You will be amazed by the things you can achieve when you put your mind to it.
At least that is how our vikings must think in Winterborne, designed by Brian Suhre and published by Talon Strikes Studios. We have just a year to bring the most honor to our competing clans. How do we achieve this?
At the start of the game you are given a deck of six cards representing your clan. You are handed your province tile on which your three main characters reside. The Warrior, who you will use the conquer and build. The Shaman, who will help you trade, tax and pray to the Gods. Finally, an Explorer, who quests to find you new cards and raids to bring back food. With these components you will use a mix of deck-building and action selection that is spun seamlessly around a roundel movement system.
On your turn you draw four cards and play all you can to trigger actions. One card will activate the character you wish to use and a second card will give them movement. The character then sets off clockwise around your province, where they finish movement may affect certain actions concerning the colored region they finished in.
It is in this that you will find the core of your decisions in Winterborne. If you are looking to trade, each different region will offer different choices, or if you wish to explore you may have different cards you would like to bring to your hand. There is a puzzle to the efficiency you need in your card play, as the game contains very little player interaction it becomes about how well you can play with what you have.
Also with this kind of card play, it almost always feels like you are making headway, a great feeling of momentum. Very rarely did I find myself without an option that wouldn't gain me anything. If you did end up that way it most likely came from your own poor choice in card purchasing earlier in the game. For example ending up heavy handed with explorers and no way to gain the goods needed to do any actually exploring.
It is through exploring that the games internal time clock is set, as you pick up cards to improve your deck you are also pushing the game toward the finale. Spring turns to Summer, turns to Autumn and before you know it you are in Winter. Once Winter hits you only have three turns before the end and you better have been prepared. This also marks the time a unique ability for each player gets activated and you can turn in your favor from the Gods to unleash it. Knowing your power from the beginning should play into how you planned out your game, so you can take the maximum advantage of it.
Having played Coldwater Crown I am not surprised that Suhre has put together another great game. It sits on the low end of medium for weight and I could see teaching this to someone who is wanting to get deeper into the hobby. There is plenty of the decision making that I enjoy in games, without breaking my brain completely.
Overall, this has the feel of an old school euro and I can see this becoming a mainstay in any collection.
*photos of art may not be final product
