Rising Sun

Game is a little weird to try and build a strong engine. Never got into it.

This one did not go over well with my game group. In fact, I thought it was so-so, and I seem to be the one that liked it the most. Others complained about the negotiation being shallow, and the monsters being widely inconsistent in value and power. My main issue with it was that it really suffers from a runaway leader issue. If a player gets out to a big lead, it is extremely unlikely that they are going to lose. Such a pretty board though...
Basically, you may want to try it first, as I and my group prefer the Matagot trilogy of area control games over this by a mile (Inis, Kemet, and Cyclades). It may just be group dependent, as there are many out there that absolutely love it, and more power to them.

Love this game easily my number 1 but play with all kickstarter exclusives as well.

7/10

This game is fantastic! Negotiations are interesting, the uniqueness of the individual clans is fantastic, and there is almost infinite replay potential with all the monsters and expansions.

The action selection for your turn is fun, and with enough restriction that you won’t always get to do what you need to without an ally helping. And the bidding conflict resolution sure beats card play or dice rolling,

Highly recommended for anyone that likes war games and/or Risk.