Death Valley (2021) Board Game

Death Valley is a card game released in 2021 by Button Shy. Designed by Kevin Ellenburg and featuring art by Fachri Maulana, this game is a mix of pattern building, push your luck, and take that mechanics. With a runtime of 15 minutes, it is designed for 1-2 players, making it a great option for solo or small group gaming.

Game Components of Death Valley

18 Feature cards

1 Desert card

2 player tableaus (Journey and Scrapbook)

Rulebook

Wallet-sized packaging

How To Setup Death Valley

To set up the game, shuffle the deck of Feature cards and reveal one face-up card, which becomes the Desert card. The rest of the cards remain face-down in the deck. This simple setup makes the game ready to start.

Gameplay Mechanics and Game Objective

Mechanics

Push-Your-Luck: Players risk collecting hazard icons to avoid busting.

Tableau Building: Players build their Journey and Scrapbook tableaus.

Action Selection: Players choose between Travel or Rest actions.

Solo Mode: Includes rules for playing against an AI.

Game Objective

The objective is to amass the most points by collecting and strategically placing Feature cards in your Journey and Scrapbook.

Points are scored from stars on cards in the Journey and from special abilities and scoring rules on cards in both the Journey and Scrapbook.

Gameplay Mechanics and Actions

Travel: Take the Desert card or the top card from the deck and add it to your Journey.

Rest: Move a Feature card from your Journey to your Scrapbook.

Bust: If you have three Feature cards of the same hazard type (Animal, Flood, Terrain, Heat) in your Journey and Scrapbook, you bust, discarding the rightmost card of that type and shuffling your Journey back into the deck.

Player Experience

Death Valley offers a low-key yet strategic gameplay experience. Players need to balance the risk of busting with the reward of scoring points. The game is not directly competitive, making it a relaxingly strategic experience. Each turn, players must decide whether to take risks by traveling or play it safe by resting and moving cards to their Scrapbook. The game also includes interesting facts about Death Valley on each Feature card, adding an educational element.

Pros

Compact and Portable: The game is wallet-sized, making it highly portable.

Beautiful Artwork: The cards feature colorful and thematic artwork.

Educational: Includes interesting facts about Death Valley locations.

Variants: Offers a Backseat Driver variant for more aggressive play and a solo mode against an AI.

Quick Playtime: Games typically last around 15 minutes.

Cons

Limited Actions: Players can only perform one action per turn, which can feel restrictive.

Repetitive Rounds: Each round can feel similar as the primary goal is avoiding busting.

Difficulty Adjustment: Adjusting the difficulty level in solo mode is not ideal, as it focuses on the number of busts.

Rule Clarity: Some players have found the small rulebook difficult to understand.

Personal Thoughts on Death Valley

Death Valley is ideal for players who enjoy push-your-luck and tableau-building mechanics in a compact, easy-to-learn package. It is suitable for ages 8+ and is a great choice for those looking for a short, strategic game that can be played anywhere. While it may not offer deep complexity, it provides a fun and engaging experience with a unique theme and beautiful artwork. If you’re a fan of Button Shy games or enjoy games with a mix of luck and strategy, Death Valley is definitely worth considering.

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