Steampunk seems to be a thing currently.
I am a bit of a fan as I grew up with a mom that owned an antique
shop! So, I was thrilled when I found out there was a game out there that
not only captured the look of that late 1800’s urban setting, but also nailed
the gameplay to go along with it. That
game is The World of Smog: On Her Majesty’s Service.
First off, I know. The game is a
mouthful to say. Worse yet, it looks
like the kind of game that you will be playing for hours on end in just one
sitting. Well, I have good news. As heavy as this game literally and
figuratively looks, it is anything but. The
game rules claim that it will take about an hour to play. If that were true, it would be a pretty cool
game. However, this gem of a game
usually comes in closer to the 30 minute mark for most games. That, my friends, is phenomenal!
The gist of the game is that you are collecting certain elements for the
queen and hoping to do this and exit before everyone else accomplishes a similar
task. On each players turn, they have 9
options. Yes, 9 options. Again, I know it sounds like it will take the player a crazy
long time to decide between 9 options, but I assure you each option is way easy
to remember, which makes decisions somehow quick. The gameplay here is definitely a fast
tactical kind of strategy game.
Aside from the really fun and clever gameplay, this game has two major attributes
going for it. First, the game is one of
the most stunning games around.
Seriously, if you put this game on a table, people will have no choice
but to ask you about what you are playing.
The game board itself looks like the layout of the gears of a clock from
the 1800’s. The paintings of the
characters are incredibly cool looking as well.
But the part that takes the cake in terms of beauty is the character
pieces. Oh my goodness. They are some of the best sculptures ever seen
by anyone in a board game. Just unbelievable! These little pieces alone are worth the price
of admission!
The second part of the game that thrilled me was how well the board fit
the theme. In a game with a theme about
heavy machinery, you might expect to see pictures of machinery and big
pipes. But, what I never expected was to
see a board that actually functioned like heavy machinery. The board actually moves as you play the
game! It is part of the games mechanics
to turn the cogs on the board. I tell
you, is just unreal how cool it all works together to make you feel like a
secret agent in victorian London.
In the end, this game is just wicked cool. I would recommend it to anyone even thinking
about buying a board game. It is worth
every penny, even if you just put it in a glass case on your coffee table for
display, it would be worth it. The
fantastic gameplay to go along with it is just a wonderful unexpected bonus!
Get it here on Amazon!
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