Review From the game The Pursuit of Happiness

 In this article I will talk about the game "The Pursuit of Happiness" . I will say right away that I did not play purely in the basic version, but immediately mixed both additions, so I will talk about the game with add-ons. Grab some tea, cookies, and we'll get started.

WHAT IS THE GAME ABOUT?

 The Pursuit of Happiness is a Euro game for 1-5 players (5th player added in add-on) that simulates the life of a real person. The game lasts up to 8 rounds, which are divided into three periods: teenager, adult and senior. This game is a sandbox where you are free to create your own destiny.

SHORT RULES

 Each round, the player has an average of 6 actions (their number may increase or decrease), which he spends on "living" his life. You place your hourglass token on one of the actions and perform it.

 You can get 3 units of one of four types of resources (knowledge, creativity, communication and money).

 You can start any projects or hobbies. Projects are short-term (they are done once and reset), shared (multiple players can participate in them, for example, "start a music group" or "found a political party"), and long-term (these projects remain with the player until he masters the skill , such as "start writing a novel" or "learn to play the guitar").

 You can also buy various items, get pets and many other interesting things.

 As soon as we move into the "adult" stage, things like "getting a job," "starting a relationship," and "working overtime" are open to us.

 The job will earn the player money every round as long as he fulfills its requirements.

 You can start a relationship, and in the future create a family and have a child.

 Work Overtime: The player gets two extra actions, but also increases their stress level. As soon as the players enter the "summer" stage, this opportunity is closed for them.

 Also, players can travel to different places and participate in community projects, increasing their popularity. You can go to the city Saturday festival or take part in a quest. All this increases your popularity and brings resources and victory points.

 Two important scales in the game are Mood and Stress. For a good mood, players receive a discount on the implementation of projects, and for a bad one, on the contrary, they have to pay extra.

 Stress is probably the most important scale. A high level of stress robs players of action, and if a player crosses the red line, their character dies and it's game over for them. "Old" players automatically accumulate stress, so if you want to live longer, I recommend a healthy lifestyle (but this is optional - you are free to live as you wish).

 Eventually the game ends after 8 rounds or as soon as the last player's character dies.

PROS OF THE GAME

 Simple rules. The game is a placement of workers, so there should be no problems with the rules. You can play even with beginners.

 Atmosphere. With the right approach, players seem to be living real life. You can become a famous blogger, a great lawyer or just a great family man. You can simply travel to different parts of the world or improve in different fields of science. Players can do whatever they want (if there are enough resources, of course).

CONS

 The need for imagination. This game should be played like a life simulator. Some players play it like regular Euro, and from the mechanics point of view it is too simple, so it is quite boring for such players to play it.

IMPRESSION

 Overall, I liked the game. After watching years of gameplays of various bloggers who fully played their lives, the game seems incredibly atmospheric. Either I have a problem with imagination, or I play it like another Euro, but I personally did not succeed in playing my role. If you like simple Euros or the computer game The Sims, I definitely recommend it.