Morels (2012) Board Game – Board Game Guys

Morels is a card game designed by Brent Povis and published by Two Lanterns Games in in 2012. It is a two-player game that falls under the categories of card game and educational game. The game has received positive reviews for its unique theme centered around foraging for mushrooms in the forest.

Game Components of Morels

Day Deck: 84 cards including 10 different types of mushrooms, baskets, cider, butter, pans, and moons.

Night Deck: 8 cards of mushrooms for foraging by moonlight.

Foraging sticks: Used to expand options in the forest.

Decay pile: A temporary pile of cards that have moved out of the playable forest area.

Mushroom cards: Each has two values, one for selling and one for cooking.

How To Setup Morels

To set up the game, players create a tableau of eight face-up cards from the Day Deck, representing the forest. Each player starts with a hand of cards. The Night Deck is set aside and used during specific phases of the game.

Gameplay Mechanics and Game Objective

Card Collection: Players collect mushroom cards from the forest tableau.

Selling Mushrooms: Selling two or more of the same mushroom type earns foraging sticks, which expand player options.

Cooking Mushrooms: Cooking sets of three or more of the same mushroom type, optionally with butter or cider, earns points.

Night Foraging: Using the Night Deck, players can forage for mushrooms under moonlight.

Decay Mechanic: After each turn, one card from the forest moves into the decay pile, which is available for a short time before being replaced by new cards from the Day Deck.

Objective: The goal is to accumulate the most points by cooking and selling mushrooms.

Player Experience

**Morels** offers a delightful and strategic experience, balancing chance and strategy. Players appreciate the easy-to-learn rules and the game’s replayability. The game is praised for its beautiful artwork and the engaging mechanic of foraging and cooking mushrooms. It is a great game for couples and those looking for a quick, yet strategically deep, gaming experience.

Pros

Easy to Learn: Simple rules that take 20-30 minutes to master.

High Replayability: New strategies can be developed over multiple plays.

Beautiful Artwork: Lovely and playful illustrations of mushrooms and forest elements.

Balanced Mechanics: A good mix of skill, strategy, and luck.

Quick Gameplay: Games typically last 20-30 minutes.

Cons

Limited Player Count: Designed for two players only.

Card Management: Managing the hand-size limit and the rotating forest tableau can be tricky.

Learning Curve for Night Mechanics: The Night Deck adds complexity that may take a few plays to fully understand.

Personal Thoughts on Morels

**Morels** is ideal for couples or friends looking for a quick, yet engaging, card game. It offers a unique theme of foraging and cooking mushrooms, which is both fun and educational. The game’s balance of strategy and luck makes it appealing to both casual and experienced gamers. If you enjoy games with beautiful artwork and a mix of chance and strategy, **Morels** is definitely worth checking out.

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