We give bribes. Game Review For Northwood!
Related Products
Trick games are probably the best "classic" card games in my opinion because of the combination of luck, strategy, and bluffing that occurs when playing with other people. It gets even better when you add bets, because trying to hit a certain target number of tricks (or - even harder - no tricks at all) dramatically increases the strategy. It's a complex mix of elements that's hard to replicate in a single-player game because trick-or-treating games thrive on player interaction.
For Northwood! so clever because it turns everything into a puzzle.
During the preparation of the game, you arrange 8 fiefdoms in a row. The object of the game is to convince each possession to ally with you through skillful diplomacy (by winning the required amount of bribes for that possession).
Instead of forcibly conquering kingdoms through violent expansion or threats, you engage in diplomatic conversation (cards of the same suit are called "conversation cards") to peacefully unite the land of Northwood. Can we have more designs dedicated to peaceful discussion of our problems rather than criticism?
Let's go back to mechanics. The target number of bribes depends on the location of the fiefdom in the row. The goal for the leftmost possession is 0 bribes, while the rightmost possession is 7. Now here's what makes sense:
- After setting up the game (and between each "round") you draw a hand of 8 cards. After checking your cards, you decide which estate to visit. There is no set order. And since each fiefdom has a separate trump suit, you can prioritize which one has the best chance of winning. You can only visit each fiefdom once, and if you don't reach your target number by the end of the round, they will become hostile and impossible to defeat again.
I'm visiting the King of Eyes and have to win 1 trick with this card combination - I think it's possible!
- Feudal rule each bribe by playing the top card of the deck and you must respond (following the standard bribery rules). There's a lot of luck involved in this, so there are a number of luck mitigation abilities available to you. You have 4 allies with one-shot abilities each round that range from changing the composition of your hand to reordering the top cards of the deck to canceling tricks won. And once you win fiefdoms, their ability becomes available to use once, so your skill set expands as you progress.
I can't win a single trick against the King of Flowers, so I brought in the Queen of Leaves and the Queen of Eyes, two friends I made earlier, to help!
- Because you can choose the order in which to visit each fiefdom, you can find strategic allies to help mitigate the unique challenges of a particular fiefdom. Taking 0 bribes is hard, but maybe if you have the option to return the winnings, it will be a little more real...
- Finally, even if you lose a few fiefdoms, you can still win! This is because in order to win, you must win 3 possessions that have stars under them (each possession gets a random location card, 3 of which have stars). You won't find out until the end, but there is an incentive to keep playing until the end, since you can theoretically only win by winning 3 of the 8 fiefdoms.
I've played a few times and I think there are actually too many ways to mitigate luck, but luckily for me there are two additional levels of difficulty that I haven't tried yet!
I'm really impressed - which is probably pretty clear from this post. For Northwood! does a fantastic job of capturing the aspects of luck, strategy, and betting in bribery games. Bluffing - not so much, but who would you bluff against...yourself?
425 грн.
For Northwood! A Solo Trick-Taking Game (ukr)
DESCRIPTION OF BOARD FOR NORTHWOOD! A SOLO TRICK-TAKING GAME "For Northwood!" - A subtle tactical game in which you will have conversations with magical forest rulers. You are offered three levels of difficulty and many story scenarios that will make you rack your brains. In each game, you will use 12 of the 24 ruler cards, constantly facing new challenges. BRIBE FOR ONE PLAYER In the solo game "For Northwood!" you are trying to peacefully unite a fragmented forest kingdom...