Continuing the quick reviews of 9 games per month series. These will be smaller or children games that don't need a big review or games that I only played once and I cannot give a final review yet, but I would still like to share my initial thoughts on.

 

Chants for the Old Ones

Published: 2024
Players: 1-4
Playing Time: 60-90 Mins
Publisher: Cthulhu Project
Mechanisms: Deck Building, Solitaire Game, Worker Placement
Sleeves: 63,5x88mm, 70x120mm

Gameplay & Replayability: 8/10

You are trying to make your cult the best one in town so that your boss-god would be the one who spawns and destroys the world. Each god has different requirements from his followers, so you should get different experience each time.

Art & Graphic Design & Theme:

The game is beautiful and the art really invokes the theme. The game is heavy with ICONS so the first game will have some “what does this mean?” moments.

 

Chronicles of Avel

Published: 2021
Players: 1-4
Playing Time: 60 Mins
Publisher: Rebel Sp. Z.o.o.
Mechanisms: Cooperative Game, Dice Rolling, Solitaire Game

Gameplay & Replayability: 5/10

The game is very simple and there are not many decisions to be made. Move and fight or move and spend money that you earned from fighting. It's a dice chuckling game that would be OK when playing with kids.

Art & Graphic Design & Theme:

The game is very cute. The monsters, the boards and equipment are all done very well and attracts players to the table.

 

Hardback

Published: 2018
Players: 1-5
Playing Time: 45-90 Mins
Publisher: Fowers Games
Mechanisms: Deck Building, Open Drafting, Push Your Luck, Spelling
Sleeves: 63,5x88mm

Gameplay & Replayability: 6/10

Beginners will see this game as an epic word writing game, where bigger words = wins. Unfortunately, it’s not like that. A short word with combos that give you points is much better than a long word without a combo. Does this make a game bad? Not really. It’s still fun for the players with a big vocabulary as well as manageable for the rest of us.
We always have fun playing this game and the only reason we don’t play it very often is the length of the game. I would definitely suggest this game a purchase to everyone that doesn’t have a “word game” in their collection.

Art & Graphic Design & Theme:

The Graphic design and art give a great feeling of writing down some fancy words using a nice calligraphy.

 

Harmonies

Published: 2024
Players: 1-4
Playing Time: 30-45 Mins
Publisher: Libellud
Mechanisms: Open Drafting, Pattern Building. Tile Placement
Sleeves: 70x120mm

Gameplay & Replayability: 7/10

This is a mix of all the popular tile placement games of the last years. There will rarely be an ideal pile of tiles that you want, so you will have to juggle a few plates at the same time. You will make plans for what you are doing, and what you want to do in the next rounds, only for that card to be stolen away by the opponents because everybody loves otters…
There is an unlimited number of combinations in this game... some that are an instant grab, while others that will make your life difficult. But this is the fun of such games and each play will be a different puzzle.

Art & Graphic Design & Theme:

One of the better-looking abstract games that I’ve played recently. The presentation is top notch and you really want to do your best to build the habitat for the lovely animals.

 

Point Salad

Published: 2019
Players: 2-6
Playing Time: 15-30 Mins
Publisher: AEG
Mechanisms: Open Drafting, Set Collection
Sleeves: 57,5x89mm

Gameplay & Replayability: 7/10

Players will collect 2 veggie cards or cards that give point for collecting veggies. The point cards won't wait for you. So, you have to make a quick decision when is the time to snag a good point card over those 2 awesome cards that would fit your already existing point cards. It's simple, it's quick… a great filler game.

Art & Graphic Design & Theme:

It's a simple card game with clean graphic design and a theme that is a pun... a nice combination.

 

Quicksand

Published: 2023
Players: 1-7
Playing Time: 15 Mins
Publisher: Horrible Guild
Mechanisms: Cooperative Game, Real-Time, Hand Management
Sleeves: 70x70mm

Gameplay & Replayability: 8/10

Playing cards to move the time sands forward toward the end zone and turn them upside down, while making sure that none of them runs out of sand…
If you don’t hate real-time games and the pressure that they bring, this game is a blast. It’s quick, it’s furious and it is fun.

Art & Graphic Design & Theme:

I didn’t have time to watch the art... and no idea what’s the theme about. But the graphic design is clear as it should be for such frenetic game.

 

Road Trip: Europa

Published: 2020
Players: 2-4
Playing Time: 15-30 Mins
Publisher: Grail Games
Mechanisms: Closed Drafting, Set Collection
Sleeves: 63x88mm

Gameplay & Replayability: 6/10

This is a pure draft game that offers you plenty of reasons why to pick up some cards and why to avoid others. Each turn offers you good choices that make this an OK game. It’s a quick filler game but nothing more.

Art & Graphic Design & Theme:

Art is not the most beautiful, but if you’ve been to the places that are shown on the cards... it should bring up memories. Cards look is a bit outdated but they do give you the needed info in a clear way. 

 

Splendor Duel

Published: 2022
Players: 2
Playing Time: 30 Mins
Publisher: Space Cowboys
Mechanisms: Contracts, Open Drafting, Set Collection
Sleeves: 45x68mm or 43x67mm (for a tight fit)

Gameplay & Replayability: 8/10

Duel takes the best of Splendor and makes it a very good tactical 2P game. The giving and spending of the scrolls and the rarity of the pearls, make this game a nice exercise for your brain. I don’t think we will get bored of this game any time soon.

Art & Graphic Design & Theme:

The best part of Splendor are the heavy chips. They really add to the experience. Royals, you ask? No idea why they are there.

 

Trails

Published: 2021
Players: 2-4
Playing Time: 20-40 Mins
Publisher: Keymaster Games
Mechanisms: Contracts, End Game Bonuses, Set Collection, Track Movement,
Sleeves: 50x75mm

Gameplay & Replayability: 5/10

Players move to the end and back collecting materials that will be spent at both ends to buy cards that will give you points… yes, same as the previous sentence, the game is also too bland for my taste. I just don’t find the “relaxing” activity of walking 1 or 2 spots in one direction that interesting. So, I don’t plan to play this game unless somebody really wants me to. It’s not a bad game… it just doesn’t have any exciting decisions.

Art & Graphic Design & Theme:

This game is a visually very nice product and the “walking left and right” mechanism fits the theme very well.