I review board games from a solo player's perspective. For games designed solely or mostly for solitaire play, I aim to provide an overview of the game and how it plays. For multiplayer games with solo variants, I give an overview of the game and highlight the differences between the solo and multiplayer rules.
If you have questions, feedback, or general comments, I'd always love to hear from you.
The fact that any sequence can come up, including 3 disaster tiles in the first dozen draws, kills it. And it should have space in the box for a drawstring bag. A yellow one ;-)
Excellent video! I just got this game. Can't wait to play it! Have you ever done a video for Robinson Crusoe or Homesteaders? I would be interested in those if you have.
Great review my man. I've been playing this on Table Top Simulator and was paying life on the loss and then and additional life to take out cards. Needless to say this made the game much harder. Going to check out Oniverse games here I guess. Thanks for the tip.
If no cards were used, never buying any cards, selling all ten initial cards during the first generation for a total of 51 Megacredits to start with, a player falls short by about five oxygen levels after 14 generations; a game cannot be won without cards. That's the appeal of the game of course: use the drawn cards wisely. (By the way, the cards exhibit great art work and the information given on the cards reflects a number of science fiction novels about Mars, especially Kim Stanley Robinson's Mars Trilogy.) All solo games can be won after 13 or 14 generations when playing cards wisely. A solo game can even be won by using one of two single cards - if they happen to be drawn during the first generation: while selling the remaining nine cards to get a total of 51 Megacredits to start with, the 6 Standard projects card allows a player to buy all those temperature, aquifers, and greeneries cheaper. The other card is 35 Soletta: again, while selling the remaining nine cards to get a total of 51 Megacredits to start with, Soletta allows to increase temperature quickly, gaining higher terraforming ratings and using that money to buy aquifers and greeneries.
The "artwork" is all public domain images gotten free. It's one of the big cheapo moves from the publisher. They didn't bother making art for this specific game which is why it's so ugly. It looks like a dogs breakfast
Am I mistaken when I say that I think your castle needs to have a complete base (6 tiles) in order to pass the first ordeal as well? Or is that just the base introductory rules?
After playing HN for the about a year, I have become very crafty ! Bought the expansions and rea!!y got to love HN . However, Friday is still my favourite solo game ! There again, I only play solo 😂
Great video. My question is about the neutral player in the solo player- do you need to set up a separate board for them or how does it work? I know you kind of explained it but I'm still not clear!
If you're speaking strictly of solo play, it's quite different. Fields of Arle plays like a point salad in single player, where you're basically trying to try different things each playthrough to improve your score. It's pretty much a sandbox with no opponent. Viticulture on the other hand places you against an artificial player who can block your actions and has a pre-defined score that you have to surpass in order to successfully complete the game. If you don't achieve that score, you lose. Viticulture provides more challenge, but Fields of Arle provides a bit more variety in combinations of choices you can make.
1. I wasn't actually playing the game, I was demoing it. 2. I don't think you can even see the start of the generation track in this video, and that's where the marker would have been.
Good review, but I respectfully disagree about the point on upkeep. Upkeep seems to be the major difficulty of the game. Every play through video I've watched has at least one upkeep error. It is easy to miss something especially when playing multiple characters. That said I enjoy this game for group or solo play, but this is a challenge that should be highlighted. As for co-op games I rank Burgle Bros at 1, with Kings of Israel 2nd... this is one I'll gladly play but likely won't suggest.
I love playing this game solo. There is an awesome Solo Campaign mode I have been playing through on my channel that adds some great features to playing solo. Great job on the video!
