Paper Tales

Designer: Masato Uesugi
Published: 2017
Players: 2-5
Playing Time: 30 Mins
BGG Rating: 7.0
BGG Ranking: 1052 Publisher: Catch Up Games
Mechanics: Drafting, Hand Management, Secret Unit Deployment
Sleeves: TCG 63,5x88mm

Game Description:

Experience two fantastical centuries of expansions and combat in Paper Tales. Remodel your assorted assembly of characters, units, and buildings in each period based on your developments and the age of your heroes. Write a new legend of the rightful ruler who brought unity to the rival kingdoms.

Build a comprehensive strategy and adapt the shape of your realm according to opportunities and restrictions and you will make history!

Quick play overview:

RECRUITMENT: A round starts with a draft where each player will end up with 5 cards by drafting one card from the initial hand he was delt and passing the rest to the player on his left… and receiving 4 cards from the player on his right.. and so on.

DEPLOYMENT: Players put cards from their hand into play in their kingdoms. Each kingdom has 4 spaces to deploy their units. Two spaces in front that will also  add their strenght to the war (next phase) and two in the back that are more of a support role.

Players place cards with their backs up so the opponents cannot see what are their cards until all players are done and cards are turned around simultaneously. You can discard already placed units (from previous rounds) to make room for new units.

Players have to pay the gold to the bank for the new units.

WARS: Players calculate their units strenght (mostly from the units in front row.. but there are some exceptions) and compare it to their two neighbours (left and right players). Each war won earns 3 Legend points. Ties give both players 3 points.

INCOME: Each player earns 2 coins plus any coins that they can see on their deployed units or buildings.

CONSTRUCTION: Players can use the resources provided by their units (wood, meat and gems) to build or upgrade one building in their kingdom.  Buildings will bring you more material, income and/or Legend points during the following rounds.

AGING: Aged units die, and all others grow older.

All units that have one or more AGE tokens on them die: they are discarded. After this part is done, add one age token to the remaining units in your kingdom.. so they will die in the next round.

Final thoughts:

This game is very simple to learn but very fun once you understand that every rule can be broken with some of the cards. There are cards that survive the aging and even give you more points or strenght the older they are. Others give you minus points if they die »young« but give you a lot of bonuses if you manage to keep them alive to a very old age etc.

If you like creating combos, this game is a quick and very fun one.  Of course you might wait for a specific card to finish the combo and you will never get it.. but the game is short and you can give it another chance right away.

SCORE:

Gameplay: 10/10

The gameplay is clean and fast. Draft cards, make sure you have enough gold to deploy them.. or just hate draft so others don't get an awesome card.. and then enjoy the combos you created.

Art & Graphic Design: 8/10

The art is a subjective topic.. this one is not really my prefered style but it's nice to the eye.

Graphic design is clean and very functional.

Rules & Complexity: 9/10

Rules are short and simple.

One playthrough should be more than enough for every player to understand the little details and tactics.

Theme: 9/10

Building a medieval kingdom in two generations is a new twist on the very old theme. Your units dying on you of old age is definitely something unique.

Fun Factor: 9/10

Making combos is fun. Drafting more cards than you need is great as it allows you a pick or two to stop your opponents tactics. Of course it's not fun when you see the card that you needed, in the discard pile.


FINAL SCORE: 9/10