After Us (2023) Board Game
After Us is a board game released in 2023 by Catch Up Games. Designed by Florian Sirieix and illustrated by Vincent Dutrait, the game falls under the categories of Animals, Card Game, Puzzle, and Science Fiction. With a playing time of 40-60 minutes, After Us is suitable for 1-6 players aged 12 and up.
## Game Components of After Us
– **Cards**: Each player has a deck of ape cards featuring three rows of icons in frames.
– **Special Object Tiles**: Three random tiles are drawn at the start, introducing rule changes and requiring energy to use.
– **Tokens**: Customized wooden tokens for resources, screen-printed tokens for players, and thick cardboard for the main board and player boards.
– **Player Boards**: Each player has a board for managing their cards and resources.
– **Artwork**: Beautiful illustrations by Vincent Dutrait.
## How To Setup After Us
To set up the game, each player receives a player board, tokens, and a starting deck of cards. Three random special object tiles are shuffled and placed face up on the table. The game is ready for play once all players have their initial cards and tokens.
## Gameplay Mechanics and Game Objective
– **Assembling The Tribe**: Players draw four cards from their deck and arrange them in a line to maximize closed frames, which activate benefits.
– **Attracting New Apes**: Players can acquire new cards by secretly choosing tokens indicating the type of card they want.
– **Resting**: Players discard their cards and prepare for the next round.
– **Objective**: The first player to reach 80 points wins the game by efficiently managing resources, arranging cards, and utilizing special object tiles.
## Player Experience
After Us is a multiplayer solitaire experience where players focus solely on their own deck and resource management. The game lacks direct player interaction, making it a solitary experience. Players must balance resource collection, card arrangement, and strategic use of special objects to progress. The game’s simultaneous play allows for smooth gameplay with up to six players, but it may suffer from repetition and analysis paralysis for some players.
### Pros
– **Beautiful Artwork**: Vibrant and visually appealing illustrations by Vincent Dutrait.
– **Puzzle of Arranging Cards**: Engaging and challenging card arrangement mechanics.
– **Quick Play Time**: Games typically last 40-60 minutes.
– **High Player Count**: Supports up to six players.
– **Solid Production Quality**: High-quality components, including customized tokens and thick cardboard.
### Cons
– **No Tie-Breaker**: In the event of a tie, players share the victory.
– **Repetition**: The gameplay can become repetitive.
– **Solo Experience**: Lack of direct player interaction might not appeal to everyone.
## Personal Thoughts on After Us
After Us is ideal for players who enjoy deck-building and resource management games with a unique card arrangement mechanic. It is suitable for those who prefer a more solitary gaming experience and appreciate the challenge of optimizing card arrangements to achieve the highest score. However, players seeking games with strong player interaction or a thematic experience may find After Us less appealing. The game’s beautiful artwork and solid production quality make it a great addition to any game collection, especially for fans of strategic and puzzle-oriented games.
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