Intent of this Review: To provide a context for the game, using comparisons to hopefully known games in the industry, helping people who allready understand how games work and if the game works decide if they will LIKE how the game works, while remaining a short and sweet review.
What it is: Food Chain Magnate(FCM from here on out) is an economic game with all the elements of supply and demands, costs, profits, competition, the works. Somewhat rare to FCM is the coupling of a spatial element to all of this Euroy-ness.
How it feels to play the game: Frantic. There is zero padding here. Each choice compounds itself and each play matters, not only for yourself but interwoven with what everyone else is doing. FCM has you on the edge of your seat(or punishes you brutally for not being there) for the length of the game. It is also one of those rare birds that DOESN'T leave veteran gamers saying 'oh I get it now' after just one play. There's that much to digest.
Will it Play?
This is the part where I attempt to enumerate what to expect, and what not to expect from a game, hoping to help you decide if your money is well spent here.
* Do you like competition? If it spooks you then avoid FCM. I don't mean friendly 'let's see who gets the most points!' style competition. I mean direct, honest 'Oh my God WHY?' style cutthroat competition. Undercutting prices, marketing things you can't provide, edging you out for precious 'upper tier' employees, or that milestone you desperately wanted. This can and will happen.
* Do you want to dive into the deep end? Then FCM is your 50' dive with no bottom. Splotter is known for thinky games, but FCM takes it to a new level. There are many paths and from the very first steps you're making impactful decisions that will last the whole game. There is a certain mental 'break point' to it all though, which should stop all but the most devout from AP individuals from going into a feedback loop. There's only so far you can see. As a corollary there's only so much you can do. 885
Our first game of FCM ended with players going 'I don't really know what happened but I know I want to play it again to try to figure it out.'
* Are you Component Crazy? Splotter games has a certain style about them, and I personally think this game hits it's 40-50's diner style on the nose. All the components are solid, serviceable, and the menu-player aids are charming as can be. However the palettes are simple(a part of the aesthetic of the times) The cards not ultra thick, and it dares to have *gasp!* paper money. If these things bother you, you will have a bad time.
* Are you gaming on a budget? Splotter games never come cheap. Small publisher, limited print runs. You're not going to find this one in a $30 sale cart. There's value to be had if it is your kind of game, but if you're looking for 'bang for your buck' you can probably grab some enjoyable cheaper games rather than sinking all your cash into one big one.
* Do you replay your games? Then FCM will keep you coming back for more! I know some gamers(myself included) are normally gaming mayflies. Try this, try that, but rarely revisit. Others will set up Agricola for their 437th game before even dreaming of checking out this 'Caverna' thing. If you're in the later then FCM is more your style. The game rewards, and even demands, multiple plays to really get stuck into.
Summary: Three negatives and only two positives? So it's bad right? HELL NO. I love FCM(and not just because the box is half the usual splotter size) I just know it is a very specific type of game for a specific crowd. I'm more than happy I've got it, but I wouldn't even recommend it as a 'first splotter' to someone. The brutality is invigorating after the slew of 'hold your hand' euros that have come out lately, but I could easily see it turning into a negative play experience for someone unprepared. FCM falls heartily in 'try before you buy' recommendation. Which is good because it's going to be a pain to get copies of it, the first two printings having sold out(though a third is in the works) I've given FCM an 8. It would be a 9, but I'm not 'always' looking to play cutthroat games.(I use BGG's rating criteria) 885