Hello again! Its been a good while since I've done a game review. Not a whole lot has crossed my radar that I really felt like gushing about in the last few months. But all that has finally changed!
With is kickstarter ending in November of last year, and me barely getting my pledge in before the deadline, Wondrous Creatures has finally come home to me! Like with Flamecraft previously, the art and style of this game charmed me from the get go and I knew I had to have it. But, adorable artwork doesn't make a game. So how much fun is it?
In short: So very fun. The game scratches the same itch for me that Everdell does, with maybe a little bit of Wingspan dashed on for flavour. Now, of course, these things might not mean anything to you if you haven't tried either game, and really what's a dash of bird collecting got to do with all these weird little guys?
The key elements for Wondrous Creatures are Worker Placement and Engine and/or Tableau Building, however you choose to look at that second one, with some other little bits thrown in for fun.
Each player has 3 workers, referred to as their 'Crew'. These take the form of creatures your Leader has found to help them gather food and eggs from the island. Food is used to play the creatures that you have in your hand into your 'Reserve' (think animal reserve) where they will remain for the rest of the game.
Each creature has a different ability, falling into 5 categories. Instant (happens when you play them), End Game (An end game scoring condition), Refresh (activates when you recall your crew), Continuous (happens when a condition is met) and Energy (plays with a limited resource that you can spend any time during your turn). Creatures all have an associated habitat, as well as how many points they score you at the end of the game! The way you draw creatures is remarkably similar to how both Everdell and Wingspan have a selection of cards face up to choose from, referred to as the 'Wilderness' here.
As you collect creatures in your reserve, as well as eggs from the map, you'll be able to meet global achievements that all the other players are also competing for. They mostly involve having multiple of a certain creature type, but might also care about the habitat those creatures call home. The first time a player claims one of these Achievements their leader ability unlocks as well.
Ah yes, your leader ability. Each player is playing as a different explorer with their sights set on the island and the strange creatures found there, and each have a different approach to doing it. They each have a special ability that the crew meeple with your leader riding it can use. They each do something completely different than the others, letting each play have their own approach to the game.
The length of the game is determined by a number of Trophies which are earned through gameplay. These are awarded for completing achievements, reaching certain points of the score tracker, and can be removed from the game entirely if players are having to Refresh their workers too often, as the last space of the Time track removed a trophy form the board, accelerating the end of the game. But don't worry, there's at least 9 refreshes between you all before that starts.
The game was incredibly easy to pick up and felt super familiar. Some of the cards might have similar abilities, but each creature has a totally different appearance and name. Some do look similar, but they're clearly subspecies or a dimorphism of the same creature and its fun seeing how environments affect this strange creatures.
Having back the kickstarter I got some extra bits and bobs. A back of sleeves for all the cards in the game is probably the least exciting, but most convenient, one. Additionally we got some extra crew pieces, so players have a variety of creatures to help them work. This box also came with abilities for the crews, all working as a once per game ability. The next was upgraded pieces for almost all the carboard punchouts, replacing them with lovely screen printed wooden pieces and metal trophies. Lastly was an actual expansion to the game, the Gargantuan Creatures, which we haven't added in just yet. But it features new leaders, new creatures, and some truly massive Gargantuan creatures (ha) that you'll work to tame and harness the abilities of.
After only one game, I give this an EASY 9/10. Not because I think it could be improved in any way, but because I know this probably won't be for everyone despite its charm and ease of access. The game isn't crunchy hard strategy like some people might like, but I was able to pull off some VERY cool plays during our first game. I'm very excited to play it more and introduce it to more of my playgroup.
I look forward to helping people get their hands on the game and hearing what they think.
Thanks for reading!
Local keeper of critters and dragon enthusiast,
Blair
