Boonlake

If you are a fan of other Pfister games or heavier Euro games, do not overlook this one. The sliding tile action selection mechanism is a first I have experienced and the ability to incentivize you with additional ship sailing options is very good. As always in his games, there is a good use of cards to add variety, providing instant, end game or sustained bonuses to the gameplay.

My only downside is that this game can be long, especially whenever anyone is playing it for the first time. Consider focusing on 2 players and maybe 3 to keep the playtime somewhat reasonable.

There is so much going on in this game - excellent for two players. Can see how it would be much more difficult to accomplish goals and end game points with more players, but still very fun I'm sure. We played twice this weekend and almost played more. Will most likely be on our rotation often, over the summer :)

This game was way better than I expected, and I already had high expectations, based on the reviews I read and the play-through videos I watched. I love the resource management mechanism with the boats - very unique! I also really like the tile picking mechanism for taking an action, plus the fact that EVERYONE gets to play on the active player’s turn. And I love that you don’t feel rushed and unable to do everything you want to do. Virtually no luck in this game, except the cards you draw and which actions the other players choose on their turns. No matter if your cards are good or bad, they always have some use - so pretty much all cards are good to get, which further minimises the impact of luck on the game. I don’t rate many games 10/10, yet this one has everything I love in a euro game, and I can’t wait to play again! It’s very well balanced, and there are multiple ways to gain points. Came in 2nd on my first two plays - hoping for a first place finish next time!

Also upgraded the cardboard coins to some nicer metal ones I found on Etsy. Can’t wait for them to arrive!