Wallet Builders
Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8X3H3KURKns
PnP Back: https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B8-2D8DqPg_3QUEyOTNtUXFYTFk
Player Count: 2
Play Time: 30 Minutes
Recommended Ages: 12+
Components: 18 Cards
Mechanic: Worker Placement
Description: Players choose which action spaces to use to gather resources and block their opponent from getting the resources they need. When a player has enough resources they can build buildings worth victory points and upgrade buildings they already have. Once the buildings run out the game is over and the player with the most victory points wins.Â
Feedback
Creativity of Theme
We’ve seen this a million times. It’s a worker placement building builder
Creativity of Mechanisms
The design does not fully exploit the potential gameplay shown.
It’s worker placement, nothing here is reinventing the wheel, but where this design shines is in its use of the design space to still pull off these mechanics in a smaller package.
Mesh of Theme/Mechanism
This is the standard theme/mechanics mesh for a euro worker placement building builder.
Gathering and building works together in this design and makes sense. But there is little more.
Clarity of Rules
Overall easy to understand and read.
Rules were pretty good, I got a good feel for the game and flow of the game.
Use of Form Factor
Wonderful. This is where the game shines. It doesn’t do anything super special, but it gives a mini euro worker placement experience without having to have all the bits and meeples. Perfect for the wallet setting and what the wallet games are all about- giving players a super portable, super satisfying version of a normally larger gaming experience.
Cards look great and clarity is good.
Perceived Player Engagement
The game is more a puzzle of timing your actions and hoping the building deck shows in your favor.
If players are into euro worker placements, they will be all about this. Some tweaks will need to be made to a couple things as they are in order to refocus player intentions and not make choices so narrow, as currently the game has the illusion of choice when there really isn’t too many choices to be made, but overall this game will stretch the itch of a euro player on the go, I think.
Match with Button Shy Brand
It fits, this theme can easily be side-wound into something a little more playful and quirky. Fits a game space within the wallet line that currently isn’t there, and I think it does it nicely.
WOW Factor
This will catch the attention of the euro gaming crowd, I think. Not necessarily from a “wow!” reaction, but enough to get them to click and read more. Would probably do well on KS.
Players will be drawn to the theme, but I don’t think the game they find will be that exciting.
Concerns
Just the above stated that there’s kind of the illusion of choice in this game, but really it won’t matter because the target demo for this game won’t care. Just the novelty of having a pocket worker placement building builder game works enough.
I want to see more layers in the game. Also the game has 3 too many cards devoted to player actions (you really only need 1) plus probably an unnecessary first player card (use the wallet instead.)
Additional Comments
This is the most dry resource collection game I’ve ever seen.
Not really. I dig it, and I’m not a fan of worker placement games, but I know that I’m the anomaly in that, but I can recognize when someone uses the design space of a micro game really well, and this does it.
I really like this concept but I think the game needs to bake for a little longer.