Spiel 2018: report of the third day of the fair

Spiel 2018: report of the third day of the fair

Although Saturday is the busiest and most stressful day, this third day of the Essen Spiel 2018 was the one in which we had the most fun, in which we spent the most time at the tables (perhaps because tired of having wandered aimlessly among the stand for the first two days) and in which we discovered the most interesting games.


If you missed the reports of the first two days, you can find them at this link (first day) and this link (second day).


Orbis

Spiel 2018: report of the third day of the fair

Orbis had been at the top of our list for a long time. Passing in front of the Space Cowboys stand in the first two days of this Essen Spiel 2018, we saw the high number of tables available to test the game, and we decided to postpone the test to the day of greatest turnout. The choice was wise as, although the pavilions were packed with people, we didn't have to wait to be able to sit down.

In Orbis we will impersonate a God leading a civilization, with the task of creating new territories and obtaining faithful. The territories will be taken from a grid (paying the possible cost in followers) and arranged in a pyramid formation, with a base of 5 tiles, in which the color of the tiles from the second level of the pyramid up must match the color of one of the tiles underlying. Some territories have conditions that, if respected, will guarantee points at the end of the game. At the top of the pyramid instead a divinity tile will be placed, which generally provides additional points or prevents the loss of points.


The game is tactical and of medium depth, the things to take into account are not few, but the shifts follow one another fast. The interaction is present in the right measure, the random component instead is incisive, but we still don't know (after just one game) if it is decisive. In fact, a player at our table found himself in the situation of not being able to buy any territory tiles: the game in this case involves taking any tile and placing it face down, obtaining a negative point at the end of the game. However, the situation was also due to some short-sighted previous positioning.


Everyone liked the title at the table (very much). If you love Splendor and Century, it is a must. We do not give 8 for three reasons: first, as mentioned, it must be understood how much the random component affects. Second, the symbolism of the tiles is unclear, and sometimes ambiguous (we have noticed, for example, how the "+" symbol has two different meanings depending on whether it is on a territory tile or a divinity tile) and thirdly because the powers of gods are very disappointing, usually only providing 2-3 points at the end of the game.

Rating: 7,5 / 10

Huns

Spiel 2018: report of the third day of the fair

We go to the stand La Boite de Jeu at my suggestion since this Huns had inspired me in reading the regulation. The table is busy, but luckily we don't have to wait long for it to clear. The author himself explains the rules.


The title turns out to be a cardgame with stock selection, fulfillment of contracts and very solid and compelling direct interaction. In our 2 player game, Huns it worked well, but we got the impression that 4 can give even more. We were disappointed with the price, 36 euros for a deck of cards, 5 dice and a few cubes (plus 4 thin cardboard boards) and decided not to buy it.

Rating: 6,5 / 10

Fertility

Spiel 2018: report of the third day of the fair

We are still in the stand of Huns when you free up a table of Fertility, and we decide to sit down.

Fertility it is a tile placement set in ancient Egypt: although the components still set up by previous players (especially the personal boards) gave us the impression of a complex German, we soon understood that we were facing a family game, simple and fast .


The placement phase (with rules similar to Kingdomino) will allow us to acquire resources, which we will spend to develop the neighborhoods of our city or to supply our shops, acquiring other resources, direct points or the favor of the various deities.

The game was fun, but all in all, even in the family games sector, it is better.


Rating: 5 / 10

Rise of the Tribes

Spiel 2018: report of the third day of the fair

Having already heard of this title launched on Kickstarter, we therefore stop to observe the progress of the game. The British couple who are playing ask us if we want to join, as they have just started.

Rise of the Tribes is a civilization game, in which each player will lead their prehistoric tribe towards the development of new technologies and the construction of settlements. The interesting aspect is the selection of actions, which takes place by placing the two dice rolled at the beginning of the turn in the action spaces containing the dice of the previous turns. The power of the selected action will be determined by the symbols of the three dice left after our intervention. The title is not bad but the originality of the dice mechanics fails to make it emerge, and the cost is also too high. If you intend to take it, also consider the purchase of the deluxe pack, practically mandatory given the misery of the basic components.

Rating: 5,5 / 10

Small Islands

Spiel 2018: report of the third day of the fair

Third tile-placement game of our third day of Spiel 2018, already from the explanation it is perceived how the game flow is unnecessarily convoluted and with unclear points. On the other hand, we liked the idea of ​​the four scoring phases, (one per player) that each player can trigger when he wants only once per game: grasped this opportunity, however, it will be necessary to "suffer" the decisions of the opponents on the next scoring, until the last scoring phase does not end the game.


All the rest, on the other hand, remains negligible.

Rating: 4 / 10

Special mention Spiel 2018

Spiel 2018: report of the third day of the fair

Although advertised on the back cover of the Spiel-Guide (the official guide of Essen Spiel 2018), and despite being considered by some to be the best game presented this year, we just couldn't find this Kacka-Alarm at the fair. We will not give up: we do not want to deprive children and grandchildren of the thrill of extracting feces from the toilet with a plunger, and then catching them on the fly when they splash in the air.

Rating: 10 / 10

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