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Days of Wonder - Small World

HMTKSteveHMTKSteve
edited March 2009 in Board Games
Just got an email about this one. Looks interesting but I'm not sure if it will appeal to my group.

Small World


In Small World, players vie for conquest and control of a world that is simply too small to accommodate them all.

Designed by Philippe Keyaerts as a fantasy follow-up to his award-winning Vinci™, Small World is inhabited by a zany cast of characters such as dwarves, wizards, amazons, giants, orcs and even humans; who use their troops to occupy territory and conquer adjacent lands in order to push the other races off the face of the earth.

Picking the right combination from the 14 different fantasy races and 20 unique special powers, players rush to expand their empires - often at the expense of weaker neighbors. Yet they must also know when to push their own over-extended civilization into decline and ride a new one to victory!
Anyone heard anything about this?

Comments

  • AprecheApreche
    Looks like fantasy Vinci. Considering that Vinci is pretty great, I'd definitely look forward to giving this a shot. I just wonder how different from Vinci it actually is. The 14 different races and 20 special powers seem awfully similar to Vinci's civilization combinations. Even if this game is good, I feel that it might just be redundant with Vinci.
  • HMTKSteveHMTKSteve
    It is by the same designer and Bruni Faidutti posted a mini review about it. How is Vinci? I've never played it.
  • AprecheApreche
    edited March 2009
    It is by the same designer and Bruni Faidutti posted a minireviewabout it. How is Vinci? I've never played it.
    Vinci is pretty great. Didn't we do a show on it?

    Also, here is a quote from the review you just linked. It confirms my suspicion that the games were very similar.
    If you already know Vinci, here are the main differences between both games, and they all are good reasons to buy SmallWorld :
    - SmallWorld’s fantasy setting feels lighter and much more fun than Vinci’s historical one. The races’ special abilities feel much more “natural” in a fairy world than in the real one.
    - VinciÂ’s board and tokens were ugly. SmallWorldÂ’s ones are gorgeously illustrated.
    - Magic is always a convenient way to add interesting abilities and effects in a game.
    - The clever distinction between primary and secondary characteristics was used to make impossible the few combos that were too powerful or generated rules problems in Vinci.
    - Small World is much faster paced and much more dynamic than Vinci, and still has the same tactical depth. This was made possible by cleverly designed components and by the removal of a dozen small rules and exception that slowed the game down.
    - Hidden scores make the game lighter, less brain burning. Hardcore strategists can still play with open scores if they want.
    - Four different maps make for a balanced (meaning just overcrowded enough) game no matter the number of players.
    Post edited by Apreche on
  • YoshoKatanaYoshoKatana
    THAT'S PRETTY ZANY, THERE.
  • MattMatt
    So has anyone seen the iPad version of Small World? It's $4.99 and seriously looks like they put together a full authentic version of the tabletop game. Let's not allow this to become a discussion on the worth of the iPad itself. Let's just say that all other factors put aside, you already own this fancy device. Putting it down on a table and using it as a digital board seems like a damn good use for it. I would never let it replace the real thing, but in certain situations (very portable, good for unexpected quick pickup game, ability to save and restart later), it definitely has a niche.

    I've never actually played Small World, but I just reviewed Mystery Express, and am just generally impressed with the work that Days of Wonder does, so right now I'm giving this the benefit of the doubt and saying it's awesome.

    Does anyone actually own an iPad? If so, have you checked out this game? I want to talk to someone who has actually used it.
  • SchnevetsSchnevets
    I've played it twice, but I really couldn't get into the game. Any strategies that I would try to establish tended to just flop, and one mess-up could easily take the game from you. Overall, my distaste could be rooted in one of a few things:
    A. The race-trait mechanic leads to some absolutely broken choices (Like the dragon tile)
    B. The game relied a little too much on luck. Chance isn't a huge part of the game, but when a player does get "lucky" it tends to be a huge payoff.
    C. The people I played with were a little too die-hard and experienced (although they admitted to the flaws I just listed)


    Still, if I had an iPad, I'd pick it one up for $5, especially if it actually had a "pass the controller" mode.
  • AprecheApreche
    A. The race-trait mechanic leads to some absolutely broken choices (Like the dragon tile)
    B. The game relied a little too much on luck. Chance isn't a huge part of the game, but when a player does get "lucky" it tends to be a huge payoff.
    C. The people I played with were a little too die-hard and experienced (although they admitted to the flaws I just listed)
    We own Small World, but haven't played it. However, we have played Vinci, which is the original. Small World is basically just Vinci with a new theme, and some fixes. Not having played Small World, I don't know the exact differences. However, from my Vinci experience I can tell you this.

    a) Yes, there are some strong combos of race/trait. However, usually it is balanced by the mechanic of having to spend victory points to get it. Then the player who gets the weaker combo that is closer will get your victory points. It's a pretty good equalizing mechanic because it punishes you for not knowing just how powerful, or weak, different combos are.

    b) There is a small possibility of luck. For example, if at game start, you pick first, and the very first combo is an awesome one. Nobody has a chance to take it from you, and such. I think the fix for this is to simply have bidding for the initial races/traits.

    c) Sounds like you were just a newb and that's why you got hosed. Welcome to quality games. They are hard.
  • RochelleRochelle
    edited May 2010
    My friend gave me Small World for Christmas, and I've recently gotten around to playing it. I've never played Vinci, so I really can't make a comparison. I remember Small World being quite popular to check out at PAX East and people described it to me as Risk, but with shorter and with characters from LoTR.

    a) I will agree with Socha, that the Dragon tile is pretty powerful, but there are other combinations that when used properly are highly effective.

    b) Scott's right, however the other luck in the game is the person who has the pointiest ears. ^_~ Whoever has ears that are the most similar to elves, gets to go first. I'm not kidding.

    I really enjoyed the game and plan on playing more. I would recommend playing with 3 or more people. With two, it wasn't as competitive.

    Bivouacking Rats and Fortified Sorcerers, holy shit. Fuck those combos.
    Post edited by Rochelle on
  • AprecheApreche
    The other thing about the game is that the current state of the board, and the state of your declining civilization, have a great effect on the value of the available choices. For example in Vinci, if you have a declining civilization that covers many mountains, then picking a mountaineering civlization is bad for you right now, but it will be very good for someone else. Likewise, if someone just got on the board with agriculture and barbarians, taking double agriculture is probably a bad idea because you won't be able to compete for the points-giving territories.
  • CremlianCremlian
    I love Vinci and don't own it, so I should just get the easier to get Small World instead right?
  • AprecheApreche
    I love Vinci and don't own it, so I should just get the easier to get Small World instead right?
    Yes. Vinci is out of print, and broken, and has mis-prints. Small World is Vinci, with fixes, without mis prints, and a fantasy theme.
  • RochelleRochelle
    I love Vinci and don't own it, so I should just get the easier to get Small World instead right?
    Yes. Vinci is out of print, and broken, and has mis-prints. Small World is Vinci, with fixes, without mis prints, and a fantasy theme.
    Don't forget with expansions!
  • SchnevetsSchnevets
    Gahhh!!! I saw Vinci in the clearance section of Compleat Strategist a few months ago for $15.
  • MattMatt
    Looks like Days of Wonder is announcing today the planned released of their second expansion for Small World, "Tales and Legends". Description from the press release I got says that it contains 54 large-format event cards that are played at the beginning of a turn, modifying the gameplay for that turn only. July release in the US, $15.00 retail. Also, apparently supplies of the first two expansions have dried up, but they are reprinting both alongside this new one.
  • ByronByron
    Fun! Played 5 player game tonight. Highest score was about 79, lowest score (me) was 63. Pretty close spread all in all, and although 4 of us were new, one guy was a veteran (he did not win).
    The race-trait mechanic leads to some absolutely broken choices (Like the dragon tile)
    I started with dragon. It only gets you one territory per round and saves one territory per round. That ain't so great, as it equates to a gain of one or two victory points and the prevention of loss of one or two victory points depending upon race and territory.

    I'm told the game is quite different 3 player from 5 player (the maps change for 2, 3, 4, and 5 player games).
  • MattMatt
    The big difference with more vs less players is that it's more advantageous to be on the offense with less people as a point lost for your competition is just as good as a point gained for you. Not so much with 5 people where you may lose track of who is winning.
  • ByronByron
    more advantageous to be on the offense with less people as a point lost for your competition is just as good as a point gained for you.
    errr, but with 5 players the board fills up pretty quickly, so we ended up going the same way: I might not get many points, but you get less. Then again, we really had no idea who had what score or who to go after. The winner was a surprise to everyone.
  • MattMatt
    more advantageous to be on the offense with less people as a point lost for your competition is just as good as a point gained for you.
    errr, but with 5 players the board fills up pretty quickly, so we ended up going the same way: I might not get many points, but you get less. Then again, we really had no idea who had what score or who to go after. The winner was a surprise to everyone.
    But you may select race/power combos that are balanced towards offensive or defensive tactics. It's not all just in your attack moves.
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