The Illumination of Lucid City

Lucid City presents an interesting approach to cooperative gameplay. It features rebels in hiding (the players) fighting against control-obsessed overlords (the board). We had the opportunity to play the game at a First Exposure event during GenCon 2018. Barry Goldstein, the creator of the game, explained the rules and left us to develop our own strategies as we navigated the dangers of a dystopian world plagued by brain parasites. A key mechanic in the version we played was that you could not tell your teammates what cards you had. This complicates matters in a unique way as you fight to take back sections of the city. Another distinct feature, is how the game delivers obstacles. Rather than the board sending out unfortunate events on a turn based system, the board responds directly to player action. The options available on a player's turn are vast, but there are always repercussions. The game contains challenging mechanics that result in satisfying gameplay as you try to coordinate with other players who are blind to your capabilities. It all came together to create a fun experience filled with cliffhanger moments, held breaths, and sudden laughter as your teammate's good intentions go horribly wrong.