Game: Rocketville

Thread: Re: Firewood...

houjix — 2008-09-03T04:44:53+00:00

coolpapa wrote:
It can't possibly burn worse than it plays. Water burns better than Rocketille plays.
To be fair, I don't think you fully get the subtle strategy in this game. I can see where a newb could dismiss this game much the same way they could get turned off of Go on an initial play. The strategic options are just too daunting. Check out my strategy article for tips.

Thread: Re: Not nearly as bad as they say

mutilatedlips — 2008-09-02T15:34:08+00:00

Review was dead on. I picked it up a while back, clearanced just under $10. It is a really fun light game for around that price.
We have had plenty of dramatic games at family and friends houses with big "YES's!!!" when a player gets that neighborhood spot using a low wild card and everybody else decides to use their campaign card. It also has plenty of yelling when a player beats another with a card one point higher than another, Arghh!!!
It always turns out to be a very animated fast moving game. There is bluffing and strategy on holding certain cards. There is educated guessing on what the other cards players are holding and going to play and plenty of alternative game changing ways of playing with the endorser/robot cards.
A nice not-so-complicated intro to alternative games for people used to monopoly or a good opener for a gaming night that follows up with longer more complicated games.

Thread: Re: Rocketville Strategy

goatsarecool — 2008-08-17T19:41:35+00:00

Man, no wonder I sucked at this! Let me put down Acquire and return to this!

Thread: Re: Not nearly as bad as they say

BCWolf — 2008-07-05T13:09:11+00:00

mpetty31 wrote:
I can't imagine the chaos of a five-player game

We've often played it with 4 or 5 players, and the biggest problem is that it becomes very hard to wrest control of a district away from someone who gets a one (or worse, two) square advantage. It also becomes much harder at making an educated guess at whether a given election is going to be heavily contested (so you need to play a very high number to have a shot at winning) or not (so that a medium value might steal the square). The scarcity of won squares also diminishes the chance of capitalizing on the robot bonuses, which makes achieving them somewhat more of a factor than they usually are.

Thread: Re: Firewood...

mcdeans — 2008-06-29T15:05:53+00:00

Iskandir wrote:
How does it burn?
Ah, but does it blend?

Image

Cornbread46 — 2008-06-25T14:10:19+00:00

Yes, every game of Rocketville is surrounded by people making this face...

Image

Cornbread46 — 2008-06-24T21:21:01+00:00

The eventual winner of the game on the right, looking like she KNOWS it's in the bag!

Thread: Re: (Don't Go Back to) Rocketville

Imperious leader — 2008-03-12T09:13:36+00:00

I have this theory:

Just drop the remaining copies over the Iranian nuclear plant and save a future war. The game would dumb down the intelligence of every citizen of Iran and they would never finish that nuclear program. And the few who ignored it could be hit with the game as some sort of bomb.

I say everybody pull their copy from the trash can back out of it and send it to the State department to test this theory.

Thread: Re: Is nobody willing to write a negative review on this game?

Imperious leader — 2008-03-09T19:40:31+00:00

Doesn't this qualify as a rational review? The above post does and heres another...

I don't like it because it wont hold open my back door because the game is too light. Also, i cant use any of the pieces for other game ideas because they are so 'funky' and have odd shapes about them. Another consideration was using the map as material to apply and glue another game map on top, but the rocketville map is too small. I tried to use the rules for kindling at my fireplace, but they even have trouble burning so i had to just stick with newspaper. I eventually made the box as a cat box for little kittens ( no not 'war kittens') these were strays from the neighborhood. But the box was made out of cheap cardboard and began to immediately break at the seams. So basically their was nothing useful to me from this game. It goes w/o saying that actually playing it would be like playing another version of chutes and ladders ( might as well play it while having a pacifier in my mouth followed by a nap in my crib) and i don't want to insult the progress our human race has made in the last 25 years, as that game concept set humanity back at least 5 years. Thank you for your time.

Thread: Re: Firewood...

Imperious leader — 2008-03-03T20:40:54+00:00

You need to open the boxes, because during playtest the "game" ( if you can call it that) simply does not ignite well. About 15 or so were left closed in the bonfire and they just smoldered for a while, but didn't get going.

On these i eventually used gasoline to burn these copies and we kept warm for a few nights and saved gas.

So i suggest that people in colder states use this method and burn your copies of Rocketville and save the gas bill.

You will thank me latter.

Thread: Re: Firewood...

coolpapa — 2008-03-03T08:43:35+00:00

It can't possibly burn worse than it plays. Water burns better than Rocketille plays.

Thread: Re: Firewood...

Iskandir — 2008-03-03T06:34:05+00:00

How does it burn? Play? Whatever ...

Thread: Firewood...

Imperious leader — 2008-03-03T06:15:18+00:00

Nearly 100% of hobby stores in my area are now paying people to take this game home, because they need the space to sell games. I got 50 copies and promptly used it for firewood.

I recommend everybody get one or 50 of their own.

Thread: Failed Mission

erak — 2008-01-27T05:19:34+00:00

After a round of Felix: The Cat in the Sack, my friend pulled out Rocketville because, as another friend put it, it's a bid game like Felix. That's kind of like De Vito and Schwarzenegger in Twins.

I got off to a good start winning the first three squares with cards strong enough by exactly 1. Rich, on the other hand, spent the first 12 rounds drawing cards instead of playing. This turned out to be a great strategy because he pretty much couldn't be stopped towards the end of the game. Actually. it was really frustrating for the rest of us because he seemed to win every other square by exactly 1 and won the game by 20 points

I felt better going into the second game with a good handle on how it works. This feeling didn't last too long. We introduced an endorsement card. In this case, any time a player got a robot card, he had to give a campaign card to the player with the endorsement. This wasn't a game breaker by any means since the endorsed player would typically get the other player's crappiest gray card.

And how the gray cards flowed! Throughout the game, all my cards were either gray or brown. The gray cards are completely worthless if any other player plays a card of that square's color. Amazingly, I was still able to win some key spots with gray cards, so I finished 1st or 2nd in a few districts.

Rich, of course, was still drawing all the best cards and won the second game as well, but this time, I was a few points behind him.

Some thoughts about the game
- It's really simple to play, but you wouldn't think of it by looking at that mess of a board. Since color plays an important part of the game, some color choices of the districts aren't too well planned. More than once I found myself nearly playing a yellow card on a brown space because that space had a yellow background. Really, Richard Garfield?

- Only one endorsement card per game? Surely they could allow a few more at a time to make the game a little more interesting.

- The only hint the game gives that it was designed by the same man who made Magic: The Gathering is the concept of card advantage. Unfortunately, it's totally moot when every freakin' card in your hand is gray.

- The most worthless robot card is easily the one that gives you 4 points for having the least amount of markers on the board. You know how, before the second Big Wheel on the Price is Right, the announcer says "contestants not appearing on stage will receive" and it's a list of about $100 worth of crap? That's what this card does. It enables you to lose with dignity.

Thread: Re: Maybe Help Offset Bad Draw of Cards

happyjosiah — 2007-12-22T13:56:58+00:00

Two very intriguing ideas. This game needs help, but theme is so cool it makes me want to help it. I may just try these out.

Thread: Re: Fun Game, (In support of Rocketville)

rydiafan — 2007-11-30T05:46:00+00:00

docreason wrote:
You don't play Fluxx, it plays you.

Correction. I neither play Fluxx nor does it play me.

Thread: Re: Rocketville Strategy

jhagen1908 — 2007-11-29T15:38:54+00:00

Justin, what are your favorite openings? Certainly a hand of four 48s is a nice middle-of-the-road starter, but I think you really want to watch where the rocket starts, as 48-47-46-45 in one color might be a better opening. Followed up with the other 48s later of course -- no one would suggest leaving these weapons out of their arsenal entirely.

Thread: Re: Rocketville Strategy

coolpapa — 2007-11-29T06:48:58+00:00

Justin, you didn't hear this, but we were totally playing wrong - there's a hand limit. That fixes everything!!!

But seriously, I love that this is the only strategy article that has ever been written about this game.

Thread: Re: Rocketville Strategy

jhagen1908 — 2007-11-29T06:45:59+00:00

I like to collect the RO-BOT HEEEEEAAAAADS.

Thread: Re: Rocketville Strategy

houjix — 2007-11-29T06:35:10+00:00

Thanks, I really thought I was on to something. It took me about 2/3rds of a play to see that I was playing very wrong by drawing 13s and 17s and such. Then it just dawned on me, an epiphony if you will, that I'd be in much better shape if I'd start drawing 48s instead. What a brilliantly clever game. Rocketville is my new favorite, replacing my old favorite: Senator.

Thread: Re: Rocketville Strategy

fehrmeister — 2007-11-29T06:32:09+00:00

This is amazing stuff Justin! Who'd have thunk it? I'll be careful not to tell this to my kids the next time I play with them, and beat them to shreds.

Now you've got me wondering if it's better to guard the 10-point temples in Tikal than the 1-point ones. You've probably started a veritable avalanche of new strategic thinking here.

Thread: Rocketville Strategy

houjix — 2007-11-29T06:13:48+00:00

I've played one game of Rocketville and I think I've got a pretty good strategy down. I'm no expert, but here's what I'm thinking.

In general, if you want to do well at Rocketville you should try your best to draw 48s. If for some reason you find yourself in a position where this is difficult, I think a pretty solid second tier strategy would be to instead draw 47s. If worst comes to worst in a crowded game you can always buck up and work toward drawing 46s, though the 47s and 48s are clearly a better play. I can't quantify the merits of these strategies, but they seem pretty solid to me.

Thread: Re: $9.99 at Amazon.com (retail $35)

Drew — 2007-11-15T15:25:32+00:00

I saw it at Toys R Us for 7.50 last weekend and didn't even think about taking it off the shelf.

Thread: Re: Mini Review

thaos52002 — 2007-10-29T19:21:38+00:00

An updated version of my review can now be found here:

http://games-blog.pairodicegames.com/

Thread: Re: Not nearly as bad as they say

Stephen Glenn — 2007-09-24T22:11:52+00:00

Good review. Fun game. I'd write more but I'm typing with my Wii-mote.

Thread: Re: Not nearly as bad as they say

mpetty31 — 2007-09-23T23:33:18+00:00

I was going to write a mini-review for this game, but I think you summed up my thoughts very well. I found this game for $7.50 at the local TRU and I'm glad to have it in my collection. I have only played it with three players so far. I can't imagine the chaos of a five-player game, but for three it's been quick and fun. Yes, luck plays a part, but there's some fun in deciding when to draw cards and when to take a chance with a mid-ranged card.

Thread: Re: Is nobody willing to write a negative review on this game?

JohnnyDollar — 2007-09-14T13:46:50+00:00

waza wrote:
I would like to see one of this games knockers give it a rational review as to why it is so bad...So many people seem to dislike the game but no one has taken the time to write an extended opinion (ie a review) as to why.

Doesn't this qualify as a rational review?

Thread: Re: Is nobody willing to write a negative review on this game?

waza — 2007-09-14T12:59:09+00:00

stormseeker75 wrote:
If somebody gives me a copy to play, I'll gladly write a review. But I'm definately not buying it. I can't say whether it will be negative or not, but based on most opinions, I don't think it will be a positive one.
I guess this is my point, there seems to be lots of negative comments and ratings, but how much of that is just negative buzz. So many people seem to dislike the game but no one has taken the time to write an extended opinion (ie a review) as to why. While several people have taken the time to write that while not a brilliant game it's not as bad as all the negative hype.

Thread: Re: Is nobody willing to write a negative review on this game?

stormseeker75 — 2007-09-14T12:53:47+00:00

If somebody gives me a copy to play, I'll gladly write a review. But I'm definately not buying it. I can't say whether it will be negative or not, but based on most opinions, I don't think it will be a positive one.

Thread: Re: Is nobody willing to write a negative review on this gam

Simon Mueller — 2007-09-14T08:45:25+00:00

The game is not bad per se, but there is no player interaction and little strategy. The main problem IMHO is that the game looks promising, but propably disappointed many people. Furthermore many people think blind-bidding is a bad mechanic. Unlike other "bad games" like Monopoly or Risk, it doesn't drag on forever though.

EDIT: I just updated my comment (on my rating):

Desperatly uninnovative game, which fails on all its promises: It's said to be a political game, but there is no player interaction or arguing. Political satire is reduced to what is printed on the cards. Strategy is almost non-existant, all choices you make are inherent, i.e. it's very easy to figure out what to do throughout the whole game.

The game mechanic is blind-bidding without any major twists. Highest bid wins, Lowest bid pays a penalty. You bid with cards and what cards you get is completly random.

To sum it up: This game provides no opportunity for clever play.

I have to admit though, when you get this for less 10$ you won't be too disappointed and might give it a try.

Thread: Is nobody willing to write a negative review on this game?

waza — 2007-09-14T06:40:22+00:00

Why does this game have such a low rating/ranking yet all the reviews seem to be defending it? Do people only write reviews of games they like? I have not played this game, is it worth buying a cheap copy? If you look at the ratings no, but if you read the reviews yes. I would like to see one of this games knockers give it a rational review as to why it is so bad.

Thread: Not nearly as bad as they say

MasterDinadan — 2007-09-06T07:36:01+00:00

Rocketville has a bit of a reputation of being a bad game. It's got a low rating and lots of bad reviews, but I don't think it is really all that bad.
The main problem with Rocketville is that it's a very light and small game packaged in a large, expensive box. I wouldn't ever pay full price for this game, but if you can snag it for around 10 dollars it might just be worth it.

You'll probably be surprised when you first open the box. It's almost completely empty! What do you get for your money?
-A board showing the 36 areas in Rocketville
-A few decks of cards, including Campaign Promises, Robots, and Endorsers
-A bunch of cardboard punchout tokens, and 5 plastic tokens.
-A metal rocket.
That's really all you get. I can't comment much on the quality. The board and card are about the quality you would expect. If you spend more than 15 dollars, you will probably be disappointed by what you are good.

So how does the game play out?

The rocket is moved around the board, visiting each of the areas once. Each time the rocket visits an area, everyone picks a campaign promise card from their hand, and players reveal them simultaneously. The player with the highest card gets to place their token on the space. In addition, most of the spaces will offer other bonuses - the winner gains a point, the winner draws a card, or the loser loses a point.
You may also opt to not play a card at all and use your "Campaign Planning" card to draw an extra card.

It sounds really simple, and perhaps a little boring. Well, to be honest, it is quite simple, but it's also a little more interesting than it seems. In addition to the normal effects of spaces, the low bidder is also penalized when the rocket gets stuck, and a majority of the points are paid out at the end of the game based on who has 1st and 2nd majority control over several regions on the board. There is a significant amount of luck in drawing better cards than your opponent, but there is also an element of hand management. Save your high cards for the spaces you need most, but don't be left with a terrible hand if the rocket gets stuck or ends up in a shady area! A few of the spaces allow you to exchange your cards for new cards, or for points, so even low-numbered cards can be used for something. Some spaces will also grant a "Robot" card which gives a secret objective that gives extra points if fulfilled.

There's a bit of planning, since the winner of each space gets to decide where the rocket goes next. You'll want to decide what path the rocket is likely to follow, and which of it's stops are most important for you to win, then decide how to use the cards you have most effectively to achieve this goal. Do I give up this space to draw a card and have a better shot at the next one, or do I throw all of my high cards at both of these spaces and leave myself weak and vulnerable if the rocket dead-ends? These are some choices you may find yourself having to make.

If you think of Rocketville as a light game, and manage to get it for a low price, you might find that it's not so bad. It's more of a card game that happens to have a board. It's simple enough for non-gamers to enjoy, and short enough to pass the time when you can't fit in something lengthier. For 10 bucks, I'd say it's a good deal. 15 might be pushing it, and I wouldn't pay anything above that.

Thread: Re: The Appalachian Gamers Visit Rocketville

MasterDinadan — 2007-08-31T06:07:07+00:00

I was skeptical, but saw the game for 10 bucks and grabbed it. A deal like that is hard to pass up.
As I read the rules and checked out the components, it started looking better and better. Not great, really, but certainly playable, I think. I won't know until I finally get the chance to play it though.
I don't think I'll have any regrets though. It's not like I've never spent more than ten dollars on something and ended up disappointed.

Image

fehrmeister — 2007-08-11T17:11:38+00:00

The 5 Candidates' Markers and Campaign Buttons

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garea37 — 2007-08-10T08:01:07+00:00

Playing in Ludic Bar Queimada - Barcelona - Spain

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fehrmeister — 2007-08-06T00:23:55+00:00

The Board At Game End

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fehrmeister — 2007-08-06T00:22:28+00:00

Notice the Nod On This Space To Another Game Richard Garfield Has Designed

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fehrmeister — 2007-08-05T15:25:34+00:00

The Rocket

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fehrmeister — 2007-08-05T01:03:10+00:00

Box Back - Hi-Res

Thread: Re: $9.99 at Amazon.com (retail $35)

Windopaene — 2007-07-03T15:41:36+00:00

I would recommend this goes under the "Still paying too much" forums...

Thread: Re: $9.99 at Amazon.com (retail $35)

LetsGetTrivial — 2007-07-03T14:13:54+00:00

I would recommend this go under the "Hot Deals" forum instead.

Thread: $9.99 at Amazon.com (retail $35)

cull — 2007-07-03T12:09:52+00:00

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000KIAPCK?ie=UTF8&tag=good...

Also see links on this same page to Nexus Ops and Vegas Showdown, both $10.99.

Thread: Re: A Clever Filler

daveroswell — 2007-04-14T21:13:42+00:00

It's gotta be bad if even John won't buy a copy!!!

Thread: The Appalachian Gamers Visit Rocketville

Samuraicat — 2007-03-23T22:28:46+00:00

This past Wednesday the Appalachian Gamers met and due to the fact that we had 8 players that evening we split into two groups. One group played a couple of prototypes while four of us set up on a separate table. The first game to hit our table was the infamous Rocketville from Avalon Hill!

Why did we want to play Rocketville, you may ask? Were we sadistic? Do we like playing bad games? Actually the truth is that none of us had ever played the game and we wanted to see what all the grousing was about and make our own evaluation of the game.

While the others punched the game, I read the rules out loud while pointing out things on the board. The rules are only 4 pages (really 2 1/2 of actual rules to play the game...the rest is typical stuff like game contents and credits.) There were a few questions from the others and we quickly figured out the answers and started the game. We decided to play with the optional Endorsers rules/cards since the game was simple enough that this would hardly add too much complexity. I personally wonder why this is even optional since it adds a very minor twist to the game. I had the honor of being the first player and placed the rocket.

The game is essentially an area control game with some card/hand management. The players are competing for spots on the board that are split into six neighborhoods (don't hold me to accuracy here) by playing cards from their hand. The cards have an assigned value that can be modified by the square being contested and the player with the highest card wins. Wining can give bonuses to popularity (which is how the game is scored), extra cards, robot cards which give bonuses for meeting certain criteria and the winning player also controls the rocket's next move. In lieu of playing a value card the player can play their Campain Planning card which allows them to draw another platform card (the valued cards.) On certain squares players can also lose popularity given certain circumstances.

The game is easy to grasp and plays very quickly. There is obviously a rather large luck factor in the game but this can be mitigated by proper hand management. A strategy used by the eventual winner was to only win as many squares as needed to get 1st or 2nd place in a neighborhood and pull extra cards on unneeded squares, in order to maximize his card play and turn cards over as quickly as possible. All said the game took about 45 minutes including punching the game and reading rules.

So, what did we think? The consensus was that the game was not nearly as bad as what we had been led to believe. We have certainly played worse games. The problem seems to be that gamers had high expectations based upon the game's pedigree (the creator of Robo Rally and MTG...along with the Avalon Hill name) and were let down by the final product. That and a $40 price tag when the game first came out led to some very negative feelings it seems. Had I paid $40 for this game I would have been pissed for sure.

All said, I wouldn't mind taking another trip to Rocketville. Its a light game and with the right people it can be fun. We all got some enjoyment out of trumping someone's high card or pulling off a win in a square using a low card. And sometimes that's ok, just having fun.

Thread: Re: A Clever Filler

everlong205 — 2007-03-20T22:56:13+00:00

daveroswell wrote:
Jarrett,

IMHO, it's a horror show. Joe could be right: the whole "Garfield designed this game" buzz got out of hand for a while, but Rocketville's not by any means brilliant. Get John to buy it, or get him to bring one of the three copies he's already bought, and I'd give it another shot. Completely open-mindedly, of course. You know me.

Hey Dave, even I stayed away from this one due to the bad press. I may buy tons of crappy games, but I have to draw a line somewhere.

But something tells me the game is getting a worse rap than it deserves, perhaps beucase its designed by Richard Garfield. I'm sure the game is not a great game, maybe just a B or C at best, but the reaction seems so vitriolic about its flaws from some that I'm wondering if its an overreaction.

Id be willing to give it a try, along with Jarett. Only it'll have to be with someone else's copy.

Thread: Re: A Clever Filler

Walsfeo — 2007-03-19T16:27:38+00:00

It is not a great game, it is not a horrible. I scored a copy for free and I'll certainly pull the darned thing out when playing with younger gamers or non gamers. It is light, it is fun, and it probably lasts about the right amount of time. (Maybe a little long, but not by much.)

So while I can't argue this is the best game ever, it is actually a fine gateway game for blind bidding/auction and area control. But it is a gateway game that's not so good for the experienced gamer.

Thread: Re: A Clever Filler

Larry Levy — 2007-03-18T02:43:38+00:00

Welcome back, Joe. Contrarian or not, we missed you!

Thread: Re: A Clever Filler

Warbanner — 2007-03-17T21:03:19+00:00

Hey, I said I'd be willing to PLAY it. Let's not get crazy here...

Thread: Re: A Clever Filler

Eric Brosius — 2007-03-17T13:08:53+00:00

Warbanner wrote:
I'm a fan of contrarian views, so I was pleased to read this. I haven't had a chance to play Rocketville yet, and heaven knows if the chance will even ever come up, but I can't imagine it to be so wretchedly unplayable as so many people have said.

I'd sell you my copy if I had been so unfortunate as to buy one.

Thread: Re: A Clever Filler

daveroswell — 2007-03-17T06:05:49+00:00

Jarrett,

IMHO, it's a horror show. Joe could be right: the whole "Garfield designed this game" buzz got out of hand for a while, but Rocketville's not by any means brilliant. Get John to buy it, or get him to bring one of the three copies he's already bought, and I'd give it another shot. Completely open-mindedly, of course. You know me.

Thread: Re: A Clever Filler

Warbanner — 2007-03-17T04:15:54+00:00

I'm a fan of contrarian views, so I was pleased to read this. I haven't had a chance to play Rocketville yet, and heaven knows if the chance will even ever come up, but I can't imagine it to be so wretchedly unplayable as so many people have said.

Thread: A Clever Filler

huber — 2007-03-17T01:58:20+00:00

Rocketville

Designed by Richard Garfield; published by Avalon Hill (2006).

The Game

Some games are hyped. Publishers – particularly small publishers hoping to make a splash with their first game – will pull out all stops to build interest in their game. Hype does sometimes have the effect of driving knowledge and awareness of a game up, but if the game doesn’t live up to the hype the game will often be more poorly looked upon than absent the hype.

Some games develop a buzz. Early players – particularly when individuals play the game well before it becomes available to the public – will often have a significant effect upon impressions of the game. Both Puerto Rico and Caylus were treated to major early buzz, and have built upon that buzz to become among the most popular in the hobby. But some games develop buzz too early; those who played Tempus early seem to have truly loved the game, but the long delay before publication seems to have had the effect of allowing the buzz to lose focus while gaining intensity; people were expecting an impossibly good game, and were disappointed by a fine, solid effort.

And then, there are some games that develop a reputation. Most “bad” games tend to be avoided; the lower ranks of ratings tend to be filled with children’s games and traditional games; very few new games managed to show up so low. But Rocketville did; it was released with a splash (not to mention an annoying flash advertisement), and was quickly panned. Eventually, this caught my attention; I decided that I wanted to try the game. I managed to get two more players – after a lot of people passed on the opportunity – and played it. And enjoyed it. And played it again, with a full complement of five. And enjoyed it again. So, the question is – why?

Rocketville is themed around a mayoral election in space. During the game, players battle to win 36 neighborhoods; at the end of the game, bonus popularity (=votes) are awarded for each of six different districts. Players start with a hand of campaign cards of different values; the best cards only work in certain spaces, and each player has a card which is always kept allowing him to draw an additional campaign card. Each turn, one of the neighborhoods is awarded – each player either plays a card to attempt to win the space, or plays a card allowing for the draw of a new card. In addition to the highest card winning the space (and thus building towards winning or at least placing in the district), there are special actions carried out on many spaces. In some neighborhoods, the winner also receives a popularity point. In some neighborhoods, the winner also receives a replacement campaign card. In some neighborhood, the player playing the lowest campaign card loses a popularity point. In a mix of neighborhoods, above and beyond these effects, the winner receives a robot card, good for additional popularity at the end of the game if certain conditions are met. Finally, there is one space on the board which allows all players to discard unwanted campaign cards and draw replacements, and one space which allows all players to discard campaign cards to gain popularity points. The game continues until all 36 neighborhoods have been campaigned for; district bonuses are awarded, along with robot bonuses, and the player with the greatest popularity wins.

Reactions

The basic mechanism used in Rocketville is nearly identical to that used in Olympia 2000 B.C., by Stefan Dorra; the one difference is that Dorra rewards the player of the weakest card (by choosing the future event), whereas Garfield offers the choice of sitting out a neighborhood. It’s _not_ a mechanism that’s good for deep thought; it’s a pleasant variation on the blind bidding mechanism that traces back to Hol’s der Geier, and if Rocketville lasted 90 minutes (or even an hour) with this as the central mechanism, it would rightly languish. But it doesn’t; the game can easily be played in 30 minutes, even while allowing players to read the rather humorous slogans on the campaign cards. There are strategic choices to be made throughout the game – and the knowledge that those choices might not work out as intended.

So Rocketville is not a game for everyone – but there are definitely groups that would enjoy the game. The science fiction theme isn’t necessary, but works well, and the components help to carry the theme. The choices aren’t excruciating, but there are still lots of decisions to be made, and it’s easy to track where things went wrong. It’s one of those games that would be unenjoyable with the wrong crowd – if people insist on detailed analysis rather than fast play, or if people are bothered by the fact that their best guess may be wrong, then steer towards something else. And I’m not sure it’s a play-every-week game, even for the right group. But I can imagine playing it twice in a row, and anyone who enjoys Olympia 2000 B.C. (yeah, I know, like that’s a large contingent) should clearly check it out.

On the whole, I enjoy Rocketville; I will not be surprised if I play it 5 times this year, and wouldn’t be shocked if it makes it to 10. I’ll also not be surprised if it leaves my collection sometime down the line, in favor of something new; it’s not clear to me that it will hold down a position in my collection for the long term. But I have no doubt whatsoever I’ll get my money’s worth from the game; given how little I paid for it, I may already have.

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big-chad — 2007-01-28T07:06:51+00:00

Back of Box

Thread: Re: Fun Game, (In support of Rocketville)

thoia — 2007-01-07T23:22:22+00:00

Nice! Well written review and it's very good to finally see someone stand up and write a reivew for Rocketville in a positive light. This game does have it's place and time. It's light, and fun our group can sit there and play heavier games most of the night but when it's time to play something light Rocketville has been known to get overwhelming suggestions. As you said it's SUPER easy to teach and non-gamers pick it up with no troubles at all. I agree that for 20 bucks...it's a game everyone should have.

Thread: Re: Fun Game, (In support of Rocketville)

docreason — 2007-01-05T01:51:33+00:00

Walt Mulder wrote:
Conclusion: FUN for people who are fun and like to have fun! As i mentioned that it is similar to the game corruption I would recommend you spend the extra 6 bucks and get this game instead.

It seems to me there was a recommendation. At the least, I'd gladly play this game over Fluxx any day of the week.

You don't play Fluxx, it plays you.

Thread: Re: Fun Game, (In support of Rocketville)

Dave — 2007-01-05T01:36:52+00:00

ptsuk wrote:
Weight: Light Stragedy Game

Stragedy!

When you don't look ahead
And you wind up dead

It's Stragedy!

When it's not yet done
but your opponent's won

It's hard to bear
Based on your position
You're going nowhere

Apologies to Barry...

Thread: Re: Fun Game, (In support of Rocketville)

RKFade — 2007-01-05T01:28:19+00:00

So what your review is saying is that my in-laws might actually comprehend this game? TTR can still be hard for them at times. Hmm, I might pick it up.

Thread: Re: Fun Game, (In support of Rocketville)

Guantanamo — 2007-01-05T01:16:20+00:00

I've thought about writing a positive review about this game. Is it the greatest? No But, it's not the worst either.

We have a grand time playing this. But, the crowd that plays it, plays it up and we just have fun with it. Not, a mental game.

As I put it "some times you just have to let art flow over you" It's not Rembrandt, but it's not modern art either.

Best of all it's only a 30 minute game.

Thread: Re: Fun Game, (In support of Rocketville)

Walt Mulder — 2007-01-05T01:07:21+00:00

Conclusion: FUN for people who are fun and like to have fun! As i mentioned that it is similar to the game corruption I would recommend you spend the extra 6 bucks and get this game instead.

It seems to me there was a recommendation. At the least, I'd gladly play this game over Fluxx any day of the week.

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thoia — 2006-12-15T23:11:56+00:00

Influence cards