Demon Worker (2016) Board Game
Demon Worker is a worker placement board game designed by Shu Nagata and released in in 2016. The game is set in a world of villainy and demons, where players take on the role of demons trying to outwit each other in order to become the most powerful demon in the underworld. With a runtime of 45 minutes and designed for 3-4 players, Demon Worker offers a unique and engaging gaming experience.
## Game Components of Demon Worker
– **Human Cards**: Basic worker cards with no special effects, requiring one food cost to dispatch and yielding two victory points each.
– **Demon Cards**: Unique workers with special summoning and dispatch costs, victory points, and activate abilities.
– **Work Area Cards**: Various work areas providing resources, resources and evil points, or special abilities like the War Room and the Audience Chamber.
– **Planning Cards**: Cards that award evil points if specific resource requirements are met.
– **Resources**: Food, human sacrifices, weapons, and magical stones.
– **Player Tokens and Discs**: Used for tracking and placement.
## How To Setup Demon Worker
To set up the game, place the 11 work area cards in the middle of the table (excluding the trash dump and cemetery for a three-player game). Shuffle the planning deck and deal each player two planning cards. Separate the resources into separate piles. Each player chooses a color, takes the corresponding player aid sheet, worker tokens, and starts with two human workers. Deal each player three human sacrifices, two weapons, and one magical stone. Place the round tracker on the first round and distribute the turn order markers. Finally, deal six demon worker cards to each player.
## Gameplay Mechanics and Game Objective
### Mechanics
– **Worker Placement**: Players assign workers to different work areas.
– **Resource Management**: Players manage resources like food, human sacrifices, weapons, and magical stones.
– **Card Abilities**: Demon workers have unique abilities and costs.
### Game Objective
The objective is to accumulate the most points by efficiently using workers, managing resources, and completing planning card requirements. The game is divided into three phases: Supply, Assignment, and Cleanup. Players gain resources, assign workers to work areas, and collect points based on their workers’ abilities and work area effects.
## Player Experience
**Demon Worker** offers a strategic experience where players must carefully select and manage their workers to achieve the highest score. The game involves drafting unique demon workers, each with special abilities, and allocating them to various work areas to maximize resource gain and points. The planning cards add an additional layer of strategy, requiring players to manage resources efficiently to meet the card requirements.
### Pros
– **Unique Worker Abilities**: Each demon worker has distinct abilities, adding variety to gameplay.
– **Resource Management**: The game requires careful resource planning, making it engaging and challenging.
– **Strategic Depth**: The combination of worker placement, resource management, and planning cards offers a rich strategic experience.
### Cons
– **Complexity**: The game has multiple components and phases, which can be overwhelming for new players.
– **Player Interaction**: While strategic, the game may lack direct player interaction, which some players might find less engaging.
– **Length**: The 45-minute playtime can feel lengthy for some players, especially if they are new to worker placement games.
## Personal Thoughts on Demon Worker
**Demon Worker** is ideal for fans of worker placement games who enjoy strategic depth and resource management. It suits players who appreciate drafting unique workers and planning ahead to maximize their score. However, it may not be the best fit for those seeking quick, light games or those who prefer high levels of direct player interaction.
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