The River

GaGarfieldstar6.0

Sosolala game. Collect ressources and buy tiles with VPs for it, that's it. Nice component but very simple game. [c] Theme: :star::star::nostar::nostar::nostar: <!-- size 7]Not much --> Gameplay: :star::star::nostar::nostar::nostar: <!-- size 7]Choose where to select ressources, almost nothing more --> Interaction: :star::nostar::nostar::nostar::nostar: <!-- size 7]None --> Artwork: :star::star::nostar::nostar::nostar: <!-- size 7]Nothing special --> Luck: :star::star::star::nostar::nostar: <!-- size 7]Random tiles laid out --> Strategy: :star::star::nostar::nostar::nostar: <!-- size 7]Not much --> Components: :star::star::star::star::nostar: <!-- size 7]Very nice --> Play duration: :star::star::star::star::star: <!-- size 7]Perfect --> Easy to teach: :star::star::star::nostar::nostar: <!-- size 7]Ok --> Rules quality: <!-- size 7]Not read --> Setup time: :star::star::star::nostar::nostar: <!-- size 7]Ok --> No downtime: :star::star::star::star::nostar: <!-- size 7]Fast --> Replay value: :star::nostar::nostar::nostar::nostar: <!-- size 7]Not much I can think of --> [/c]

EvEvanstar3.5

Played this with one of my 5 year old boys. It's a very basic get resources, spend the resources on buildings, try and get your columns of tiles to be of the same type. It uses worker placement which was a mechanism that my son had trouble getting used to. I thought he'd like it because the core of what you are doing is the same as another game he really enjoys, The Grimm Forest but gets upset at the 'take-that' elements. Unfortunately the bland theme in the River did nothing for him, and he didn't want to play through the whole thing. This game is far too basic to take it out with an adult playgroup. :star: Art, Iconography and components functional :nostar: Clever or interesting mechanisms :star: Reasonably low downtime between turns with mildly AP players :nostar: Multiple plays stay interesting :star: Low or mitigatable luck elements :star::star::nostar::nostar::nostar: Raw enjoyment

Alexandre MATHISstar9.0

(comments as posted in French and English on our blog, i copy paste here !) THE RIVER : discret mais excellent ! Rien de tape à l’œil dans THE RIVER, aucun caillou qui brille… mais une mécanique parfaitement calibrée qui procure rapidement le plaisir intellectuel d’un jeu de gestion classique bien plus gros (placement d’ouvriers/obtention et utilisation de ressources). Le jeu est par ailleurs visuellement superbe, une constante chez DoW ! Parfaitement adapté aux novices qui veulent découvrir ce qu’est un jeu de gestion moderne et tout à fait plaisant pour les amateurs de Caylus, Agricola et autres Myrmes qui le dévoreront volontiers tel un apéritif trop vite terminé ! Oui, rapide, la rivière ! Entre l’envie d’y revenir et de par la courte durée des parties (20 min à 2, 30/40 min à 3), il est déjà davantage sorti que notre Caylus Premium en 12 ans ! Pour nous c’est une synthèse brillante du jeu de gestion actuel à destination des familles : des choix simples et multiples, de la tension positive, un rythme qui peut s’emballer selon les stratégies choisies, un thème bien rendu, un zeste d’incertitude (tuiles terrain et cartes bâtiments proposées), on sait qu’on pourra le sortir souvent durant des années sans s’embarquer dans de longues parties de cubes en bois. D’ailleurs ici point de cubes en bois…plein de chouettes meeples figuratifs ! Et mine de rien, le plaisir visuel, ça compte aussi ! Un 9/10 amplement mérité ! THE RIVER: an excellent gateway game ! Nothing’s magical or really new but perfectly calibrated mechanics that quickly provide the intellectual pleasure of a much larger and longer management game ! Totally adapted to novices, families, kids from 8/9, and pleasant too for experts as a cool and short management aperitif ! Yes, the river flows fast (…) 20/30 min ! For us it is a brilliant synthesis of the current management game for families ! Multiple simple choices, rhythm increases fastly according to chosen strategies, tense situationswe know that i twill hit the table often for newcomers to discover management games. A top choice for families !