Rapid Reviews: Plenty o' Puzzling

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In this set of Rapid Reviews, we explore some newer games that may twist the brain into fun, clever puzzle and strategy games that are all approachable and may be good gift ideas.

Intarsia

2-4 players | ages 10+ | 40-60 minutes
Designed by Michael Kiesling
Published by Pegasus Spiele, Deep Print Games
Buy on Amazon

Michael Kiesling is a master at developing games where complexity is variable based on who is playing it and the actions available, rather than imposing strict guardrails that casually guide players toward a set objective. Intarsia does both but still allows players agency in the decision space.

Similarly to another Kiesling classic, Azul, players are repairing the parquet floor in the Café de Paris. This starts by selecting a card at random, which will show a number of yellow, red, green, violet, and wild cards. These correspond to colors on each player’s parquet player board. Play is simple: use these cards to slowly repair your floor by gaining the corresponding shapes – starting with the biggest and working inward – to repair each bit of parquet. One card of a color will allow the biggest frame of that corresponding color on a player board to be built. Two will allow the next level within it to be built, and so on, until players must play 4 cards of the same color to finish the last layer within the design. As players go deeper, they will be able to select several different-colored cards to the ones they are using, with the last layer allowing players to move the reward rondel toward a specific reward.

However, players will also want to branch out and expand to build on other colors that are connected. To do this, players will have to wisely leverage the cards in hand and carefully survey what they have, what they need, and what they wish to obtain. This will require players to gain connectors and place them in between each parquet they are repairing. Each round, the more connectors one has will gain points based on that round (for example, the second round ends and a player has three connectors, they will gain 6 points). Placing connectors also advances the reward rondel.

There are also shared goals that reward players with points based on how far along they are with specific repairs (for example, two layers in two green tile areas). These correspond to goals that have specific tools printed. When a player has earned these, they will gain the tile, and the points printed on it immediately. If players continue to gain tiles of the same tool, those points will begin to multiply. If a player has already gained a 2-point awl tile, and then gains a 1-point awl tile, they will score 3 total points immediately.

Play continues over three rounds, with players each selecting a new card for their starting hand at random. Players are also afforded the chance to keep up to three cards per round. Once all players can no longer play cards to make repairs, points are tallied from how many parquet tiles are in some state of completed repair (each layer increasing the point total) and a winner is determined.

Intarsia is clever, fast, and thinky. Though recommended for ages 10 and up, my 8-year-old was immediately able to understand the game and enjoy it. Similarly, after the first learning play, games are usually done in 30 minutes and leave players wanting to play again. There is a reason Michael Kiesling is a master in this design space, and Intarsia is the latest of his successes.

River Valley Glassworks

1-5 players | ages 8+ | 25-45 minutes
Designed by Adam Hill, Ben Pinchback & Matt Riddle
Published by Allplay
Buy on Amazon

Speaking of those with pedigrees in fun puzzle games, the triumvirate of Hill, Pinchback, and Riddle is gaining quite a reputation for just that. Usually, it’s in the roll/flip and write space, but when they go for some extra cardboard and chunky pieces, it’s worked out before.

And River Valley Glassworks is no different. Not to name drop Azul once more, but the basic mechanics of that tile-placing gem (including the textile enjoyment of the pieces) are brought forth and reimagined in this anthropomorphic industrial world where players are panning for valuable colorful glass pieces. As in the real world, some glass pieces are rarer than others, so how and when players gather them is key.

Players begin with three glass pieces in their pan. The river will be populated by glass pieces (determined by the number of stones shown on each river tile). These tiles will also have corresponding shapes of glass shown. Players will place a piece of that shape (the color doesn’t matter) and may then take the pieces of one of the surrounding tiles. They may also choose two shapes that are identical and place them on any river tile to then take glass from one of the adjacent tiles.

Players are trying to gather glass pieces to strategically complete both rows and columns, focusing on their color but not shape. Players may only have one color per column, and each row must be of a different color (and players may not start a second column of the same color already on the board). Any extra pieces of a color someone obtains will go to their overflow area and cost them 3 points per piece at the end of the game. Players then move their marker on their player board the number of pieces they gained.

Once someone’s pan is empty or they wish not to make a move, they go to the lake to gather the five random pieces of glass. However, pans can only hold up to five pieces of glass, so any extra will go into their overflow and cost them points. Play continues until a player has reached (or surpassed) 17 pieces of glass. Any player with fewer than three pieces in their pan will draw pieces from the bag until they have three and everyone will get one final turn. Add up the points of completed rows (being mindful that once a row is interrupted by a missing color type, it will lessen the score for that row) and the tallest two columns. The highest point total wins.

River Valley Glassworks is a fun puzzle where being mindful of what you take, when you take them, and how you place them is all strategic. Equally, the scoring of columns and rows also presents itself differently from game to game by what’s available. The game does have a standard, as well as a deluxe version that includes acrylic river tiles, a river playmat, dual-layered boards, and screen printed meeples. Rarely does a deluxe edition feel this necessary, and though the $30 price difference may be a bit much to ask of some, River Valley Glassworks feels like a game that will stay in people’s collections for years to come because it’s so versatile and accessible.

Agent Avenue

2-4 players | ages 8+ | 10-20 minutes
Designed by Christian & Laura Kudahl
Published by Nerdlab
Buy from Publisher

Agent Avenue pits players against each other (either 1v1 or 2v2) in the goal of capturing the other spy. To do this, players begin with a hand of four cards. They will take turns choosing one card from their hand to play face-up and one face-down, while the other player decides which to take.

But which should they take, and why? At its heart, Agent Avenue is a set collection game. Each card will show how many spaces forward or backward a player’s agent will advance on the board to try to capture the other agent. The more of a set one collects, the better or worse the movement. The game also has cards for Daredevils and Codebreakers. Collect three Daredevils and lose or collect three Codebreakers to win!

Agent Avenue also has an advanced mode, where there are four Black Market spaces. Landing exactly on these spaces allows players to draw a card and either resolve the effect immediately or have an ongoing ability for the rest of the game. The player that either catches the other first or collects three Codebreakers wins. Of course, collecting three Daredevils will lose someone the game.

There is nothing fancy about Agent Avenue, and yet the decision space leveraging both 'I Cut, You Choose' as well as set collection is fantastically tense. So is the strategy of what to offer up to opponents in an effort to either catch them or pawn off cards such as the Daredevil or Saboteur. It plays quickly and has everyone engaging in a nerving battle of give and take.

Neon Reign

1-2 players | ages 8+ | 10-15 minutes
Designed by Aaron Hein & Manny Trembley
Published by Chip Theory Games

This video-game-inspired battler has players choosing a character, drawing seven cards, and playing up to three to string together joystick and/or button combos. The goal is to defeat the other player, getting their 25 health down to zero first. While laying down cards to create combos, players are also charging up their player abilities by collecting Star Power tokens. Each player requires a different number and can unleash a power attack or a fantastic benefit to help them ward off defeat for a few more turns. Cards can also grant players a bit of a health boost based on the attack cards played.

Play begins with the attacking player playing their chosen cards. If the defending player has any defense cards, such as block or combo breaker, they can choose which card(s) to ignore from the attacking player to minimize the damage taken. Players will then rotate the attacking and defender order. Players may also take a rest to draw back up to their maximum hand of 7 cards, though this recharge takes up a turn where they could be attacking.

At first, Neon Reign looks simple but when to unleash combos, gather Star Power, and refresh your hand are all strategic. The setup and learn is quick and easy but learning the benefits and powers for a cavalcade of each selectable character, and how they work with a player’s preferred speed and style of play adds variability without bogging the action. Games are quick, and there are variants for both solo players as well as a best 2 out of 3 rounds. Neon Reign also has a deluxe edition, which includes acrylic tokens, metal coins for the winners of each round, and higher-quality cards. Considering the difference between the price points is $15 (MSRP for retail is $25, deluxe is $40), it comes down to how often you believe you’ll play the game. The added protection and tactile satisfaction of PVC cards and acrylic tokens means the game has a longer life.