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sean johnson
United States
avon
Indiana
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I played this game at Gen Con in 2009. As soon as I played it, I knew that it would be a game that my wife would like. It turns out that I was right, and in 2009 we played the heck out of that game. However, last year we only played it a couple of times throughout the whole year. So is Cthulhu Rising still a favorite or has our preference in games evolved?
Game Overview
Despite having a Lovecraft theme, this game is an abstract game about matching sets of numbers. The entirety of the theme is the box art. In this two player game, both players have 60 tiles. These tiles are numbered 1 through 10 and there are three of each number. One player is red and the other is blue. The game is played on two 5x5 grids. On a player's turn they draw a tile and place it in an open spot on a grid. Whenever a row or column is completed it scores. Scoring is determined by seeing which player has a majority of tiles in that row or column. Each pair of numbers scores a point, each three of a kind scores three point, and four of a kind six points. If the entire row/column is dominated by one color then that is three points as well. The score tracker is a tug of war with zero in the center. When players score points the score marker moves to their side. The game ends when one player manages to get the score marker to 10 on their side or until all of spaces on the board are filled. In that instance, whoever has the score marker on their side wins.
The Game We Played
Like the previous game we played, Kachina, abstract tile laying games make for poor session reports. Once we started filling up rows and columns I got a lead. The score marker stayed on my side of the board for the entire game. I managed to get the score tracker up to six, I then drew a four which allowed me to complete a row and column at the same time. In the column I had majority and there were three fives which gave me 3 points. In the row I had majority and had three four which also gave 3 points. These six total points pushed me over the required 10 points and I won the game.
Our Thoughts
My Rating: 3.5 (it's ok)
My Thoughts: For the most part I am not wild about these kind of abstract games. However, the tug of war scoring really helps make this game compelling. The tactical decisions and back and forth play make the game engaging for the entire game (which has a short play time).
Her Rating: 4 (like it)
Her Thoughts: I can not really pinpoint why I like this game but I do. I guess I just find it fun to play.
Verdict
Combined Rating: 7.5
We still like this game. It plays quick and makes a decent two player filler. I think last year this game became a causality of having too many games. In the future we will have to be more mindful of breaking it out when we only have a few minutes but still want to play a game.
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