Archipelago

This can be a bit hit or miss. When it is good it is very good but the Seperaist (if in play) can get things a little too easy which makes for a bad overall experience.

Need to give this one another try. The first and only play was long and ended with the game beating all players.

Initial game thoughts (1x 5p game):

An intriguing (and quite unique) design of hidden goals, hidden game end conditions, and a traitor potential wrapped around a game where everyone can lose. On it's face, it's incredibly ambitious and I think it pulls it off with some quirks.

The game does have a lot of overhead in rules to accomplish things, but the real meat is in the victory conditions and end game conditions. These are hidden, so you just sort of plod along doing your thing, hoping you realize that someone is racing a condition. You'll score points for all of them, but you only know that yours is in play. The downside to this is twofold; the first issue is you need a really good player aid with all of this detailed (and by game length as the cards differ for each of the three setups). Otherwise having a player build a town in a hex with iron on it only looks like they want to guard that resource vs realizing that it scores them 3ps (in a game where end scores are maybe 10pts worth it seems). Without that, it's entirely possible that people just don't do what's required to push the game to end because they look at their own and saying "na, I don't need those, so I won't do it" and you just plod along. The second issue, and one that I don't have a solution to is; in an interactive game, it appears that most interaction at a strategic level is predicated on knowing what your opponent wants and then building your plans around that. When all of this information is hidden, you just sort of experience the game and wander around (and I think Cole picks up on this in his notes as well).

That experience though is really well done. You explore the tropical setting, grow your people, build towns/civilizations, and migrate. The game really does feel like a micro-civ game in that regard and I was impressed by just how well it did. After finishing our initial medium game, I went back and looked. The short game sort of short-circuits that arc, where as I'm not sure the long game adds anything (and in fact, had we had the ship building card in play from the long game, it would have ended 2 rounds sooner than it did). I could see this absolutely shining with a compliment of experienced players, excellent attention to other's actions, and a full afternoon to kill. Getting it to the table might be problematic given the commitment needed for it.

Side note, this is the game that made me understand what people meant when they said "it's not a German euro, it's a French euro" in that it has this massive thematic hook into actions and rules.

Weak 7. Potential to go up or down a full point.

Would be a "10" -2 points for one of the worst rulebooks ever.

Archipelago: Solo Expansion

Archipelago is a prime example how to seamlessly merge mechanics and theme. One of the most beautiful and thematic games I have ever played while remaining very strategic.

It has its fair share of flaws - rulebook could have been much better. Complexities are found where you don't expect them, sou you have to reach to the FAQ more often than I'd like to admit. But, we love it despite all that.

Somehow manages to deliver an intriguing experience despite all the busyness. Surprised at how well it balances everything going on.