Tag Archives: Introductory Games

Stone Age by Zman Games 2008

March 15, 2016 5 Minutes

Designer: Bernd Brunnhofer

Final Score: (2.9 out 5 Stars)

When I first heard about this game I was not terribly thrilled, it appeared to be yet another of the “farming” line of Euro games that lean on the worker placement mechanic to create yet another way to move wooden cubes around for victory points. Suffice to say we already have the Agricola, Terra Mystica and Caverna’s of the world and I really didn’t the see the point in another one. Still through word of mouth I’m constantly asked about this game and it just seemed silly not to review it given that the game already has a variety of implementations online not to mention has remained in heavy print since release.

Now sometimes these worker placement games do pleasantly surprise me, Pillars of the Earth for example remains one of my favorite with some sturdy gameplay, as well as Lords of Waterdeep which packs a surprisingly large amount of theme in a cube pusher and take that mechanic. How does Stone Age hold up? Let’s find out.

Overview

Stone Age is kind of your standard worker placement fair with a few twists that separate it to make it its own thing. Each player starts the game out with 5 workers which can be used in a variety of worker placement spots to earn resources most of which you use to score points and others like food you need for survival of your little Stone Age village. The trick is that the resources aren’t guaranteed, you roll 1d6 die for each worker placed on a resource spot and depending on the type of resource (some are harder to get then others) the amount you get is based on a 6d roll. You can supplement rolls with tools which is another type of resource you can gather through the worker placement mechanic. For the most part however the game boils down to trying to figure out how to get the resources you need to score points, nothing particularly revolutionary or inspired.

You can try Stone Age for free at boardgamearena.com . There is also an Iphone app available.

What resources you need varies from round to round as two separate types of cards are available for purchase. One type requires different combinations of resources to score points directly and the other type has you collecting the card for the end game scoring, on these cards you score for collecting certain elements in the game like there might be a card for your village size, your agriculture level etc. They get multiplied the more of these cards you collect so there is strategy to what you kind of go for long term.

All and all the game is simple to understand and not terribly difficult to master as are most of these worker placement games. There is a luck element to the dice rolling but it isn’t terribly overwhelming, usually the player who manages his village the best will ultimately come out on top.

I think defining Stone Age as an entry level worker placement game is a pretty accurate description, because that is exactly what it is.

Component Quality

Verdict:
Tilt:

Pros: Colorful and bright play area make it aesthetically pleasing, sturdy components made to last.

Cons: Iconography takes a bit of time to learn, hidden point scoring at the end of the game based on that Iconography make it difficult to know how well you’re doing during the course of the game.

The component quality is quite solid and the design of the components is very intuitive and colorful. There is a sort of stylistic cartoony nature to the bright colored game that is pleasing to the eye. The game Is streamlined from a component perspective with no fiddliness at all giving it a really strong fluid core. I did find that towards the end game there is a fair amount on the table so while this is certainly an entry level game it might not exactly look like one if you see it in late stages. It looks great on the table however and honestly this is what I wish all Euro games would look like. When you consider most cube pushers favor mechanics and gameplay over theme and components, adding nice art, good quality components that last and clean organization with lots of thought put into the handling of the game is not too much to ask for. Stone Age does a fantastic job of presentation in this regard.

There is no denying its visual appeal, its bright, colorful. Its easy to get gaming goggles.

I think the biggest complaint about the components casual gamers might have is the iconography, it takes a few games to come to grips with it all and while there is a fixed standard where you eventually can figure out what something does based on the understanding what other similar symbols do, there is a bit of a learning curve here, but it’s quite reasonable. It’s not nearly as complicated as one might initially feel it is but it’s going to take some explaining to get it all straight. Since the iconography is vital to understanding scoring in the game though it will be difficult for players to understand whether they are winning or losing until they have a good grip on it. Even then, because players gather so many cards, often it’s difficult to know how your actually doing until the final scoring, more on that later as this falls under mechanics but the fact that it’s all translated in the art I think it’s kind of a combination issue with components and mechanics.

A passing grade to be sure, the leather dice rolling cup is a nice thematic touch.

Theme

Verdict:
Tilt:

Pros: Nice feeling of growth during the course of the game.

Cons: Theme is interchangeable and largely irrelevant to the game.

I don’t expect much in the way of theme in most Euro worker placement games so I was pleasantly surprised that there are some nice touches here. You genuinely have a feeling of growth and building in terms of improvements to your little stone age village. Though as far as theme goes this game could have easily been re-themed to represent just about anything, so there isn’t exactly a feeling of time and place here. It’s a game about Stone Age farming, but really its theme is its art, mechanically you are effectively collecting cubes to use them to score points and there isn’t much on the table or in the course of play that elevates the theme beyond that.

This is a strategy game, one designed around mechanics and resource management so the fact that it has a theme that’s recognizable is more than sufficient for the expectations.

I think for what it is and what it attempts to be, its fine. I don’t expect to get excited about farming in the Stone Age so the fact that the theme is lite really doesn’t deter from the game.

Gameplay

Verdict:
Tilt:

Pros: Great streamlined mechanics keeps everyone engaged, easy to grasp with plenty of tough decisions for everyone to make. Plays well with any amount of players.

Cons: There is a puzzle to solve here, once you solve it, playing against people who haven’t results in wildly diverging end games.

I think this is really where the game shines and I have to admit while my expectations for this game where that it would be a sort of “more of the same”, it actually had some surprising amount of strategy and mechanical elements to keep the game interesting. There is some real mastery here and good players will pounce newbies without mercy. It takes many games to gain this mastery and when you pit room full of experienced players the competition gets very cut throat and the game becomes very thinky. There are no automatic or obvious decisions, strategies vary and change in the course of the game depending on what becomes available. Turn order in particular will affect many of your options and as it rotates the game becomes as much about when you do things as what you do.

There is this “limited” feeling of wanting to do lots of things but only being able to do a small amount of things, so it’s all about stretching your resources and efforts and really building a long term strategy of slowly chipping ahead on points. While there is pretty limited interaction between players the turns are fast and there is a lot of interest in what others do, in fact more often than not your strategy will be a reactive one based on the actions of other players. This effectively nullifies the fact that there is little interaction between the players directly, very nicely done in my opinion.

Iconography is important to understand as its used at the end of the game for scoring. Its confusing at first but becomes intuitive quite fast.

I especially liked how you can have a long term strategy but opportunities present themselves occasionally that you just can’t pass up that might actually shift your strategy in later parts of the game. There are times for example when you really want to take a particular point scoring card but you have an opportunity to increase your population or take a card that will prevent a player from scoring points, or sometimes even just something that coincidently will score you a lot of points. There are lots of tough decisions and often one or two mistakes in the course of the game can ultimately result in a victory or a loss, in particular when playing at a table with experienced players. Every action, every moment in the game is important. There is a constant re-assement, you’re always reviewing the board and trying to push what you have to become more valuable.

Unfortunately towards late game it becomes really difficult to know whether you’re winning or not as most of the points are scored during the end game calculation which is too complex to do in your head. You might for example be up 50 points at the end of the game on the scoreboard but your opponent ends up winning by 100 points thanks to a combination of development cards he purchased in the course of the game. This gets a little easier to see with experience but ultimately slows the game down and makes it very mathy when you’re constantly trying to figure out where you and your opponents are at and what moves that you can make that will either hurt your opponent and/or help you. As you develop more advanced strategies the game unlike most actually gets slower as everyone at the table is constantly doing this math in their head as its key to the game. It’s not an uncommon problem in Euro games to have end game scoring and I don’t fault it too much but it does often result in rather un-climatic end game where someone might have been way ahead all along but you just didn’t realize it until the final scoring phase.

That said though the mechanics are simple to understand, difficult to master, fun to execute and relatively easy to teach. It’s also a pretty fast game with a fixed ending so there is very little “stretching” the end game. Stone Age has all the elements of a great Euro and while many games of its ilk functions in a pretty similar manner, Stone Age is very intuitive which might explain its popularity. It’s a great alternative to the boring Catan or played out Ticket To Ride to act as an introduction to board gaming type game.

Replay ability and Longevity

Verdict:
Tilt:

Pros: The game can be revitalized in a group of experienced players as the complexity and dynamics come out with experience.

Cons: Once you solve the puzzle, the game becomes repetitive and not terribly entertaining. As an introduction game, mastery of the mechanics has too much influence on results.

Replay-ability is huge for Euro games and unfortunately Stone Age isn’t exactly what I would call an infinitely re-playable game. It does have the speed to act as a light albeit slightly longer filler which helps, in particular since the game plays very well with any amount of players, but its not enough to give this one high marks. It has a pretty short shelf life among experienced players in particular looking for a challenge or pulling out a game for casual gamers as an introduction. There is a puzzle to solve here and once you figure it out it’s not difficult to outscore less experienced opponents by 100+ points which isn’t a particularly great introduction to board gaming for new players. Its hailed as a great introductory game, but I beg to differ, their is some mastery here and new players are going to get smoked.

Pillars of the Earth is amazing for many reasons but my favorite is that there is no puzzle to solve here, even first time players can be a real challenge to beat. — Pillars of the Earth is amazing for many reasons but my favorite is that there is no puzzle to solve here, even first time players can be a real challenge to beat, one area where Stone Age really fails.

Mastery of a game however is not a fault of a game per say, get a group of experienced players together and they will likely discover new challenges in a game that really is geared more for casual gamers. As such it can sort of come around and I can see that while I wouldn’t want to play it all the time, dusting it off now and again might allow it to live in someone’s collection for a long time.

I think the trouble with Stone Age and this is definitely a personal view is that I already have other, much better worker placement games that most definitely scratch the same itch and have far more dynamics. Stone Age has nothing on Pillars of the Earth for example and even if you want something with a bit of dice chucking, Kingsburg I think is a better choice. For more mathy and complex versions of Stone Age you have games like Russian Railroads or Terra Mystica that take that same sort of worker placement cube pushing point scorer but take it to that next level. I suppose what I’m saying is that when I reach for a game off my shelf that fits the bill that Stone Age would, I’m likely to pick something else and it’s probably related to the fantastic re-playability of those mentioned games. Stone Age doesn’t have that addictive nature where you’re eager to try out different strategies because while there are several routes, there are a few that are definitively better and you are likely to find yourself in a rut during multiple replays.

Conclusion

Stone Age is a fine addition to a Euro Gamers collection and I think it has a colorful and easy to learn presentation that casual gamers will appreciate. For more advanced gamers looking for a challenge Stone Age will start interesting until you unravel the puzzle, at which point it becomes a bit repetitive. You will find yourself making the same standard strategies that work. There is a bit of a rhythm here, after several replays the games start to merge together and nothing terribly memorable happens from then on.

I think Stone Age has some clever versions of existing mechanics, it certainly is worthy of a few play throughs but it’s not one that will find a permanent home in my personal collection. I found Stone Age to be a bit too dependent on mechanics many games that came before it have done a much better job off. I like those mechanics, so seeing them in a new variant in Stone Age was interesting, but ultimately not sufficient to make the plunge.

Best of List

Top 10 Entry Level Games

March 23, 2015 5 Minutes

As a veteran gamer, we love to play with other veteran gamers if for no other reason than simple shared interest. Veteran gamers don’t shy away from complexity, they are as excited about the hobby as you are, it makes for a perfect match. That said as gamers we are always trying to sneak in ways to do more gaming and certainly we have all been in that position where we have a room full of people looking to be entertained that aren’t really gamers. Pulling Twilight Imperium out and introducing them to it isn’t likely to yield particularly good results and when someone suggests Monopoly I immediately have the urge to roll my eyes to the back of my head. Fortunately there are lots of really great entry level games, sometimes known as gateway games that are perfect for introducing people to the hobby without scaring them off or making them feel like they aren’t going to do very well in the game. The following top 10 list is made of such games, each one better than the last for introducing people to the wonderful hobby of designer games.

1. Small World
When I started making this list Small World was the unquestionable king of introductory games, not only because it’s very easy to teach and learn, both because it’s simple and streamlined, but because gamer or not, it’s a fantastic game in its own right. I find Small World is as popular among non-gamers, casual gamers and veteran gamers a-like. This is a game that simply caters to everyone and thanks to its cute fantasy art, very clever concept and versatility, playing as well with 2 players as it does with 3, 4 or 5, its ideal. Now I will admit that I did not review this game particularly high on boardgamegeek but it’s largely because I am a veteran gamer, I prefer to play games aimed at guys like me and Small World is really, well simple. It’s clearly not a game aimed to capture my attention and preferences, but I have never passed up the opportunity to play it and I find it hits the table a lot more often than any other light strategy game with my usual game group which is made up of largely veteran gamers. That says a lot about Small World as a game.

A game for everyone, that's all that needs to be said about why Small World is at the top of this list. — A game for everyone, that’s all that needs to be said about why Small World is at the top of this list.

2. Ticket To Ride
This list would be incomplete without Ticket to Ride on it, it is the Monopoly of our generation. Rightfully so because it is the premiere family game and it has done beer and pretzel fun without that endless slog that old school family games like Monopoly or The Game of Life had. I find more than any other game on this list, Ticket to ride is great because it requires ZERO instruction ahead of time. You can simply setup the board and the explain the game as you play which I think is a huge benefit to using this game as an introductory game. It’s also a lot more kid friendly, I have played with kids as young as 6 and it works just fine. It has an appeal to kids as well, who doesn’t love playing with miniature toy trains. Simple, fun and actually does have a bit of umpf for those who dig into the nuisances of the games potential strategies, there really is some game here below the surface that might satisfy a more gamy group. It’s a classic, it belongs on this list.

The perfect family board game night game, looks amazing, it's simple enough for kids of pretty much any age yet offers sufficient strategy and gameplay to keep veteran gamers from getting bored. — The perfect family board game night game, looks amazing, it’s simple enough for kids of pretty much any age yet offers sufficient strategy and gameplay to keep veteran gamers from getting bored.

3. Carcassonne
I think the first few games on this list I realized when I was writing it are almost kind of obvious to gamers, I would imagine that any gamer who would form a list like this would have Caraccassone on it. It’s such an obvious choice, easy to learn difficult to master it’s a game that draws you in if you have even the slightest interest in board gaming. There are various expansions for the game, but for the purposes of an introductory game the original Caraccassone is best. Though most of the expansions add only slightly more complexity so really any of them would work. Most gamers have their favorite, but for me personally, I like regular plain old Caraccassone. It’s a simple game and personally I have never felt it needed any expansions. I actually play this game quite often, It seems like every gamer I know has a copy so I think of all the games on this list, its really up there in terms of games I play regularly.

Very strategic for such a simple game and really such a classic gateway game the list would be incomplete without it.

4. Dominion
This is probably where opinions will start to diverge. Dominion is slightly more complex than most games on this list, but it’s a game I think is very easy to grasp the rules of. Learning the strategies is another topic, it has some less than obvious ones and can take many plays to get your head around. I like Dominion as an introductory game however because it has this addictive “lets play again” nature to it. I have never introduced Dominion to any group that didn’t ultimately end up playing several games back to back. The bonus is that I love playing Dominion, so when I bring it out to casual gamers it feels more like a board game night with the guys, than an introductory game night and I really like that. I tend to stick to the core game for introductions, the rules for expansions tend to be a bit too complex for an introductory game.

The addictive nature of Dominion paired with its simple and streamlined gameplay makes it ideal as a gateway game.

5. Railways Of The World
This game lands on a slightly more complex level than the others, but I have had a lot of great results introducing it to non-gamers and getting them excited about the hobby. I find that sometimes, non-gamers are a bit put off by the “fantasy” or “kids” like art of most introductory games. After all most non-gamers have played more complex games anyway like RISK, Chess, Stratego and things of that nature. Just because someone is a non-gamer, doesn’t mean there stupid and I think that’s why Railways of the World is such a great introductory game. It kind of takes the players more seriously, yet is really no more complex than any other game on this list to teach. It has the benefit of looking amazing on the table, which is a really great treat for people who don’t ordinarily play games because it has this “wow” effect. It also has this thing where it looks complicated but isn’t, I find that non-gamers pick the strategy up really quickly and do quite well even in their first game and by the end of it do the classic gamer thing “I should have done X or Y”. A clear indication that they where into the game and are thinking about how they will do it next time, exactly what you want when introducing someone to gaming.

A meaningful relatively deep strategic game that is easy to teach and learn. The fact that it looks amazing on the table is just a bonus.

6. Cosmic Encounters
I was hesitant to add this to the list because while it’s a fairly simple game, it does have a science-fiction theme, it can get a little mean and some of the specific races can make the game a bit complex. Still I find that when people come over to my house, see my game collection, Cosmic Encounters gets that “what’s this” query from non-gamers. There is a draw to it, perhaps it’s the art but I have pulled it off the shelf by request from non-gamers more often than I have pulled it off myself as an introductory game. Cosmic Encounters does have that social negotiation element to it and people seem to like that, even though I would have not guessed that. I always imagine that non-gamers want to avoid confrontational games but quite to the contrary, I often get the comment from non-gamers or casual gamers that they want to play something with more interaction, which might explain why RISK is often requested. While familiar, I think people like games like RISK because it’s a confrontation game so there is something to it. Cosmic Encounters is a really great game, I love playing it with my own gaming groups so if it’s requested and there is interest in the science-fiction theme, there certainly is no reason not to use it as a gateway game. It is after all very easy to teach and grasp, so it’s not the complexity that would be a turn off. You just have to feel the room because that confrontation element can get quite nasty in Cosmic Encounters.

I was a bit hesitant to add this one to the list. It's a science-fiction game, it looks complicated and it can be kind of mean in the negotiation element of the game. It is however easy to teach/learn and it's on the list because it gets requested by visitors to my gaming dungeon. I think there are more science-fiction fans out there than people realize. — I was a bit hesitant to add this one to the list. It’s a science-fiction game, it looks complicated and it can be kind of mean in the negotiation element of the game. It is however easy to teach/learn and it’s on the list because it gets requested by visitors to my gaming dungeon. I think there are more science-fiction fans out there than people realize.

7. King of Tokyo
Simple games like Yahtzee are often requested and my eyes immediately roll to the back of my head. For the love of god if you want to roll dice there are far better games than Yahtzee to do it with. King of Tokyo is a perfect example. A very simple, dice chucking game that is actually fun and has a great theme that everyone can get behind as well. It’s a really great game for kids as well, in fact, this is the premiere “family game night” game because as parents we often want to let our kids win but don’t give them the impression that we are letting them win and as strange as it sounds, King of Tokyo is fun to play even if you intentionally throwing the game. There are lots of big moments and take those moments, plenty of gotcha’s and I have found that it really hits that almost party game level in terms of board games. Great, simple, dice chucking fun, perfect for those dinner parties when you’re trying to entertain guests with something other than boring conversations about politics.

A far better alternative to boring classic dice chuckers like Yahtzee. To answer your question, yes, it's as much fun as it looks. — A far better alternative to boring classic dice chuckers like Yahtzee. To answer your question, yes, it’s as much fun as it looks.

8. Pandemic
Pandemic takes on a pretty unusual topic for a board game (viral outbreak) in which players cooperate in an effort to stop a global catastrophe. Not exactly what I would call an easy concept to sell to new players. It might almost be too much from a theme perspective alone, but there is no denying Pandemic’s streamlined, easy to learn design which fits perfect on this list as an introductory game. More importantly, in terms of “gamer games” that work well with non-gamers it’s ideal because it’s purely cooperative, so no one suffers at the hands of more experienced players. It’s a game where the actions of players have a lot of impact, but since your cooperating it’s not strange or insulting to offer advice and talk strategies at the table. The subject matter might work to your benefit as well as non-gamers tend to get put off by the “fantasy” element of most board games, where Pandemic is really kind of a “this could actually happen” type of subject matter which might register with more serious people who see board gaming as “play time for kids”. This game is oddly enough family friendly as well, as everyone at the table is working together, promoting a kind of team spirit thing, though perhaps children shouldn’t be too young. I often wish there was a Pandemic game with a lighter theme, but what Pandemic does best is provide a very challenging gaming experience without overwhelming you with rules so it really is a great introductory game. You just need to feel he room and make sure the subject matter is appropriate.

The subject matter might be a turn off for some, but I find there are certain groups of people who don't mind playing a board game as long as they don't have to be a Wizard or a space marine which excludes a lot of board games. Be selective, but for the right group it's a perfect game. — The subject matter might be a turn off for some, but I find there are certain groups of people who don’t mind playing a board game as long as they don’t have to be a Wizard or a space marine which excludes a lot of board games. Be selective, but for the right group it’s a perfect game.

9. Kingdoms
I have always loved this game for its extremely easy to teach and learn rules, while simultaneously being immensely deep strategically. It’s a pretty fast game too boot which is always a consideration for introductory games and many games on this list might be a bit too long for some introductions. Kingdoms is a really great game in particular when dealing with “casual gamers” rather than non-gamers. Casual gamers are generally people who do sometimes play games or might have played games in the past like RISK or Stratego for example, it has that same simplicity, yet offers some depth and mastery that can be attractive to casual gamers. It’s easily one of my favorite short games, in fact, after you play it once and have explained the rules, it’s practically a filler game. Really solid design, versatile in the sense that it’s as much a gamers game as an introductory game and I find once I introduce it to group, they tend to want to replay it which again, is always a great sign that it’s having the desired effect. Highly recommend it In general for everyone, but in particular as an introductory game.

A simple game with a lot of depth. This one will have people thinking, its less "fun fun" as a game so it caters more to non-gamers who are interested in strategy as opposed to a dinner party "lets have some laughs" type of gaming. You have to feel the room. — A simple game with a lot of depth. This one will have people thinking, its less “fun fun” as a game so it caters more to non-gamers who are interested in strategy as opposed to a dinner party “lets have some laughs” type of gaming. You have to feel the room.

10. Lords of Waterdeep
Lords of Waterdeep has been mentioned on this blog a number of times and once again I have to put it on a list of games you should be pulling out. I realize I have a strange infatuation with this game, but it really does belong on this list though I will admit it’s really a “taking the next step” kind of game mostly because of its theme. This is a very simple game, in fact, I typically don’t teach it prior to playing but rather teach it during play, it’s that simple. The game has a lot of depth beneath the surface, but this really only comes through once you start and the depth is not complexity of the rules but of potential strategies. Really the only strike against it for this list is its fantasy theme which I find is kind of a turn off for a lot of non-gamers who want to avoid the “nerdy” element of board gaming as its often perceived. It really functions better as a game that you introduce once you have people’s attention and interest and they are over that awkward self-conscious stage where they feel they are being judged on how they spend their free time. It really has that spark as a game that triggers the gamer in all of us, once you get someone to play this game, the door really swings pretty wide in what you can introduce next so while its lowest on this list, it’s definitely to be considered an introductory game for all intense and purposes.

Gamers Dungeon

Tag Archives: Introductory Games