Game: Der goldene Kompass

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LostLukas — 2008-06-26T13:41:58+00:00

Game played at Pionek VII, in Gliwice, Poland on 07.06.08

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yakos — 2008-06-13T15:15:39+00:00

The Golden Compass played at "Pionek VII" in Gliwice, Poland (June 7-8, 2008)

Thread: Alternate 2 Player rules - dummy pawn

sedjtroll — 2008-05-28T16:56:38+00:00

Looking at the 2-player rules posted on BGG, I don't think the 2-player game would be as interesting as a 3 or 4 player game.

In 2p you get 4/2 cards for being in 2nd/1st in the race, and you need 4 allies to win (double up on the level III encounters) instead of 3. So you need 9 more resources over the course of the game, and you draw more cards for being behind. Seems like you'd want to be behind, and therefore would only move the minimum amount until you can shoot out to the end - even moreso than in a 4 player game. I bet it would be like playing leapfrog as each player moves just 1 space at a time (if they can!), and having to move several spaces sounds like suicide!

To address these concerns and keep the 2p game feeling more like a 3/4p game I think you'd need a dummy pawn which, on it's turn, flips a card of "the appropriate color" (1 card for each player in front of it, or 1 of it's own card if it's in front) and acts like a 3rd player. I think removing 1 of each Ally might be cool as well, so if there's a particular one you want, then you have a time pressure to get it before your opponent.

Anyone ever play this with 2 players? I admit I have not, so I can't really speak with too much authority here.

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Emil 109 — 2008-05-14T08:43:30+00:00

Greek Edition

Thread: Re: My take on Golden Compass

msaari — 2008-02-04T05:06:31+00:00

This isn't a bad game, but it's a family game. It's a racing game that tries to balance the situation at every point (think Amazing Race). Not bad, but certainly has very little to offer for gamers.

Nice review!

Thread: Re: My take on Golden Compass

cornelanner — 2007-12-15T01:18:04+00:00

Yeah, thanks for this well written review. I'm always interested in good games based on good novels/short stories (Around the World in 80 Days, Lord of the Rings - The Confrontation: Deluxe Edition, Pillars of the Earth, Flaschenteufel aka The Bottle Imp, etc.). This one is definitely a case of 'Try before you buy', though. What a pity.

Thread: Re: My take on Golden Compass

sakal — 2007-12-14T21:01:40+00:00

Very Nice Review! Thanks!

Thread: My take on Golden Compass

avyssaleos — 2007-12-14T13:29:13+00:00

Last weekend I had a chance to try out the greek edition of this game. Since there are not many reviews out there about it, I thought I should write a few things.

First of all, I haven't read the book, I know almost nothing about it, so all of my thoughts are regarding the gameplay and not the book interpretation or the theme. Also, keep in mind that this review is after a single play of the game. I know it's not the wisest move to judge a game after playing only once, however as I stated, I am writing this due to the lack of information about it. Moreover, since the copy I played was in greek there might be small differences in the names of some game-parts. Lastly, the images I will be using are the ones found here in BGG and are from the german edition - however they are more or less the same.

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(image by cuazzel)

So, what is it about?

The players, start from the bottom of the board, specifically at Oxford, and try to reach the North at the top of the board. The first one to do so wins. However, they must fulfill some requirements first, called "quests". More on that later.

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(image by richardsgamepack)

In order for the players to move on the board they use some coloured cards with numbers on them. There are 4 colour-decks plus another deck called the Pan-deck. The players draw these cards each turn depending on their position on the board. The last player draws 4 cards, the next one 3, the second player draws 2 and the first one just a single card (you can select which colour to draw) This is also the order in which the players move their pawn. The last player goes first and so on. In order to move you play a card from your hand and you move that many spaces. In the beginning of the game you can play whichever colour you want, it doesn't matter. However, after a certain point in the board, in order to move you have to play a card in the color of someone who is ahead of you. So if for example the last player is the red one, he can only play yellow, green and blue cards. The first player on the other hand can only play cards of his own colour. This forces you to play carefully. You have to plan ahead and draw cards that you will be able to use in order to advance. This also puts the first player in a disadvantage since he draws just a single card, moves last and cannot know in advance who will be ahead of him when his turn comes up. So, even though you can play as many cards as you wish each turn and advance that many times, it may not be wise to do so.

Each player also has in front of him one golden compass plus 4 different markers. The compass is divided into 6 pieces, each one numbered 1-6. At the beginning of the game you place all of your markers at position 1. On each space on the map, there is a symbol of one of those markers. Whenever you end your movement you advance the marker shown on the space you landed by one. If you land on a compass you can advance any one of the markers.

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(image by richardsgamepack)

You have to advance your 4 markers in order to complete "quests". Each player gets a Level 1 quest at the beginning which has some requirements on it regarding the 4 markers. When you fulfill it, you get a Level 2 quest and after that a Level 3. Since each completion moves some of the markers back on the compass you will have to move them forward again. Also, when you reach the end of the board, in order to win you must have each marker at least on position 3. The higher, the better (it counts as a tie-breaker).

Whenever you complete a quest you also get a "friend" who helps you from that point onward with his ability. Examples of abilities are moving your pawn by one place on the board free of charge (once per round), drawing an extra card every turn and so on.

Something I didn't mention is that on each draw you may also draw one Pan card instead of a coloured one. They usually have some special effect on them like "advance one of your markers when an opponent advances his", "discard 2 cards, draw 2" and so on.

This is more or less the way the game plays.

So, was it any good?

Ehmm... so and so.. The components were very nice, however I didn't find that much excitement in the game. Sure there were moments when you had to carefully plan which coloured cards to draw and where to end your movement, but other than that there wasn't anything else to do. Also, the order the players moved kept changing every round making it a little bit confusing. We would very often find ourselves asking each other whose turn was it to play simply because it wasn't something we could easily deduct from the board after 1 or 2 players had already moved.

However, I'd like to give it another try some time, if only to try another strategy (probably the safest bet is to stay last each round and then, near the finish, play 8 cards in a row and move in front of everybody to win - that's how a friend of mine won in our game )

If you are interested in a heavy strategic game look somewhere else. If you want a light game to pass some time with some friends then you can try it out, you may end up liking it.

That's it for my review. Please forgive any mistakes in my English since it's not my mother language. Also keep in mind this is only my second review in BGG so any comments would be appreciated.
Thank you for reading it!

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henk.rolleman — 2007-12-10T15:43:22+00:00

Close up from the Game - Fantasy Fair 2007 - The Netherlands

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henk.rolleman — 2007-12-09T21:45:17+00:00

Passing London - Fantasy Fair Alphen a/d Rijn - The Netherlands 2007

Thread: Re: Review in German at poppelkiste. de

boronicoj — 2007-12-02T17:25:40+00:00

1. Go here http://babelfish.altavista.com/ ..., then
2. Enter http://www.poeppelkiste.de/ into the "translate a web page" field ..., then
3. Click on "Select From and To Languages" and select "German to English", and hit ... Voila!

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sffh — 2007-11-26T03:43:59+00:00

Golden Compass as seen on Spielefest, Wien, 25.11.2007

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henk.rolleman — 2007-11-25T13:13:56+00:00

The Back ot the Box from the Dutch 999 Games Version

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henk.rolleman — 2007-11-25T13:10:54+00:00

The Dutch Cover of 999 Games

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henk.rolleman — 2007-11-25T12:34:35+00:00

At the stand of 999 Games in Zwolle, Spellenspektakel the Netherlands 2007

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henk.rolleman — 2007-11-25T12:32:20+00:00

The Stand was well designed from 999 at Spellenspektakel 2007 - Zwolle, the Netherlands

Thread: Review in German at poppelkiste. de

mixsea — 2007-10-14T23:44:36+00:00

I don't know anything about this game. However you can go to www. poppelkiste.de and read a review. Unfortunately, it's all in German(no English review at this time).

Thread: Information From Speilbox.de

MarvelNemesis — 2007-07-27T22:24:22+00:00

It seems they have either played or seen the game in action. And, if your someone waiting for this game like I am here is some information to subdue the daemon inside you!

Note that it was translated using Google. So phrases may not be complete, or some words may have incorrect placement.

Hopefully I am allowed to post this. If not, tell me and I will remove the post.

Credit goes to Speilbox.de
http://66.249.91.104/translate_c?hl=en&u=http://www.spielbox.de/spielarchiv/press/dergoldkompass.php4&prev=/search%3Fq%3Dhttp://www.cliquenabend.de/index.php%253Fpage%253Dartikel%25...:en-US:official%26hs%3DdNs

The play begins in the Oxforder “Jordan college”. Each of the two to four players slips into the role of the heroine Lyra. A goal of the play can it be attained on the way over London, the Fens, Trollesund, Bolvangar and Svalbard, illustrated beautifully by play commercial artist Michael Menzel, as the first the “gate to the stars”, above in the eternal ice of the high north. This will succeed only to that, which has sufficient important meetings on the sixty-in possible stations of its journey and a sufficient measure of courage, experiences and knowledge acquires. Been sufficient thus not, only as fast as possible to the goal come, one must be also worthy of stepping by the “gate to the stars”.

The sixty-in way fields of the play plan show alternating four different experience symbols and in regular intervals also the golden compass. After in each case six to eight way fields always a central way station (London, Fens, Trollesund, Bolvangar and Svalbard) is reached. By the last station, Svalbard, up to the goal, the “gate to the stars”, must be mastered eighteen way fields.

Each player receives figure of his color, one personal “experience board” as well as four stones, with which the respective conditions of the own experiences (knowledge over tank bear, knowledge over dust, knowledge about the north, knowledge over witches) are marked on the board. Further elements of the play are the 80 the travel serving Lyra maps (ever 20 per color), 12 friendship maps, which possess special functions, 15 “dæmonische” Pantalaimon maps (the special actions make possible, alternatively in addition, than travel maps to be used can) and 12 meeting maps.

The Lyra maps (with values from 1 to 3) are sorted according to colors and in four covered piles at the edge of the play plan laid out. Besides a pile with the Pantalaimonkarten is platziert. - The meeting maps come, to their numbers on the back sorted, covered beside the play plan, likewise the twelve friendship maps.

At the beginning of the play receives each four Lyra maps from the pile of his color (each player of everyone of the four coloured differentiated piles maps to pull will later be allowed) as well as a Pantalaimonkarte and a meeting map.

Who at the course is, a Lyra map plays out and draws in, according to the value of the map, around, two or three fields on the way forward. Fields, which are occupied by other player figures, cannot be entered and not counted, be become when pulling also also thus without loss of one point of movement jumped over.

The field, on which the player with its figure establishes himself, gives an experience in areas possible of four to it. The player puts now the experience stone forward on his “experience board” within the appropriate range around a field. It can out-play now as many as desired further Lyra maps, in order to advance on its journey further and to gain “experiences” again.

That one does not make use from this “freedom to travel” unrestrainedly, but the regulation provides for pulling tight Lyra maps at the beginning of a round, if each player receives new maps. Then, who stands completely in front on the travel route, only one map may pull, following two tight, next three and last directly four. One can avail oneself both from the card deck of the own color and from maps of the other colors.

In the first phase of the play it is still so that the players have need at each possible experience and thus also not yet so much to it pay attention, which field it in their course entered. That changes however already very soon. Everyone will state sometime that it missed it on its journey to collect on or other area sufficient experience. And at the latest now will be to it to come on completely determined fields. But the good will been sufficient there usually unfortunately non one must have for it also still the straight correct Lyra maps on the hand. Often fields, on which the golden compass is shown, prove as rescue from largest emergency in such cases. Who pulls on a compass field, may its experience stone on any experience area around a field forward push.

Pantalaimon maps can be played additionally to Lyra maps. Some permit it to profit from the experiences of other players. On such then experiences are to a map symbolized by two different areas. As soon as another player makes one of these two experiences, one can except the row the Pantalaimon map play and in the area concerned an experience immediately credit oneself. Another Pantalaimon map permits it, any number of Lyra maps, which one has on the hand to exchange against an appropriate number of Lyra maps of a pile of arbitrary color. Further there are Pantalaimon maps, which an experience to double and such, with whose assistance one can use friendship maps of other players. - Fundamental can do a player in addition, without the “Pantalaimon action” and instead the map as the progress serving Lyra map to use.

Produktfoto

After approximately a third of the journey, i.e. then, if those is reached swampland shank “Fens” (where Lyra of an expedition of the Gypter follows for the release of kidnapped children), the players may not use any more any map for the far journey.

As soon as a player leaves the Fens and/or over it is pulled away, he can continue its journey only with Lyra maps, which have the same color as the figures, which are on the distance before him. The player, who lies in guidance, can travel then only with maps of the own color. Naturally the positions of the player figures always change again and it prove as high art to suspect, one must probably use which maps in the next and course after the next and accordingly pull tight therefore.

Every time one reaches one of the five important places with its figure, one provides advantages. Who arrives as the first at such a place, becomes around an experience (its choice) enrich. Following ones, which likewise reach the place with exact score, receive a Pantalaimonkarte. On each of these places also several play figures may stand at the same time.

The five places have also still another further, completely substantial meaning. There each player can experience “meetings”, which, if they successfully run, are documented by friendship maps. One must possess three friendship maps, in order to be allowed to cross at the goal the “gate to the stars”.

Who has a place reached and there its first meeting, the stage 3 must in an experience area and on two further stage 2 to have reached. With the second meeting one must be in two areas on stage 3 at least, in further on stage 2. With the third meeting most experience (three areas on stage 3) is necessary. Which areas are that in each case, is evident on the respective meeting map.

Apart from the fact that one must show at least three friendship maps as keys to the victory, it offers it to their owners also durable advantages during the play. There are such, which permit it to one to always take when pulling tight a Lyra map more; with others one can always travel an additional field further; then are there those, with whose assistance one continues to develop on compass fields equal around two new experience stages or which, which permit it to pull tight in place of Lyra maps also Pantalaimonkarten of the pile. Larger aiming accuracy when heading for certain places or way fields offers an action, with which one can use each 3er-Lyrakarte also as 1er or 2er. The friendship map, which permits it with finalkept in track to ignore in each round a Eisfeld, is very desired. The fact is tactically particularly delightful that each player may select himself its friendship maps from the friendship card deck.

The last stage of the long journey is the most difficult. The way of “Svalbard” to the “star gate” is gespickt with “Eisfeldern”, on which each course ends inexorably. The wear of Lyra maps is immense. The first figures, which tackle this last stage, can the latecomers by the way, inadvertently, when valuable bridge over the ice serve. The Eisfeld, on which one stands before lying figure, may be jumped over.

The play ends in the round, in which a player with its figure can show the “gate to the stars” reached, there three deeply felt meetings (i.e. three friendship maps) and each of his four experience stones on the experience board reached the stage 3 at least. - The current round is played however still to end. Succeeds in this round still other player reaching the “gate to the stars” then wins that, which gained most points of experience altogether.

There is also a picture of a card who looks to be Lord Asriel along with a picture of the game board.

Can't Wait!
Justin