Tribes of The Wind | Strategy Game | Ages 14+ | 2 to 5 Players | 60 Minutes

Product Information

The aftermath of an apocalypse is an increasingly common grounding for games, both digitally and on the tabletop. Some (The Last of Us) take a narrative approach, where players act as a group of protagonists against a generally hostile environment. Others such as Dead of Winter introduce the possibility of deception and betrayal into the dynamic of survival. 2017’s Outlive pitches you in direct competition with other bands of survivors, as well as environmental hazards. And then, there are games like Tribes of the Wind, where the destruction of human civilisation is included solely for decorative effect. Apocalypse Wow Tribes of the Wind isn’t Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind: The Board Game, but it may as well be.

All the components are good the wooden temples, villages and wind folk are the highlights here. The pollution and water tokens utilitarianly do the job. There are a couple of other aspects of the game which are also a bit unsatisfying. There is an element of assymetry- each player has a selection of powers that they can activate under certain circumstances. This is a potentially fun wrinkle, but unfortunately neither the triggering circumstances nor the powers particularly affect the game, and so because you have to do everything (moving, clearing, building) yourself, there's very little benefit to specialisation. So this aspect feels very bland. Temple Of KludgeThe aftermath of an apocalypse is an increasingly common grounding for games, both digitally and on the tabletop. Some (The Last of Us) take a narrative approach, where players act as a group of protagonists against a generally hostile environment. Others such as Dead of Winter introduce the possibility of deception and betrayal into the dynamic of survival. 2017's Outlive pitches you in direct competition with other bands of survivors, as well as environmental hazards. And then, there are games like Tribes of the Wind, where the destruction of human civilisation is included solely for decorative effect. Apocalypse Wow Everything about the gameplay works, especially at lower player counts. I will need some persuading to play this again at five player though, as it turned what should be a 40 to 60 minute game into an absolute slog. With that sort of time investment I would rather play something more meaty.

The one that earned the more points, depending on villages, temples, objectives, pollution, wins the game and is now considered as the best of the Tribes of the Wind. Info We were able to get hands-on with one of the most eye-catching releases during a demo session at this year’s Essen Spiel convention in Germany, finding out whether the gorgeous board game could live up to its inspiration.Villages provide victory points, while temples - not seen here - can be constructured for a one-off bonus. While the game’s unique card play mechanic adds a layer of strategy, it may not offer enough tactical depth for some players. The game’s focus on meeting certain conditions to play cards can sometimes limit strategic options, reducing the game’s tactical depth. Final Verdict: Tribes of the Wind A Game Worth Playing There’s one more mechanism here worth mentioning, because it’s potentially interesting but not handled here in a way that gets the best from it. When you complete a village, you draw a card and choose either an immediate bonus, or an objective which could maybe score you points at the end. This is potentially an interesting choice. The trouble is that the likelihood of these objectives being completed depends on the length of the game, and taking an immediate bonus will speed the game up. Therefore, the immediate bonus is almost always the best option. Again, Tribes of the Wind doesn’t quite use its ideas well enough. Just The Two Of Us (Preferably) The power of cards is affected by the cards of your neighbours - with the need to compare element types for most actions. The game concludes when a player builds all five villages. Players then finish the current round and calculate their scores. The player with the most victory points wins the game. The Element of Strategy in Tribes of the Wind

There are a couple of other aspects of the game which are also a bit unsatisfying. There is an element of assymetry- each player has a selection of powers that they can activate under certain circumstances. This is a potentially fun wrinkle, but unfortunately neither the triggering circumstances nor the powers particularly affect the game, and so because you have to do everything (moving, clearing, building) yourself, there’s very little benefit to specialisation. So this aspect feels very bland. Temple Of Kludge When someone builds their 5th village, the end of the game is triggered. The player with the most points, depending on pollution, villages, temples, layout of their forests, and other various objectives, wins! This might mean that you need to have a certain selection of elements in your hand to gain the benefits of the cards or own more of a particular element than those sitting to the left and right of you. It's a fun little puzzle that means you're going to be engaged with the other players around the table, always looking to see what they are doing and how. Players may also send their wind riders to explore the area, plant forests, or build villages and temples using all the gathered resources. On each turn, players have three actions to choose from: play a card, build a temple, or construct a village. The choice you make will shape your strategy and influence your path to victory. Playing CardsAs we conclude our review of Tribes of the Wind, it’s clear that this game brings a unique blend of elements to the table. Despite its shortcomings, the game’s strengths make it a worthy addition to any board game collection. A Unique Gaming Experience There's a game design term, the kludge, which I love. It refers to an extra mechanism or rule which is added to deal with a problem elsewhere in the system. The temples in Tribes of the wind are the perfect example of this phenomenon. At some point the designer seems to have realised that you can end up with a real bummer of a hand of cards, stalling your progress towards sylvan Nirvana. Placing a temple allows you to jettison three cards (and immediately replace them) while gaining an immediate benefit. Which is fine, but it's disconcerting to see the design 'joins' so clearly. The addition of the temples definitely smooths off the play experience, but at the expense of tension and variability. Why Defer Gratification?