This Kickstarter game made my top 10 Cooperative games of the year back in 2022 so I am glad to see it making it to general release! The comic art is so inspiring!
This was my surprise hit of last year. I was very fortunate to buy a copy from a friend. So glad many more people can find out how this game ramps up in difficulty.
I met the developers of this game in Hong Kong several years ago. They were lovely! I remember warning them, though, that people would struggle to pronounce the name. They told me it should be pronounced the same as "Isla"... 😂
Thank you for reviewing this one! I backed it to play with my kids and it was no good for that. ThT was a big deal on the kickstarter community after delivery. Still very unique and I hope to play it when they are older. Components and quality are amazing.
I got it on Kickstarter for myself (35+ woman) to play solo and I really enjoyed it. I didn't expect it will go through like that, to darker and more difficult side. Love everything except ending... I hope the creators will do an expansion or a sequel soon as the idea and mechanics are amazing. Have to play it again soon😉
I've heard a lot of people saying this game can get very dark, which is why it's so surprising that the game is marketed towards families (Age = 7+, art, KS shows families playing the game at Essen Spiel.)
The game art has Adventure RPG /Anime vibes. These often have darker themes (death, regrets and grief). It’s educational as long as packaging is clear with PG rating.
One thing to be aware about this game is that you have to be very careful with the card manipulation. It is very easy to make a mistake and put a card in the future when it should go in the past or vice-versa. Any small mistake like that can really ruin the game (or at least a chapter). But it is indeed a good game, much more than the "choose your own adventure" for kids type game that it looks like at first.
Hearing people talk about the story progression reminds me of the comic book Bone, which starts out like The Smurfs and ends like The Lord Of The Rings. If done well, that kind of arc can be really interesting.
This game has a problem in that it doesn't know what it wants to be. It comes across as a light family or kids game (KS was marketed as age 7+), along with the artwork, theme, etc. But midway through the game it takes a sharp turn and the theme becomes very heavy and dark. So the people (adults or teens) that would appreciate the late game story elements wouldn't give it a chance in the first place, but those who pursued it based off the art style (and implications from it) will be caught off guard (and feel it's inappropriate as lots of folks backed this to play with kids). However, I really like the structure, ruleset, and mechanics of the game. So I hope ICE Makes puts out another game like it, but this time with more appropriate expectations/theme.
Loved the game when I got it via Kickstarter last year. . . . until the ending. Yeah, no thanks. Never need to play this again. 100% agree with the rating and I'm glad a wider group of people can now experience it.
Space Biff had some good critiques of this game. Not only is it heavy but the meaning/values get a bit twisted up and that’s a shame. If you want to go down a road tackling heavy topics, you need to understand the added weight of meaning in the narrative.
@@WildVorpal I’d say the scary element would be not ok for a seven or an eight year old. But everyone’s kids are different. The point remains it seems to be a game of two halves with a jarring shift at the end. Still fun just not the reason I bought it
Yep, I agree with you. Per my other comment, I think it was a marketing/design mishap, but I'd be very interested in a new game with a more coherent theme.
This Kickstarter game made my top 10 Cooperative games of the year back in 2022 so I am glad to see it making it to general release! The comic art is so inspiring!
I'm very happy this is coming to retail. Michael Kelly has been praising this for awhile now and I can't wait to get my hands on it.
Same
This was my surprise hit of last year. I was very fortunate to buy a copy from a friend. So glad many more people can find out how this game ramps up in difficulty.
I met the developers of this game in Hong Kong several years ago. They were lovely! I remember warning them, though, that people would struggle to pronounce the name. They told me it should be pronounced the same as "Isla"... 😂
Eila is already a first name in many languages, and in those it's (most probably) pronounced Ayla!
Thank you for reviewing this one! I backed it to play with my kids and it was no good for that. ThT was a big deal on the kickstarter community after delivery. Still very unique and I hope to play it when they are older. Components and quality are amazing.
I got it on Kickstarter for myself (35+ woman) to play solo and I really enjoyed it. I didn't expect it will go through like that, to darker and more difficult side. Love everything except ending... I hope the creators will do an expansion or a sequel soon as the idea and mechanics are amazing. Have to play it again soon😉
I've heard a lot of people saying this game can get very dark, which is why it's so surprising that the game is marketed towards families (Age = 7+, art, KS shows families playing the game at Essen Spiel.)
This one reminds me of some of the mechanics on Robinson Crusoe
I got this from the Kickstarter, and really enjoy it.
The game art has Adventure RPG /Anime vibes. These often have darker themes (death, regrets and grief). It’s educational as long as packaging is clear with PG rating.
One thing to be aware about this game is that you have to be very careful with the card manipulation. It is very easy to make a mistake and put a card in the future when it should go in the past or vice-versa. Any small mistake like that can really ruin the game (or at least a chapter).
But it is indeed a good game, much more than the "choose your own adventure" for kids type game that it looks like at first.
Nice to see the girls. Ruby is sooo big. Last time I saw her on a vid she was just a little kid.
Hearing people talk about the story progression reminds me of the comic book Bone, which starts out like The Smurfs and ends like The Lord Of The Rings. If done well, that kind of arc can be really interesting.
This game has a problem in that it doesn't know what it wants to be. It comes across as a light family or kids game (KS was marketed as age 7+), along with the artwork, theme, etc. But midway through the game it takes a sharp turn and the theme becomes very heavy and dark. So the people (adults or teens) that would appreciate the late game story elements wouldn't give it a chance in the first place, but those who pursued it based off the art style (and implications from it) will be caught off guard (and feel it's inappropriate as lots of folks backed this to play with kids).
However, I really like the structure, ruleset, and mechanics of the game. So I hope ICE Makes puts out another game like it, but this time with more appropriate expectations/theme.
Compares with Sleeping Gods?
Loved the game when I got it via Kickstarter last year. . . . until the ending. Yeah, no thanks. Never need to play this again. 100% agree with the rating and I'm glad a wider group of people can now experience it.
I was fooled by the cover.
Space Biff had some good critiques of this game. Not only is it heavy but the meaning/values get a bit twisted up and that’s a shame. If you want to go down a road tackling heavy topics, you need to understand the added weight of meaning in the narrative.
My big negative is that it pitches itself as a kids game but some of the endings are seriously dark. I couldn’t play it with my 6 year old at all :(
The box says 8+
FWIW, the Kickstarter said 7+.
@@WildVorpal I’d say the scary element would be not ok for a seven or an eight year old. But everyone’s kids are different. The point remains it seems to be a game of two halves with a jarring shift at the end. Still fun just not the reason I bought it
Yep, I agree with you. Per my other comment, I think it was a marketing/design mishap, but I'd be very interested in a new game with a more coherent theme.
Our edition raises the age recommendation to 12+
I passed on the kickstarter because i thought it was for kids
First
Had to make, my first and last "first".