Cryo

Board Game Geek Reviews

1. 7 out of 10

   bcnevan

   A game that's between design sensibilities. It has aspects more common to old school German-style games (simplicity, focus, interaction) and other aspects more common to newer modern euros (engine building, component quality, subsystems that pull the players away from each other to lessen the impact of interaction). The area majority subsystem is probably 50-60% of the game and is a fairly straightforward contest that focuses the players as the game proceeds. The engine building/multi-use cards is probably 30% of the game. The points from this aspect is substantial and the players need to start considering which flavor of engine to pursue from the initial draw. The chosen engine pulls the players towards deck diving for certain cards in line with their engine, but there are only so many actions in the game. Considerations regarding tempo and timing make up most of the remaining chunk of the game. Players can recall workers to position for the next placement cycle, and there's an increase in tension as the players' position for and cause the game to end. Interaction is present in many of the above-mentioned aspects. You don't have enough actions to do everything. The worker placement allows for temporary blocking. There's a race quality to much of the game. The experience feels solid, especially for its play time. The most common critique of the game that I've seen has to do with a lack of "replayability". This is not a game that gives the appearance of "replayability" through "differentiated" paths. In other words, this is not a game where you traverse up a subset of the game's tracks. This is a game where players must engage with each of its point scoring systems. It has a focus. You will build an engine, you will compete in the area majorities, and you will need to keep an eye on your opponents' pursuits. This again is a signal that the game is between design sensibilities. And, like many old school German-style games, the interaction and short play time is what will draw the players back. So the question seems to become whether you want a game that blends old design sensibilities with those more commonly found in today's euro games. If you want a pure old school German-style experience, look elsewhere. If you want a modern euro that gives the appearance of a changing puzzle from game to game, look elsewhere.

2. 8 out of 10

   Ben_93

   Great fun. At first it seems overwhelming with all the pieces but after one game you realise the rules are quite simple. I love that you have so many choices to experiment with your playstyle. Artwork is gorgeous.

3. 7 out of 10

   Fausticus1

   Beautiful production and an interesting player board that you customize throughout the game. Needs more plays to determine replayability.