Disastles (2018) Board Game – Board Game Guys

Disastles is a card game designed by Jeremy Carver and released in in 2018. It falls under the category of fantasy games and is designed for 2-5 players, with the best player count being 3-4. The game combines elements of deck building, bag building, and pool building, along with player elimination and set collection mechanics.

Game Components of Disastles

153 unique and beautifully illustrated cards

Throne room cards for each player

Disaster and catastrophe cards

Room cards with special powers and connection types

How To Setup Disastles

To set up Disastles, each player receives a throne room of their chosen color. The deck is shuffled, with 15 cards set aside and placed on top of the deck. A number of disaster and/or catastrophe cards are shuffled into the deck based on the desired difficulty level. Five cards are laid out as a shop, and a start player is chosen.

Gameplay Mechanics and Game Objective

Tile-Laying and Card Drafting: Players build space castles by claiming room cards from the shop and adding them to their castle.

Actions: On each turn, players can either claim a room card or perform one action (use a card’s action, swap rooms in their castle, or move an outer room).

Disasters: The game pauses when a disaster or catastrophe card is revealed. Players calculate the damage based on the connections in their castle and discard rooms to mitigate damage.

Game Objective: The goal is to accumulate the most points in vaults by the end of the game, after all disasters have been resolved.

Player Experience

In Disastles, players face the challenge of building a robust castle while preparing for random disasters. The game can be quite variable in length due to the random distribution of disaster cards, leading to unpredictability in gameplay duration. The multiplayer version can be lengthy and chaotic, while the solitaire game is more streamlined and enjoyable, taking about 15 minutes from setup to teardown.

Pros

Portable: The game is very portable due to its small form factor.

Individually Illustrated Room Cards: Each card is beautifully illustrated.

Puzzly Spatial Play: The game offers engaging spatial puzzle elements.

Good Solitaire Game: The solitaire mode is quick and fun.

Cons

Variable Game Length: The game can end very early or late due to the random placement of disaster cards.

Small Text on Cards: This can make it difficult for players to read and interact with the cards, especially in multiplayer.

Analysis Paralysis: Players may spend a lot of time deciding which rooms to use and how to manipulate their board.

Personal Thoughts on Disastles

Disastles is a solid choice for those looking for a portable and puzzly game, especially in its solitaire mode. While the multiplayer version can be lengthy and chaotic, the game’s unique mechanics and beautiful illustrations make it stand out. It is best suited for players who enjoy spatial puzzles and are looking for a game that can be easily taken on the go. However, it may not be the best fit for those seeking a quick, filler game or a highly interactive multiplayer experience.

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