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Anthony Boydell
United Kingdom
Unspecified
Unspecified
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Part Two in an occasional series of retrospectives examining reviews of previous Boydell efforts: why they're 'on the money' and/or 'on the wrong planet'
This week: Bloody Legacy (An un-necessarily violent and offensive card game for all the family)
What Tony Says:
Two to eight players compete in a quick-fire, 'take that', light-hearted and slightly surreal card game. Comedy art, a daft premis and a detailed, quirky web-site combine for some shallow fun. Puerto Rico it ain't. It was extra-ordinarily popular with boys aged 9-12.
Bloody Legacy has been, apart from Bad Grandmas, the lightest game that I have designed - in fact, it harkens back to days working for HM Government (mid-90s) and spending lunch-hours board-gaming in the canteen (it was originally themed as a kind of food fight).
I had an enormous amount of fun doing the artwork - one done daily over the space of a month or so, such that a consistent style ran through them. How I chuckled at 'Shark-infested Duvet' and 'Feeling a Little Flushed'! Even the (eventual) German translations of the names made me guffaw: there is no equivalent Deutsche pun for 'Duck' (bird) and 'Duck' (get your head down!) etc.
www.surprisedstaregames.co.uk/BloodyLegacy/index.htm
What You Lot Say:
"Play cards to kill your opponents over and over. Very little in the way of strategy or replayability." (rated 2) - well-spotted. Now, please point out where it says on the box that this is a heavyweight economic-engine of a game or a complex, interactive resource management machine? No? Can't find such a statement? Exactly...(sniffs)
"Played prototype. Not much fun!" (rated 2) - right! you're barred from playing any more of my prototypes! Next time you can hand over your money before you discover it's so bad! Some people are just so ungrateful! As I say to my teenage daughters: 'A little more gratitude and a little less attitude!'
"The game feels like an overly-long game of chance...I'd rather either a quick game of chance or a similarly lengthed (sic) game where some sort of skill actually matters more." (rated 2.5) - er, given BL takes approx 10 minutes from start to end with EIGHT players, either this poster is immensely SLOW OR he's some kind of giant fly living in a differently-perceived time-line! Perhaps this was on the shelf next to CAYLUS and he got all confused and stuff?
"Very samey after a few plays." (rated 4) - the ratings are getting better, at least. A statement that could, of course, be equally applied to Power Grid, Agricola, and 18XX (the whole chuffing lot of 'em), so Bloody Legacy is in excellent company! Result!*
"Mmm?" (rated 5) - Mmmmarvellous? Mmmmmagnificent? Mmmmmuuuuummmmy!?
"Great for kids. My 7-yr old son loves it." (rated 5) - As I said: It was extra-ordinarily popular with boys aged 7-12.
"Not a great deal of control, but the cards are fun. A few drinks would help me enjoy this game a lot more." (rating 5.5) - yay! someone listened to my suggestion of using tequila shots as life counters!
"Awful game but great fun played not seriously. Some gruesome pictures. and be careful - there's somebody in the oven - ITS YOU!" - now there's the rub! 'played not seriously'.
An FLGS in Reading, England had an irate mother come in and complain about the violent artwork (vomit, immolation, dissection, electrocution, impalement, elephants etc), how it was setting a bad and unsuitable example etc...and then she bought more copies for her nephews! Now that's someone who GETS it...
Anyway, go and take a look at the site - it's a lot of fun, if I do say so myself, and keep an eye-out for the ship in a bottle!
*A triumph of optimism against the obvious.
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