Battle for Hill 218: a light war/card game.

First off I will not go into the rules of the game here. They have been restated numerous times with considerably more skill, clarity and precision then I would be able to in other posts on this site so what I will do is answer the questions I normally ask someone when I’m about to play or buy a game for the first time.

Conclusion: (for those too lazy to read the whole thing) Battle for Hill 218 is a very enjoyable quick war/card game. And for the price and size it really can’t be beat. A very positive addition to my game collection and will most likely be played often.

How many players can play? 2

What is the quality of the components (bang for the buck)? Great The cards are nice and sturdy and have a nice gloss over them and they look and feel like they will hold up to heavy use. The game itself is definitely priced right and goes for around 8 bucks depending on the store. And you can also download a copy for free http://www.yourmovegames.com/pages/hill218.html. So you can try it out at no risk.

How easy is it to learn? Very. With a rule book that can fit inside the deck. There are only three main concepts to learn and all but the support are really intuitive. The support function is hard at to understand at first because most new players assume that the support is for the attacker card not the attack itself.

How long does it take? 10-15 min. This game plays fast and can be over in as little as 5 min with and experience player vs. a new one. If the experienced player get the right cards and the new player doesn’t react then it can be won fast. Don’t let this discourage you the learning curve is such that by the second game the new player should be holding ther own.

What itch does this scratch? Fast portable strategy. This game fits in your pocket and can be played on even a smallish table. It’s deeper then the cards might suggest and its simplicity somehow fits the theme very well.

What is the replay value? Considerable. For how long it takes the game plays differently every time I’ve played. The variable draws makes it a different game every time.

Does this game reward skill or is it a pure luck fest? Yes The better player has a distinct advantage not only in knowing what cards are available but in how they interact.

In Conclusion: If you’ve read this far then you probably noticed this is the first paragraph at the start and also have guessed my opinion, But in the conclusions of the conclusion. Because you really must know: I really like this game. Buy it. Play it for free first. Get destroyed by the AI on hard then buy the game to play with your friends a considerably more forgiving opponent.