rest 1 through 4 play the role of gentlemen, of which there are always four. One player can easily handle all four. As a nemesis, the player usually also has to manage agents (essentially full-fledged characters, just for evil) and a horde of henchmen. Both sides secretly determine the turn order of their characters and then activate them in turn. This encourages strategic planning and creates intrigue and interesting surprises during the game. Full-fledged characters are gentlemen and agents. Everyone has their strengths and weaknesses. You can roughly classify them as a warrior, healer, etc., but you can pump them differently. Characters can take 2 actions each: move, attack, heal, or use special abilities.  There are still henchmen: just cannon fodder, but if you start the situation and do not reduce their herd, then there will be so many of them that they will not only be annoying, but also pose a real threat. Minions have 1 action per turn: move, attack... Or (depending on the scenario) explode something. Or arson. Or... In general, now you understand why they are not only annoying. The nemesis also has several nemesis special ability cards visible to everyone and several chaos cards hidden from the gentlemen. Their effects can reactivate characters, start fires, explode, and more. In combat, dice are rolled in a number equal to the attack values for the attacker and the defense values for the defender. The difference in the number of successes rolled = damage done. Nemesis agents die when their HP is reduced to zero, while Gentlemen are only temporarily incapacitated and can proceed to the next turn. However, they will receive a torment card (similarity of injury). It is also worth noting that gentlemen use their special abilities not just like that, but by spending ether points. These points immediately fall into the clutches of the nemesis, who can spend them on their own crime cards. An interesting mechanic that encourages players to think twice before launching special moves. The layout takes 15 minutes, the batch takes about 2 hours. REPLAYABILITY I'm not sure yet, but the regrabability seems pretty high. There are 6 scenarios in the campaign mode. After completing it, you can play individual scenarios or go through the campaign again, this time pumping the characters in a different way. In addition, although Rise of Moloch is essentially a skirmish game, different scenarios offer different challenges and different gameplay. CONCLUSIONS Although I've mentioned Zombicide many times, Rise of Moloch reminds me more of Ancient Horror. The atmosphere is also felt, approximately the same level of difficulty. I really liked the leveling of the characters and the balance between strategy and tactics. Yes, dice bring randomness to the game, but they also provide memorable moments. In addition, it is difficult not to enjoy the adventures of quirky, strange and one-of-a-kind characters in an unusual, atmospheric and well-crafted setting...

Chronicles of Drunagor is one of the newcomers in the dungeon crawler camp. It's a co-op game for 1-5 players that differs from other members of the genre with some unique mechanics. 3D terrain, various enemies and darkness mechanics that threaten to gradually fill the map. From the first games, the game impressed me, despite some overload. There is a great narrative here for story lovers. There are tactical battles for those who like to plan. And there are innovations that will surely be appreciated by many fans of the genre. A monster slasher, an epic quest to fight evil, and depth all in one box. And, of course, gorgeous miniatures. And a built-in organizer. The eye has something to catch. WHAT IS A GAME So what is this game? At first, "Chronicles of Drunagor" look quite standard. Character classes, skill leveling, various monsters (divided into weak, medium and elite enemies) on which heroes test these skills. In general, a familiar structure. However, the first deviation from the standard soon becomes apparent. Not only monsters await the heroes, but there is also another danger: the darkness seeping into this world (on the game map), which strengthens nearby monsters and drains the life force of nearby heroes. To overcome this obstacle, you will have to be cunning and think a little. If ignored, the darkness can decide the outcome of the battle in favor of the monsters and greatly reduce the chances of the heroes. Another feature of "Chronicle of Drunagora" is the three-dimensional terrain. Not that this is the only game with 3D tiles, but they stand out because they give heroes and monsters additional tactical options.  Personally, I really liked the 3D terrain: it helps to bypass dangerous areas of the field, lead monsters away from the growing darkness, and thus get rid of buffs, save a wounded hero... In addition, it adds atmosphere to both the gameplay and the narrative. Nevertheless, the three-dimensional terrain, fortunately, is not the main and not the best feature of "Chronicle of Drunagora". The main distinguishing feature is the unique mechanics of managing the actions of the heroes, which nicely add depth to the game. GAME PROCESS  At the heart of the gameplay is a chain of small scenarios that form a single story. As many as two books are dedicated to the narrative: one gradually reveals the plot, and the other is dedicated to the findings that the players will come across in the course of the scenario and with which they can interact, in the process receiving new items, information, stumbling upon traps, etc.  But this is all macro level, so to speak. Decisions made based on plot, narrative, character progression, and so on. I was more attracted by the micro level, namely the need to make painful and very important decisions on which the hero's life depends. Everything is related to the mechanics of action cubes. Each hero has skills in the Melee Talent, Shooting Talent, Dexterity, and Wisdom categories. To access them, you need to place action cubes on them. At the beginning of each adventure, almost all of them are available for selection, but as the game progresses, the hero will receive curse and injury cubes: when resting to re-pool the spent cubes, or when receiving curses from enemies or injuries in battle. Cubes of curses and injuries gradually fill the slots, blocking access to skills.  What does this lead to? To the point that the tension is felt from the start of the game. Each chosen combination of actions gives the heroes a feeling of overwhelming power as they burst into the ranks of monsters and begin to destroy evil. Until they are cursed and injured, which leads to the need to make difficult decisions.  Is it worth parting with the ability to "ignore part of the losses"? Sacrificing access to ranged attacks for the rest of the arsenal? If I block dexterity-based skills now, will I be able to avoid the monster's attack later? As a result, the combat mechanics are much more interesting and thoughtful than just inflicting losses. It is like a crooked mirror, in which the reverse side of the hero's development is reflected - the decline of strength. The longer the battle lasts, the more your character loses effectiveness: confronting the darkness face-to-face takes away mental strength, and a fierce fight takes away physical strength. And as a result, after the battle, the character remains a pale shadow. This is, without a doubt, the best find of the Chronicle of Drunagor. How long you can continue to fight and how exactly depends entirely on your decision. If you sacrifice the wrong skill, you can then find yourself in a situation of complete helplessness. Plan your actions in advance and maybe you will be able to reach the final. "Chronicles of Drunagor" is strict and demanding of the players: fight competently, even when you are pressed against the wall and you are forced to fight not at full strength. If you managed to pass the scenario with exhausted and bleeding characters, then you have earned the victory. Basically, the game is a big puzzle that you really want to keep exploring. WHAT YOU MIGHT LIKE If you are a fan of dungeon crawlers with campaigns, then you will definitely like the game. It has all the features typical of the genre, as well as some unique features that set it apart from its peers. If you haven't been interested in this genre before, maybe the mechanics of placing action cubes will make you change your mind. This feature, like the map management in Bleak Harbor, makes the game deep and strategic. WHAT CAN REFUSE "Chronicles of Drunagor" is very frozen. A lot of tokens - and, in my opinion, not everything fits well in the built-in organizer. Many components need to be moved. Opening doors can bring new rules into play, forcing you to adapt to a changed environment. In general, there is really a lot of congestion in places. In addition, the game is massive and in a massive box. If you're looking for a game that can be easily laid out and played quickly, Chronicles of Drunagor is definitely not for you. The rule book is huge and bloated. Getting used to the gameplay is also not easy. CONCLUSIONS  I have definitely become a fan of this game. I've always been interested in story-focused decks because I like to feel connected to the characters and their adventures, so all themed narrative games immediately appeal to me. However, I want to keep playing, not for the sake of the story, not for the sake of the miniatures, and not for the sake of the 3D terrain. All of these elements are good in their own way, but what keeps me interested in the game is the tactical depth of the action cube mechanics. The process of regressing the character in the process of the script is great. This makes you want to test all the characters, because everyone will have to play in their own way: fight differently and assess risk differently. This is not just a nice find, but a really great one that positively affects all aspects of the game. Gear and skill upgrades are nice, but choosing between them becomes really important because you have to keep in mind the limitations imposed by action cubes. Mechanics of darkness, various enemies, plot, deep combat... "Chronicles of Drunagor" has something to interest me. Moreover, fan and puzzlingness are mixed here in the right proportions. After the games, I started thinking about what adventure to play next and what approach I would have to take in that scenario. If the flooring evokes such thoughts, it means that it is made for conscience. I hope that many of you will also find something interesting for yourself in "Chronicles of Drunagor"...

 In short: the game is very, very fan-friendly. A little unpolished in places. Many interesting ideas, but unfinished. I think it wouldn't hurt the developers to test Company of Heroes for a few more weeks. They obviously tried to make it easier to get into the game by splitting one rulebook into two: basic and advanced rules, but there are so few advanced rules that it would have been better to include them in the first book and just make sense of it. And now you have to flip through one or another book, finding out what these symbols mean.  The gameplay is basically very simple: move-attack-supply. But the rules are structured and described in such a way that they are very difficult to digest. For example, movement mechanics: movement is divided into 3 movement actions, each of which uses 3 cubes. These cubes represent how many hexes your unit can move; the maximum is always equal to 3. Excessive freezing. Once you digest them, it becomes clear that these rules lead to unnecessary fuss. You place 1, 2, 3 cubes next to each unit you want to move, then almost immediately remove them from the field at the end of the movement phase. Of course, this is not the end of the world, but the gameplay is too boring. But the attack phase is much more puzzling: because of the symbols chosen by the developers. On the dice there are symbols of infantry, symbols of equipment, symbols of explosions and fire. Intuitively, it seems like infantry symbols would trigger when an infantryman attacks, but they don't; they only mean that this attack damages the infantry. In my opinion, a strange reverse logic. Plus, a surprisingly working defense mechanic. You will have to check the chart, match the dropped symbol with the symbol of the attacked unit to know if it is defending or not. Then roll the dice as many times as the required symbols have fallen out. Then match the cards of the attacker and the unit being attacked... The developers should have ditched all those reference sheets and reworked the combat mechanics. Completely unintuitive. I'm more than sure I've played them wrong on more than one occasion. That said, overall I enjoyed the game enough that I already have thoughts on home rules that simplify the mechanics. Cubes are also used frozen. You use the same dice for attacks, unit HP display, and hit rolls. I really dislike this mechanic; it wouldn't hurt to simplify it either. As a rule, you first place the attack dice with the corresponding symbol next to the unit being attacked. The defender then checks the results against the chart to see if he can defend with the dice. If not, it's an automatic hit, otherwise the defender rolls the dice in turn. If red faces fall out, the hits go through, otherwise they are blocked. All of this adds a lot of hemorrhaging to the game as players attack each other at the same time. They must keep dice close at hand at all times, roll them almost constantly, and remember that dice are only rolled for defense, not attack. In short, Company of Heroes has a lot of weird moments. Another problem is determining the sequence of attacks. Although the attacks are simultaneous, keeping track of who, what and what attacked, especially when there are large armies on both sides or if you are playing in team mode, is a nightmare.  The last thing I want to say about the attack phase is that it would be great if the dice that track damage to buildings and equipment were red instead of gray and white. A trailer, for sure, but the gray and white do not look like a loss indicator at all and also blend in with the surrounding components and the map. Far better would be bright red, which stand out against the background of another. In the supply phase, you replenish ammunition and fuel units, capture key points, purchase units and upgrades, and deploy them on the battlefield. This phase is fun for the most part, but (which is more of a team game than a duel) also gets pretty stilted, especially if you don't have the Terrain Pack flagpoles handy. Basically, they are replaced by tiny tokens that you place on a captured position and that are easy to overlook. In my opinion, this addition is essential so that you can properly consider the situation on the field. But even with flagpoles there is a lot of fuss. You start with +1 income from each type of resource (except victory points), and at the end of the round you increase your income by the number of flagpoles (key points) captured in that round. In a team game, you need to carefully monitor that no one gives themselves bonus income. And so that the adversaries reduce their income after capturing their key point.  Although I complained a lot above, I have a lot to praise Company of Heroes for, as I adore the game. First, component fuss aside, I really like the step-by-step movement. Let's say I roll my light T-70 into position and see an enemy Sherman hide behind an alert building in response. Later, I bring the mortars forward to engage a couple of units from afar, but in the meantime, the Sherman sneaks up behind my T-70. Fortunately, I had enough momentum left to back up and put my barrel on his exposed side. In general, the mechanics of movement in Company of Heroes are very good and generate a kind of push-pull. The design of the field helps reveal the tactical depth of the game. The walls, buildings, and bridges not only look stunning (very, very beautiful artwork), but also provide food for thought. Attempting to cross the bridge, at the other end of which are soldiers holed up in buildings and a machine gun nest, is suicidal. It's better to find a detour... or buy mortars and shell the area until the enemies are destroyed or forced to retreat. The game presents you with complex tactical tasks.  At the same time, Company of Heroes is very thematic. The combat phase generates (with dice, of course) entire stories, without sacrificing depth. For example, it is undesirable to interfere with the Flak installation in a firefight with heavy tanks, since it is intended for the destruction of infantry. The same goes for Jeeps (although they are my favorite); even after a 50 caliber cannon upgrade from one of the commanders, they don't stand a chance against a heavily armored monster. But the infantry squad is a completely different thing. And when you have to roll the dice for defense (for example, during mortar fire) the result is very intriguing. Because much, as in a real war, depends on the case. It remains to dig in and hope that the god of war will have mercy on you. Once one of my T-70s drove right into the center of the map and found itself surrounded by enemy mortars, gunners and light tanks. They diligently shot him, but by some miracle the tank survived (although at the end of the round the enemy won). Very cinematic. And sometimes the fear of an enemy unit is enough for the enemy to retreat. Another time I rolled a Panzer IV into an adjacent hex with a squad of infantry guarding a key point. The next move he retreated, and I took the dot without firing a single shot. And in the supply phase, it's just nice to see your income grow due to captured points and spend the prizes you get. Upgrade buildings to open access to new units. Think about, buy the unit that you need now, or the one that you want. Will survey the battlefield, emphasizing how much the situation has changed since the last round, and make strategic decisions. In addition, you will have a choice between several commanders, which are significantly different from each other, which will open access to particularly powerful special abilities, if you accumulate enough experience points for attacking and destroying enemies. In general, Company of Heroes left a very pleasant impression, despite even a bunch of frozen elements and confusing rules. Loved the game so much that I'm thinking about homerules that make it friendlier, Free for All, and homemade units. The core mechanics are well thought out, very fan and themed. If the game was polished it would be a 10 out of 10. Now I'll give it an 8 out of 10...

 ISS Vanguard was one of the most anticipated games for me. The game is about exactly what I dreamed of: you are the captain of a spaceship exploring amazing new worlds. Perhaps the most attractive setting for any fan of science fiction. In part, the grand idea of the authors came true: the game turned out to be thematic and with an exciting plot. Exploring the worlds and discovering new things is very exciting, and the narrative in the app is excellent (although I had to turn down the loud background music first).  It was not easy to break through the training mode, but in general the game is very clearly structured. The rulebook, player notes, ship's logbook, text on the cards — everything is quite simple and clear, despite the fact that the action is divided into several stages. All components are of excellent quality. Admittedly, I didn't splurge on the special kickstarter dice, but the basic ones are very nice, and the reviews on the kickstarter dice are mixed. I didn't buy a full set of miniatures either, which I didn't regret; all the small ones are completely unnecessary, except for the character models from the base box. Even the built-in organizer is very good here - however, the cards fit very tightly and it is not easy to find/pull out the necessary ones (and this is despite the fact that I did not put them in protectors). As for the game itself... The gameplay in ISS Vanguard is essentially to create obstacles in the way of the story and to make the decisions you make seem more meaningful. In this respect, it does its job of setting the pace of the game and giving you options to choose from. Like a gate guarding interesting secrets, technologies, pieces of the plot and setting. But if it wasn't for the setting and if the game was about, say, trains or harvesting, then I would definitely pass. The mechanics of ISS Vanguard are not too fan and shallow.  Gameplay decisions basically come down to which die to roll and whether to roll at all. While they can have significant consequences, the options are always few and far between, and you rarely think, “Oh, tough dilemma”—the options aren't too interesting. You simply roll dice of different colors, trying to roll certain symbols - and most often hoping to roll the Vanguard symbol (wildcard), because usually without wildcards, the chances of rolling out values are slim. Sometimes you need a certain color combination to be successful, which requires you to... throw away the appropriate color combination. Sometimes you have to throw out some failures, and then some successes. And the main problem is often limited resources: in order to be able to use the spent cubes again, you need to rest, which wastes time and limited supplies.  The gameplay will become more interesting when you can use the cards and special abilities of the crew members to control the randomness, but not to say much more interesting. I rarely get the feeling that I made a smart move or played an interesting combination. Maybe it's just me, but I often find myself looking annoyed at the cards in my hand—the only available way to manage randomness—and not enjoying the process. In addition, the 4 sections (classes) of the crew are too similar. It's just that some have more red cubes, others have more green or blue. Any crew member can be sent to any section, which feels realistic, but at the same time emphasizes how little mechanical difference there is between them. And you don't have to think about which sections to use. Go all out - it lowers the difficulty of the game and increases the rewards. Rewards for passing checks - hints (Leads) and discoveries (Discoveries). These mechanics seem interesting until you realize that many of the clues (more than half in my opinion) have zero value and don't get you any closer to the discovery. It's like winning the lottery and finding that the box is empty. Crazy and disappointing mechanics. And even when you do land on a discovery through consistent luck, it turns out that many of the discoveries only give pretty boring mechanical bonuses or are resources for research.  Each move is very likely to advance a kind of timer that promises trouble, as well as gradually depleting your precious supplies, the absence of which will lead to mission failure. So, in addition to the tactical level (cubes and cards), there is also a strategic need to optimize events and hurry. Realized it is not bad; most missions have a chance of failure (unless, of course, your dice are more merciful than mine), which feels realistic. With almost every roll of the dice, trouble can happen, trouble can lead to injury, and injury can lead to more trouble. In my opinion, randomness in ISS Vanguard can lead to a snowball effect, both positive and negative, both within a mission and throughout the campaign. If you get ahead, it will be easier for you to play, and if you are unlucky, it will not be easy to get out of the bottom. Although the gameplay is reduced to checks on dice, it is quite complex. Everything, absolutely all actions are divided into many stages and are subject to a bunch of rules. Yes, the basic cube check takes 10 stages (fortunately, a reminder will help you), and in the ship phase, a whole table with dozens of stages of actions awaits you. Although the setting is cool, the feeling of filling out a tax return involuntarily arises. I would prefer either more polished and simple mechanics with a lot of focus on the plot, or deeper mechanics that have a place for strategy and tactics. But the complexity of the actions combined with their primitiveness (everything boils down to a roll of the dice) is not to my liking at all. Isn't it a fan thing?  Overall, I love the setting and plot. But if you close your eyes to them and look at the game from a purely mechanical point of view, I did not like it. The more I play, the less I want to continue, and I'm not sure if I have the patience to finish the campaign. I gave ISS Vanguard a 7 on the BGG scale: "good game, usually don't mind breaking it down", a middle ground between the two extremes of great narrative and grim gameplay. I hope this review has helped you decide if the game is right for you...

 If you've ever wanted to be in the shoes of Indiana Jones: collecting ancient artifacts around the world and fighting Nazis, gangsters and cultists, this is your chance. Fortune & Glory from Flying Frog Productions tries to bring the atmosphere of a classic action novel to the table with a try-your-luck mechanic, dice-based combat and, most importantly, a stylish soundtrack CD. A little about Flying Frog Productions: all of their games (whether zombies, aliens, or action-packed adventures) have a strong emphasis on atmosphere. The mechanics are hardly elegant: they consist of a lot of dice rolls and drawing a lot of cards with a lot of artistic text. However, their games are often boring.  Fortune & Glory is designed for 1-8 players aged 12+ (I suspect this is due to the setting). According to the box, a game takes 90-180 minutes, but its duration can vary greatly depending on the number of participants and the selected game mode: solo, competitive, team-competitive or cooperative. Yes, I played one solo game in 45 minutes, but I was probably just lucky. If you order the game directly from Flying Frog (or buy from them at one of their tabletop shows), you'll get an extra pair of promo cards. COMPONENTS I will not list all the components - there are a lot of them. The set comes with a hefty trifold box (one of the reasons the box is so huge), almost 50 plastic figures (heroes, villains, temples), piles of plastic coins (which you use to mark your wealth and fame) and dice, and hundreds of cards. And even bigger cardboard sheets of characters and villains and stacks of tokens, including those that are useless in themselves but can be useful in homemade or future scenarios. And, of course, Flying Frog's signature feature is a soundtrack CD.  All cardboard is of very high quality: dense, with a glossy finish. The cubes are ordinary: small hexagons. The miniatures look pretty nice, with a unique figure for each hero and villain, plus a pack of Nazi soldiers and thugs. However, some of the minkes in my box turned out to have bent barrels. The cards are illustrated with photos of actors in costume and themed scenes, as in most Flying Frog games. There is usually quite a lot of text, sometimes very small (especially artistic), but generally readable without problems. However, for some reason, all Flying Frog games use hard glossy cards that stick to each other and are difficult to shuffle. The upside is that they will last longer, but I would prefer regular cards. The CD has a 35-minute soundtrack with music by Mary Beth Magallanes. It's nice to turn on the music and start playing. However, during the party, the soundtrack will repeat itself several times, considering its duration. If you want something longer, I would recommend the music from the Indiana Jones movies. GAME PROCESS I want to warn you right away: Fortune & Glory has a lot of all kinds of rules. For the first few games, you'll have to regularly consult the 30-page rulebook. Just listing the main mechanics (which I'm going to do below) takes up an entire sheet of paper. If you are not interested in it, you can immediately go to the descriptions of additions and conclusions at the end of the review. The game has several modes to choose from. The default is competitive, in which you compete to be the first to collect 15 units of wealth (gold) and return to your hometown. You can also play competitive team: the same, only you cooperate with a friend. In cooperative mode, a rogue organization (Nazis or gangsters) appears with its own special rules, which opposes you. Well, the solo mode is just cooperative alone. Also, the rules are divided into basic and advanced: so that you can get used to the game faster, and additional features - such as a Nazi airship flying over the map, collecting gold and landing soldiers - can be introduced later. Each player receives their character sheet, which lists the starting location, special abilities and parameters: combat, agility, intelligence and knowledge, plus health and defense indicators. Available characters include ace pilot Jay Zane, daring photographer Sharon Hunter, renowned scientist Dr. Zhukov, nightclub singer Li Mei Chen, and others.  There are always 4 treasures on the field. Treasures consist of an artifact card and an adventure card; in this way, treasures of different value and difficulty of obtaining are randomly generated. Some adventure cards have special special rules. Where exactly the treasure will appear is determined by drawing a card from the location deck. The location of the treasures is marked by small multi-colored skulls. The essence of the gameplay consists in walking by rolling the dice and in the following adventures. If you end the movement in a different location with a treasure or an enemy, then you roll a die to find out what you get: an event card (usually they are positive), or a fight (trouble), or the journey passed quietly and peacefully. If you are in a city, you draw a card from the city location. You might get a hazard challenge, a new piece of gear, an ally, or even a secret mission. In cities, you can also sell the collected treasures and spend your hard-earned glory on equipment, allies and healing wounds. Of course, the main action begins when you get to the treasure. In this case, you will have to pass the danger test. The red shield icon on the adventure card shows how many dangers must be overcome to obtain the treasure, while the gold coin icon on the artifact card shows how much wealth the treasure will bring.  To survive the danger, you need to pass the check indicated on the card. Some hazards allow you to choose a skill to use (or, as an option, engage in a fight with the enemy), while others will force you to choose one of the options offered. On each check, it is indicated which number on the die is considered a success, and the number of X's - how many successes are required. For example, "dexterity 4+xxx" means that you need to roll 4 or higher on three dice to pass the check. The number of dice rolled depends on your skill. If there is at least one success after the rolls, you can reroll all the dice. After a successful check, you receive a danger token and you have a choice: move on or take a breather. After taking a breather, you heal all wounds and receive as much glory (blue coins) as is indicated by the dangers you survived during this run. If you move on, you will draw a new danger card. This will bring you closer to the treasure, but at the same time there is a risk of being left without glory. If the danger test fails, it turns over and becomes a "cliffhanger" - until the next turn. For example, during a car chase, you allowed yourself to be overtaken and there was a massive explosion. Will you survive? We will find out in the next turn. Tense moments usually force you to pass a new check or just inflict a few wounds. In any case, if you survive a tense moment, you will receive a danger token and again you can move on or rest. When a tense moment fails, you lose consciousness and find yourself at home in your hometown. At the same time, you can lose earned cards, money or artifacts.  If several characters go to the same treasure, they take turns encountering dangers. Each player tries to pass the check, then decides whether to rest or move on, after which their neighbor draws a card. That way, even if you choose not to stop, a competitor can take the treasure, but you'll still have to go through the danger test with nothing in return (well, except glory). However, just getting the treasure is not enough - you have to return to the city, experience the city adventure, and then sell it and get rich. To win, you need to collect 15 units of wealth, and then wait a turn in your hometown. I will not describe the battles in detail. I will only say that bad guys can meet you in different ways. Some are spread across the map, so you'll have to fight them if you end up in the same location. Others also go on adventures and can snatch the treasure from under your nose. And from time to time you will meet an unfriendly personality, and you will have to draw a card from the deck of enemies. Battles are also allowed by throwing dice. If you wish, you can run away from the battle. If you play in co-op or solo mode, you will be confronted by Nazis or gangsters. And then a deck of thieving events appears on the field. The villains themselves establish new secret bases/lairs and/or go on treasure hunts each round. Your goal is to collect enough gold before the villains get a certain number of points. The Nazis prefer brute force: they spread across the map and capture cities. They are not easy to fight, plus they have a zeppelin that flies around the map. Gangsters establish lairs that bring them extra income, collect artifacts faster, and have the ability to kill/kidnap your allies. CONCLUSIONS I first tried Fortune & Glory at PAX two years ago, and the game seemed pretty fan-made. But when I brought the box home, my cell didn't appreciate it. Only during the game did I realize how many rules I had overlooked. Perhaps the most important of these was the caveat that if you are playing with more than 5 players, you must play as a team. As a result, our party of eight took too long. The second playthrough the next day went much smoother, but most of my friends didn't really like the game after the first try, so it ended up gathering dust on the shelf. I got the impression that Fortune & Glory is not worth spending on the layout and rereading the rules of effort. But since I'm a fan of Flying Frog decks, I decided to give the game one more chance before writing it off for good. At PAX Prime that year, I played a few more games—this time more carefully, re-reading the rules—in competitive, co-op, and solo modes, as well as add-ons...

 Drako is a game about a young dragon trapped in a valley and trying to save his skin from money-hungry gnome mercenaries. Since he's chained (for now) it won't be easy to escape, but the dragon is still full of strength and can breathe fire. On the dwarves' side is a long-range crossbow and a fishing net. Who will win in this fight? ABOUT THE GAME  Drako is a duel in which one player takes on the role of a dragon and the other three dwarves. The dragon's goal is to survive (hold out until the gnome uses up all actions) or kill all the gnomes. The goal of the dwarves is to kill the dragon before it flies away.  Drako is an asymmetric game. Although the goals of the participants are similar, each has their own strengths and weaknesses and different play styles. The dwarves must act aggressively to injure the dragon as quickly as possible. They are strong in a group and well protected, but it is better not to face a lizard 1v1.  If the number of dwarves decreases, it will become much more difficult to fulfill the victory condition. The dragon is very strong, but in order to use all of its abilities (flight, mobility and fire breathing), it needs to actively move around the field and attack from a safe position. At the heart of Drako are card-based actions. When playing cards, the dragon and dwarves attack, move, or use special abilities COMPONENTS  A medium-sized box (roughly from Battle for the Galaxy) contains 2 mini-tablets for both players, 1 field, 1 dragon token, 3 dwarf tokens (all three different), some tokens, and two decks of 38 cards, one of each the player The components are quite high-quality, nicely illustrated, and the small ones look great - at the level of FFG ones. Let's take a closer look at the cards, since the mechanics are tied to them. Each card has one or two symbols. They reflect what action a player can take after playing that card. If there are two symbols, then choose one of the two.  The following actions are available to the dragon: move 1-3 hexes, fly away (move to any hex), breathe fire (a ranged attack that hits a line), or defend.  ‣ The following actions are available to gnomes: move 1-2 hexes with one gnome, 1 hex with two gnomes, attack with one gnome with strength 1-2, attack with two gnomes with strength 1, throw a net (the dragon is temporarily unable to move and fly) or defend . FLOW OF THE GAME Each turn, each player has two actions, for which you can (in any order): ‣ Draw 2 cards from the deck. ‣ Play 1 card.  Thus, you can draw 4 cards, or draw 2 and play 1, or play 2. The hand limit is 6 cards; all excess are immediately reset. It seems that everything is simple, but sometimes it forces you to make difficult decisions. For example, should you put all your resources into attacking? This leaves you with fewer cards in your hand and leaves you vulnerable to your opponent's counterattack during their turn. Maybe it's better to wait until the opponent's hand is empty, and then finish it off? Each dwarf has its own health track. If it's over, it's a cover. The dragon has 4 health tracks: the first is his own health, and the other three are his skills. If the track of one of the skills (for example, flight) is filled, then the dragon is deprived of this skill. Therefore, during the game it makes sense for dwarves to try to injure the dragon to make it less mobile and more vulnerable. If the dragon runs out of cards, then his strength is exhausted, and he has to wait for the dwarves to finish him off. However, if the dwarves do not have enough cards to finish, the dragon breaks out of the trap and wins. IMPRESSION  Each dwarf has its own health track. If it's over, it's a cover. The dragon has 4 health tracks: the first is health and the other three are his skills. If the track of one of the skills (for example, flight) fills, then the dragon is deprived of this skill. Therefore, during the game it makes sense for dwarves to try to injure the dragon to make it less mobile and more vulnerable. If the dragon runs out of cards, then its strength is exhausted, and it remains to wait for the dwarves to finish it off. However, if the dwarves do not have enough cards to finish, the dragon breaks out of the trap and wins.  Experienced players have a clear advantage over beginners, and that's a good thing: it shows that Drako doesn't depend on the random arrival of cards in the hand (plus, you can always bluff). If you have more cards, it gives you a double advantage: firstly, more flexibility, secondly, the opponent knows that you have more options for actions, and you are more likely to be able to defend effectively. With only 1-2 cards in your hand, you are vulnerable to attacks. Although it can also be a bluff (suddenly you have two shields up your sleeve). So strategy and tactics are important in Drako. You can't call it a particularly deep game, but it creates interesting situations on the field. Example: I play as a dragon. I'm surrounded by two dwarves plus a third aiming a crossbow. In the hand - 2 attacking cards plus a shield. What shall I do? Attack or flee by applying 2 cards (each of which moves 2 hexes), or risk it and draw new ones? I draw after gaining shield and flight. Now I have 5 cards in my hand. I decide to draw 2 more (fire breath plus attack). I drop the attack. Now comes the run of dwarves. They attack: double attack first. I take 1 damage and defend against the second. The dwarves then attack with power 2, but I still have 1 shield left. On my turn, I parry with flight and firebreath two dwarves with power 2. The enemy takes 1 shield, but the second dwarve takes 2 damage. Now he only has one card left in his hand, and the Dwarf Crossbowman is missing one hex to me. I'm safe...for now. I play as dwarves. A dragon always uses flight. So I wait until good cards come into my hand. First I apply the network, then I draw 2 cards. The dragon must spend two actions to break free from the net. This is my chance: double move, then double attack. The dragon doesn't defend itself (no shields?). I use the special ability "Rage" to do another action: attack his wings twice. He takes the damage and loses his ability to fly. Got it, friend. CONCLUSION  Drako is a great frivolous duel. Simple, but often makes you think carefully about the next action that can decide the outcome of the battle. There's room for bluffing, there's hand management, and a bit of randomness (after all, the game is tied to the cards). Will Drako suit everyone? Of course not (just like any other game). Drako is great for fillers — right in between long, difficult duel games — and parents playing with their sons. The games are fast (20 minutes), without downtime, full of fun. Although I prefer heavy Euros, I really liked the Drako. I recommend..

 You have inherited an old distillery and are burning with the desire to restore the former glory of the family business.  Over the course of seven rounds, you'll learn spirits recipes, buy the right ingredients for them, create drinks, sell them and improve your distillery. All this in order to earn the most victory points and become the best master of his craft. At the beginning of the game, each player will receive two characters, of which he must keep one for himself. The choice of character depends on what ability you will have, what will be the size of the starting capital and what will be the starting ingredients.  In addition to this, each character has their own signature recipe, ingredient and affiliation to a certain region.  At the beginning of the game, each player will receive 3 cards of personal goals, for the achievement of which at the end of the game he will receive additional victory points. You need to keep only two of the three goal cards.  The game lasts 7 rounds, each of which is divided into 4 phases: MARKET PHASE During this phase, players make 1 buyer each and pass the move until everyone says "pass". Each drink necessarily consists of three ingredients: water, yeast and sugar.  1. In the regular market you can buy: yeast, water, one of three types of sugar and containers for storing the drink. When you buy yeast or water from the regular market, you get the bonus indicated on the card (1 coin or view a card from the deck of the elite market with the possibility of purchasing it).  In the normal market, you can only buy 2 cards in the entire market phase. The purchased ingredients go to the pantry, and the containers go to the utility room.  Depending on the type of drink being created, it will be possible to sell it immediately after creation, or send it to the warehouse so that it reaches the required age, and only then sell it. For storage in the warehouse and required containers.  2. In the elite market, you can buy elite versions of everything that is available in the regular market. Using elite ingredients in your drink earns you more victory points and more money for selling it.  In addition to this, in the elite market you can buy improved versions of barrels and bottles, which you will need to sell or age the drink. Using elite tanks will earn you victory points depending on the quality of the tank itself.  All available distillery upgrades are also sold in the elite market, and each of them has a unique property. Purchased improvements are placed on the tablet of your room, which has only 3 cells for improvements (but they can be replaced).  After buying any card in the elite market, all other cards of the purchased type are shifted to the right, and a new card is opened. And at the end of the phase, when everyone has said "pass", the rightmost card of each suit is sent to reset, all cards are shifted to the right, new ones are added. If any of the decks run out, the discard shuffles and forms a new deck. 3. Buying a recipe is necessary in order to learn how to make new types of drinks. You cannot create a potion without having the recipe to create it. Each player has the same list of available recipes. No recipe is needed to create the first two types of drink – vodka and moonshine. Other recipes are divided into 3 types: bronze, silver and gold.  When you buy a recipe, you mark any drink on your list that matches the color of the purchased recipe cube.  Each of the drinks belongs to the region, these designations are needed to fulfill some personal goals. The recipe for each of the drinks includes a unique set of conditions of ingredients that should be present and ingredients that should not be in it.  In addition to this, it indicates what capacity is required for this drink and the aging requirement.  The recipe for each drink shows how many victory points will be earned by selling that drink. If a drink recipe has a house icon instead of a region, then that drink is the same as your character's region. DISTILLATION PHASE All players simultaneously choose which ingredients to add to their fermentation vats.  For each added sugar, you need to add 1 card of alcohol.  All the cards in the tank must be placed face down, shuffled, and the top and bottom cards of the deck must be removed, returning them to their storage. This is an imitation of the distillation process, during which the so-called "heads" - concentrates of harmful impurities formed during distillation, and "tails" - poisonous substances that give an unpleasant smell and taste, are removed. The remaining deck needs to be opened. This will be the result of your distillation.  If this result fits the requirements of the recipe you have, then you have succeeded in creating a drink. Now all you have to do is add a storage container and get a label for your created drink. If your distillation result meets the requirements of several recipes at the same time, you choose what to create. The number of labels is limited and players receive them on a turn-by-turn basis. Someone may not get the label.  At the start of this phase, you may trade 1 card from your Vault for 1 card from the Regular Market of equal or lesser value. SALE PHASE In this phase, you need to sell the created drink, if it does not require aging. In addition to this, you can sell a drink that has reached the desired age in your storage. The sale takes place one drink at a time. To sell, you need to lay out the entire drink deck with its capacity and add the bottle card to it.  Get the amount of money shown on all cards in the drink deck + storage container card + bottle card + recipe money (vodka and moonshine only). Get victory points on all drink cards sold + recipe victory points + stamina bonus. The stronger the drink, the more victory points it will bring.  Place the label on one of the seven available bonus slots and claim it.  The starting container and bottle cards must be returned to the pantry. Elite bottle cards must be placed separately next to the tablet. For them, you will receive  additional victory points at the end of the game.  Normal cards used for a drink are returned to the normal market. Alcohol cards - in your stack. All elite cards are in their discard piles. Taste cards - for reset. HOLD PHASE In this phase, all potions in your storage receive a flavor map. The more flavor cards a drink gets, the more winning points and money its sale will bring.  1. If in the sell phase you did not sell your potion because it requires aging, place it in storage with all cards in use without the container face down. Only 2 drinks can be in storage at a time. If you want to put a third there, something will have to be sold. 2. Without looking, add 1 flavor card to the bottom of this deck. 3. Place a storage container card and label on top of this deck. If you already have a potion in your storage during this phase, without looking, add 1 flavor card to the bottom of this deck. If in the last round you create a potion that requires aging, you can't sell it, but you get victory points from all the cards in it + victory points for its recipe. After all players have sold and held their drinks, the round ends, the first player's token is passed around the circle.  Before starting a new round, it is necessary to check whether any of the players have reached the general objectives (these objectives are opened at the beginning of the game by the number of players +1). If there is such a player, he receives victory points for this, the overall goal token is flipped over, and it is unavailable. If there are several applicants for the same goal, they divide the award in half, rounding up. Branded recipe labels are not considered general purpose.  If you didn't sell your drink this turn, you can hold a tasting at your distillery: spend up to 4 winning points and get 1 coin for each point spent. At the end of the game, players receive victory points for: 1. drinks left in the storage room (without money and glasses for aging); 2. Collected collections of bottles; 3. improvement of the distillery (as indicated on the maps); 4. personal goals; 5. the money left in the reserve (6 to 1)...

 Did you ever imagine as a kid that you had your own amusement park? You thought you could ride all the rides, eat fast food in any quantity, stay up all night to watch endless fireworks. But now you will descend from heaven to earth. Actually, managing a theme park is a huge amount of hard work. You must build rides, hire staff, open entertainment venues, improve and upgrade equipment to outshine rival parks, and be prepared for any subterfuge, corporate schemes or espionage from other players. Who will have the grandest amusement park at the end of 8 rounds? Fingers crossed for luck! PREPARATION FOR THE GAME  To lay out the game, each player chooses one of the themed decks to include in the game. Then you take all the cards of the chosen theme, divide them by type (event, park, drawing, etc.) and shuffle everything together. Each player receives a center gate card, a loan card, 20 coins, and 5 cards from the top of the park deck. Once all players have received their cards, the first round can begin. GAME PROCESS The Unfair game consists of 8 rounds. In each round, starting with the first player, you will go through 4 phases. In phase 1, the event phase, each player plays an event card and then has the opportunity to play as many event cards from their hand as they wish. Phase 2 is the park phase where you will do your main actions. On your turn, you have several options: you can buy a card from your hand or from the market on the playing field to add to your park, or draw some more cards from your park deck, events, or blueprints, or demolish an attraction in your park, or "pick up a change" (this is the weakest action in my opinion, but it can give you a few more dollars instead of taking out a loan). After the action-packed Park phase, you get all the money from ticket sales in the Visitor phase. Finally comes the "Cleaning Up" phase, which involves preparing for the next round. I know what you're thinking. And that's all? The most interesting thing here is how everything is related to the subject. If you play cards from the vampire deck, you can hire a collaborator who can charm other players into giving you their abilities. With the cards from the pirate deck, many cards will be aimed at getting all the loot without making any trade-offs for your opponents! Your park can only hold 5 rides, so you also have to make sure you make the most of the limited space. At the end of the round you must discard up to 5 cards. You can carry over event cards you play from round to round, but they count against your hand limit. You will always try to weigh whether a particular card is worth taking up space in your hand. Unfair can be unfair, mean, mean, because your actions and event cards can interfere with other players' parks, but it's just a game; in principle, its meaning is hidden in the name of the game, so it should not be surprising. Depending on the theme you choose (the base game includes Vampires, Ninjas, Pirates, Gangsters, Robots, and Jungles), certain cards also allow you to redirect or defend against any attack or event that might cause damage to your park. COMPONENTS The box contains: 86 coins (denominations 1, 5, 25, 125), 6 themed sets, 57 cards each, a phase counter in the shape of a roller coaster cart, a playing field and a notebook for counting points with a pencil. The components of this game are great in my opinion. The playing field is of good quality, the chips are thick and the cards are of good quality. Artists David Forrest and Lina Cossett have to be applauded, as everything from the cover to the field and maps look like some of the most brilliant work I've ever seen in a board game. The cards are really beautiful with unique artwork that just permeates the theme. CONCLUSIONS I love Unfair, it's approachable and easy to understand. I feel like a kid every time we open the box. It's a very themed game that doesn't stress me out at all, it's just fun to play and it's very strategic. Mixing different themes forces you to adjust your strategy every game, so I'm always amazed at how my park looks at the end of the game. The game works well for any number of players, but can be a bit slow at 5. If I had to find a fault, it would be that when the final round starts, I feel like I've already done everything I wanted to. We will always play with a game changer that shortens the game to 6 rounds. It speeds up the game and builds tension because you know you won't be able to get everything done in time. I would rate Unfair 5 out of 5. — This is exactly what I want from a board game. I will never give up the party and want to play it regularly. It is hard to imagine that I will ever get rid of this game...

 Uprising: Curse of the last Emperor - cooperative 4 for 2-4 participants. Players must defeat both the legions of the Empire and the hordes of Chaos to win freedom for their peoples. FILLING THE BOX  The quality of Uprising's components is impressive. All the illustrations are great. The plastic stands look great, as does the playing field. It is very large and divided into hexes. The game laid out on the table looks impressive. The playing field simultaneously serves as a very convenient landmark, where a rather complex structure of the move is written in detail, and in two directions; no matter where you sit, it will be easy to reach the attraction. In addition to the main playing field, there are also two tablets: one for quests and items, the other for the bad ones. A pleasant, but completely optional supplement. If they are not placed on your table, you can simply not use them. As for the players' tablets, they are also good quality and thick and also clutter the field. The cards are made of high-quality material, although they tend to stick together, which makes it difficult to shuffle them. Protectors are highly desirable. I liked that garrisons are marked with plastic tokens that are placed on top of each other, as well as walls and towers that you can surround your shelters with. There's a lot of stuff on the playing field, and it's nice that three garrisons take up as much space as one garrison. Thank God, the game has a built-in organizer, and a very good one at that. It is far from ideal: cubes do not fit in there, and there is no compartment for some items. But in general, it is quite convenient and speeds up the layout of the game. I also really liked the rule book: small, square format, spring-bound - just the thing to lay open during the game. It looks bright, there are a lot of examples, everything is clear, except for a few points that would not hurt to describe in more detail. There is also a table of contents and an index, thanks to which it is easiest to find the necessary rule. I really appreciate that the authors clearly worked on the rulebook, unlike many other companies. 4X IN CUT DOWN VIEW  In Uprising 2–4, the tribes decide to take advantage of the conflict between Chaos and the Empire to regain their independence. Players will have to explore new lands (eXploration), collect resources (eXploitation), build units and new shelters (eXpansion), and, if everything goes well, destroy the forces of the Empire and Chaos (eXtermination - whoever destroys whom is a big question). Players score joint victory if they have more victory points than the Empire and Chaos by the end of the game. At the start, players have almost nothing: only one shelter (village) in the corner of the map, some resources, a few starting specialties and a hero. Most of the land is unexplored, so the hexes lie shirt-side up — except for the imperial capital in the center of the map and its surrounding garrisons. The party is divided into 4 chapters. Although the turn structure is quite complex, the basics are clear from the turn: in the event phase, enemies are placed on the map, in the construction phase, players build armies and fortify shelters, in the action phase, players act by spending their 8 action points, in the nemesis phase, enemies move, and in the set of points, everyone gets their software. At first glance, everything looks standard: at the beginning of the game, your hero explores several new lands, revealing the hexes and enemies placed on them. Your armies go out to fight them (and win if you're lucky). You build a new shelter in new territories, which will bring you resources to build new armies, etc. However, Uprising has a number of significant differences from the classic formula. The mechanics are closely interconnected, the difficulty is very high, and you need to cooperate so that you have at least a chance to win.  The process of exploring the surrounding area is dangerous: there is an enemy on each opened hex (and if it is empty, then one of the enemies in the game receives reinforcements). And these enemies will help the goblins if you don't exterminate them right away: Imperial Garrisons bring Imperial OP, and Chaos Skeletons... Well, they are quite passive on their own, but if you have to place three Skeletons on one hex, then a Chaos Horde will appear, and the appearance of the horde is very bad news. You get nowhere without research, but at the same time, research makes your opponents stronger. You have your own army to fight the garrisons and skeletons. Initially, only basic units are available to you, but later you will have access to advanced units. Each unit rolls one die. The color of the cube depends on its chances of throwing a hit, shield (which cancels enemy hits) or lightning (allows you to activate special abilities); different units have different dice. Additionally, archers roll their dice before combat, potentially giving them a chance to shoot an opponent on approach. Although enemies can also have archers... The main problem is that you can't have more than 5 units in one hex, and therefore in one skirmish. The world of Uprising is a cold wasteland that simply does not have the resources to feed a large army. Therefore, you will always have to carefully plan in advance with whom and when to enter into battle. A couple of skeletons or level 1 garrisons are usually easy pickings, but more serious opponents present problems. Both garrisons and skeletons are mere flowers compared to... LEGIONS OF DEATH  Your main opponents are the legions of the Empire and the hordes of Chaos. Although each of them is represented by one stand, in fact there is a whole cluster of unpleasant units. Horde/Legion characteristics and the dice they roll are listed on a separate card, with their hazard level (basically HP difference) ranging from 1 to 7. And they roll lots and lots of dice. Moreover, they are not only big and scary, but they will make you dirty in every way: they make you dirty when they are displayed on the field, they make you dirty every time they throw lightning. They will teleport you to unpleasant locations, steal one of your 8 actions until their death, steal one of your actions forever, destroy your units before the battle begins. Legions will literally chase you. Each legion has its own objective token, which is awarded to the player with the fewest troops. The Legion will move towards that player until it destroys their shelter. Then it will move to the next shelter of that player... In short, you get a personal nemesis.  Hordes of Chaos are not so dangerous at first glance, but only at first. They don't have a specific goal, although they will definitely prioritize the player's shelter if it comes their way. The main thing is that they curse the lands they pass through. Cursed lands are of no benefit to the players, and even worse, bring OP to Chaos. This creates an interesting dichotomy: The Empire is trying to intercept and destroy you, so you have to play defensively. Chaos is not as focused, but you will have to intercept his hordes yourself - otherwise Chaos will easily win. Battles with hordes and legions are the most epic part of the game. These are formidable opponents, and you have a maximum of 5 units in one battle. So an undamaged horde/legion cannot be defeated in one battle; will have to attack multiple times, often by multiple players. In Uprising, your armies will be decimated repeatedly (but you'll rebuild them just as often if you're lucky). PLAYER OPPORTUNITIES  However, the players are far from defenseless. Actually, they have so many different tools at their disposal that it is easy to forget about any possibility. To begin with, each hero has their own special ability deck (and each faction has two heroes to choose from), and you'll get a new one in each chapter. Some are useful in combat (effects vary from rolling dice to all kinds of bonuses), others allow you to manipulate the map, others provide mobility, etc. Most combat special abilities work only if there is a hero on that hex. If you attack yourself, it is not difficult to plan everything. If you are attacked by several enemies, it becomes much more difficult. There is also a market in the game where you can buy useful items. And druid cards, which are revealed in each chapter and give bonuses when discarding monsters. And quests are cards that give useful buns if you roll a certain result on the dice (by the way, this is the only way to remove the curse). And varied terrain that can help or hinder. In short, there are a lot of all kinds of factors here. It's a good idea to read the rules carefully before matches to know what can affect the outcome of the fight if you want to have a chance of winning. But the main tool in your arsenal is the conflict between Chaos and the Empire. They treat each other no more kindly than they treat you. When Horde and Legion converge on the same hex, they engage in battle. Such moments are especially gratifying. Moreover, these are random clashes; The placement and movement mechanics of the hordes/legions are well known, so with some effort you can manipulate them by pitting them against each other. This is an important component of the game that is critical to success. FLEXIBILITY The parties in Uprising are difficult, especially for beginners. While players aren't permanently out of the game—if a player gets rid of all shelters, they place new ones for free in the next chapter—they can find themselves in a very unenviable position. But after a while you will gain experience, start winning and probably want more challenges. Fortunately, Uprising is a flexible game. The duration of the games is adjustable: you can play in 3 sections, you can also play in 2. I do not recommend the latter (the layout takes too much..

 "The Thing" is an excellent game: exciting, with tension that builds as the game progresses, just like in the movie. The weight category is medium. The replayability is very decent. COMPONENTS  I bought the kickstarter Super Deluxe. The components in it are gorgeous. Excellent miniatures, and the characters are recognizable (which cannot be said about Western Legends, for example). Thick, pleasant to the touch plastic tokens. The cards are also thick. My only gripe is that the text on the tokens used in the contact phase is white on white. It's a little hard to read. Also, when playing alien-human interactions, dog tokens are used, which was a little confusing to us until we realized that this was for economy: to not produce an extra set of tokens for humans. In general, this is a trifle. BOOK OF RULES The rulebook doesn't miss a beat, but it does feel confusing in places, especially when it comes to the layout process. Technically everything is correct, but to understand, you have to read the whole section carefully. There is a lot of commotion with decks, bags, etc. depending on the number of players. An example of a confused description is the instructions for mixing location maps in the dogs section. In general, it's a good idea to read the rules sections carefully before doing anything. GAME PROCESS  The game is good in many ways because it borrows a lot of mechanics from other games: we found references to Avalon, "Dead of Winter", Ultimate Werewolf Extreme and even "Secret Hitler". However, the mechanics did not stupidly copy, but modified. Almost all changes benefited the game. In essence, this is a game about the secret placement of workers (each character can go to one location per turn), in which there are interesting, difficult solutions. Here is one of our "favorite" points: when repairing the base (which is a critical part of the game), if 2 characters are in the same location, then you get great bonuses. For example, if 1 character repairs a radio station, you will repair one token, if 2, you will repair three tokens, and if 3, then as many as six. So there is a good reason to go around the locations not alone.  However, when two or more characters appear in the same location, contact occurs. If one of the participants participating in the contact is an alien (at the start, one of the players becomes an alien, that is, a bad guy), then with a 50% chance he will infect others, and they will also become aliens. Thus, for the sake of bonuses, you have to take risks every time. And this is just one of many situations where a difficult decision must be made.  Another interesting aspect of the worker placement mechanic is that on your turn you place your character in the chosen location and place the action card face down. Available actions are activation, repair and sabotage; the effect of each differs depending on the selected location. When everyone goes, the leader shuffles the deck, turns the card over and chooses which character to assign it to. Then, if desired, he can reveal the next card from the stack, and so on, until each character gets one. It reminds me a lot of the mechanics of Avalon, only with new interesting nuances. There are many different victory conditions for both humans and aliens, and with the addition of Norwegian Station (based on the 2011 film), there are even more. I will not go into further details of the rules. I will only say that all the mechanics of the game are designed to generate tension, annoyance and force you to make difficult decisions. CONS OF THE GAME Personally, there are almost no flaws in "The Thing". The only complaint is that the characters have asymmetric abilities, most of which boil down to "Your character gets a bonus at location X." The problem is that because of this, players often go to the same location every turn to get a bonus. Maybe it's not that bad, since the leader shuffles the deck anyway, and deciding which card to put in the stack is just as important as deciding where to go.  Another drawback is the rules. If you read the rules cover to cover before the start, it will be difficult to digest them. Before the first game, it is better to familiarize yourself with how the phases of the game are arranged, and then make the first move, explaining the rules of the current phase as you go. Rarely applicable rules (such as dissecting an alien) can be explained as follows: “If an alien is revealed, it receives powerful buns. On your turn, you can open into Phase X if you're an alien, and then we'll run through the rules." True, hardcore fans who prefer to know all the rules in advance will have a hard time. I also want to emphasize an interesting point: when people are infected, only the infected player will know about it; even the alien who infected has no idea if he succeeded. In our party, when about half way through the party, EVERYONE became aliens, but we didn't know it. When the game ended (with the aliens winning, unsurprisingly) and we revealed the cards, we spent 20 minutes trying to trace who infected whom.  The Thing will definitely remain in my collection and I'll be putting the game down regularly. Especially in winter...