That's the shiniest pair of dice in the realm... join our demigod ranks!
Dice Forge
Designer: Regis Nonnessee
Artist: Biboun
Published: 2017
Players: 2-4
Playing Time: 45 Mins
BGG Rating: 7.2
BGG Ranking: 415
Publisher: Libellud
Mechanics: Dice Building, Dice Rolling, Open Drafting
Sleeves: USA 56x87mm
Game Description:
Heroes, stand ready! The gods are offering a seat in heaven to whichever hero defeats their rivals. Your courage and wits will be your most precious allies as you use divine dice to gather resources along the road to victory.
Your divine dice are exceptional, with removable faces! Customize your dice to make them more powerful as the game progresses. Sacrifice gold to the gods to obtain enhanced die faces. Upgrade your dice to produce the resources you need. Overcome ordeals concocted by the gods to grow in glory and earn rewards. Skillfully manage the luck of the dice and take charge of your destiny. Only the greatest will ascend to the heavens!
Quick play overview:
Players compete to earn a place among gods.. by scoring more points than other players by the end of 10 rounds.
Dice Forge comes with special dice that have removable sides, which means that you can replace the »+1 gold« with a »+4 gold« side, etc.
On a turn, all players roll their two dice and increase their gold, sun, moon and/or Glory points accordingly, but only the active player plays out their turn by doing one of the actions:
- Use Gold to improve their 2 dice.
- Use Moon and Sun points to complete Heroic feats (like fighting a monster etc.).
- Special action: Once per turn a player can spend 2 Sun points to get an extra action
Final thoughts:
Improving your dice is a fun mechanic. Getting resources on your opponents turn? What more can you ask for?
It's a great family weight game that can be used as a filler for hardcore gamers as well.
SCORE:
Gameplay: 9/10
Improving your dice and getting better rewards as the game goes on, is a great mechanic. The game is short enough that this basic trick doesn't overstay it's welcome.
Art & Graphic Design: 9/10
The art is cute. The cartoonish style is my jam.
Graphic design is well done. All the icons are easy to understand and play with.
Rules & Complexity: 8/10
The game is simple and rules are very easy to learn.
As a family game the complexity is perfect. While serious gamers would probably wish for a bit more.
Theme: 5/10
Rolling dice to become a god… it's a forgettable theme.
Fun & Replayability: 7/10
Improving your dice and then getting better rewards on your opponent's turn is just a great feeling. Fighting monsters is a pasted theme but getting points is fun nonetheless.
There are a few different heroic feat cards that will change the rewards and combos but in the end the replayability is not very high. Introducing this game to new players would extend it's longevity.