Image Courtesy of MacTeleThis review continues my series of detailed reviews that attempt to be part review, part resource for anyone not totally familiar with the game. For this reason I expect readers to skip to the sections that are of most interest.
If you liked the review please thumb the top of the article so others have a better chance of seeing it and I know you stopped by. If you appreciate the time taken to write and the depth of analysis, please consider thumbing the bottom as it tells me I've helped you in some way. Thanks for reading.
Summary
Game Type - Tile Game
Play Time: 40-70 Minutes
Number of Players: 2-5
Mechanics - Tile Placement, Exploration, Set Collection, Modular Board, Action Point Allowance System
Difficulty - Pick-up & Play (Can be learned in under 20 minutes)
Components - Excellent
Release - 2012
Designers - <PERSON> - (Drako, K2, Mount Everest)
Overview
Caves have forever intrigued mankind. First they were shelter, safety and protection from nature and the elements. Today they are a fascination for many an adventurous spirit and thus the word Spelunking was born. Which also reminds me of a video game from my youth called Spelunky...ah good times.
Here the players take on the role of Speleologists (I just love these whacky sounding words) as they endeavour to explore a cave system. Trouble is that base camp is home to a number of rival teams, all hoping to make new discoveries before your team can.
What unfolds is a race into the depths, never quite knowing what challenges and dangers lie around the next corner. The best teams will prepare well and take the right gear for the obstacles that await them. Get it wrong and you will lose valuable time in returning to camp to re-stock your pack.
Much like a cave in some nether-region...I am unsure of what to expect from this one. The theme sure sounds good though. Grab that piton, grab the rope and follow me...we're going in.
The Components
The Cave comes with a lot of bits and at first it is overwhelming. But they all have a purpose and serve the game well.
Base Camp Tiles - These are larger tiles (about the size of 9 smaller tiles used in the game). 470
They represent the Base Camp where everyone must start. The artwork is well done without being mind blowing and each tile features several exits to venture forth.
Whilst only 2 tiles are offered, they are double sided and that allows for the game to offer varied Base Camps for 2 through to 5 players.
Image Courtesy of Alice87
Tiles – The Cave is a tile laying game at its core so we get a whole bunch of tiles to create each new environment. The tiles are all given a numerical stamp of I, II, III or IV to denote which stack they belong to and this helps to spread the mix of features out across the game's length.
The artwork on the tiles is pretty damned good and helps to set the scene for exploring in the dark. Underwater caverns, tight squeezes, drops and ascents...it is all features on tiles that make use of a matte/linen finish and they are excellent.
There is an additional set of tiles that do not get added to any of the tile stacks for gameplay. These are called Boulder Choke Tiles and they feature a 4-way crossroads with a hulking chunk of collapsed dirt at the intersection. These tiles are used to represent dead ends that may appear from time to time as the players explore.
Image Courtesy of MacTele
Meeple and Camps - Classic wooden pieces are used to denote an exploring meeple and a tent, which serves to represent a temporary camp. These come in the 5 colours to allow for as many players and do the job well enough.
Image Courtesy of cnidius
Player Boards - The player boards are quite overwhelming at first. They consist of 3 key elements. On the far left we have 8 boxes to represent the space within an explorer's Backpack. A further 4 spaces in the middle of the board represent the space to hold gear within a player's tent or Camp.
The far right is given to a whole range of symbols, arrows and dots and this denotes the various Action Point Costs for doing different things. At first it simply serves to scare the hell out of first time players. I preferred to reference the rulebook when I was first learning to remember action point costs, but this table of sorts does work well once you are a little familiar with the game.
These boards are really well done and consist of a good thickness. The backs of the boards are rarely looked at but they do feature a nice graphic of a hard-hat.
Image Courtesy of MacTele
Equipment Tokens - The game then comes with a thousand tokens for all sorts of things. 84