My reviews intend to highlight the most important elements that determine whether a game is for me. Hopefully this will help you decide if the game is right for you and your gaming group.
Summary
Game Length: ~90-120 minutes
Number of Players: 3-5, but best with 4 or 5
Container is an economic game where the goal is to be the player with the most money at the end of the game. Your money at the end of the game consists of cash on hand plus the value of any eligible* containers that you have managed to ship to your part of the island. Gameplay consists of:
• Producing and pricing your own containers
• Purchasing and pricing containers produced by other players for later resale
• Purchasing containers to load in your ship
• Auctioning containers once you’ve shipped them to the central island
• Upgrading your infrastructure (machines and warehouses) which will allow you to produce different colored containers and store a greater number of containers
The auction at the island is one of the most interesting aspects of the game, as all bids are made secretly and revealed simultaneously. After the bids are revealed, the seller must decide whether they would like to accept the highest bid made and additionally take the same amount from the bank, or whether they will buy the lot themselves, spending the same amount as the highest bid.
* I say eligible because all of the containers you have stockpiled in the color in which you have the most containers on the island must be discarded prior to being paid for them at the end of the game.
1. Distinguishing / Memorable Mechanic
Physically moving your ship around, loading and unloading containers. There is something exciting about moving your ship into someone else’s harbor to purchase goods, and later to unload them on the island for profit. Although this is not important at all to the gameplay, it certainly enhances the game’s fun factor.
2. Long Term Strategy vs. Tactics
This is very much a tactical game. Although there is some room for strategy in terms of how you begin to approach carving a niche for yourself in the economy (shipping, producing, etc…), the player that can best adapt to the developing economy created by all the players will be the most successful.
3. Downtime
Low. The turns play out quickly and you don’t have to wait too long for your turn to come around again.
4. Player Interaction / Confrontation
High interaction, and low direct confrontation. The economy is entirely created by the players, which means that it is a very interactive game. Your choices during your turn are largely affected by the choices made by the other players before you. If they have not produced containers, there will be none for you to buy. 629
If they have not loaded their ships with containers to be sold on the island, there will be none for you to purchase at auction. The game is very much dependent upon the actions of the players, and thus will have a completely different feel based upon the choices made. Direct confrontation is low in that you cannot steal someone else’s container nor sabotage their productive capacity. You can certainly hinder another player’s plans through your decisions about what (and how many) colored containers to produce, what prices you bid at auction, what you choose to ship to the island, etc…but these are more indirect methods of confrontation.
5. Randomness / Luck Factor
Very little. The only random factor is what colored starting machine you are dealt and what scoring card you receive, which have a fairly minimal impact on the game.
6. Replayability and Depth
Medium replayability and medium-high depth. If you are playing this game repeatedly with the same group, I could see the potential for it to get a little stale if no one is willing to pursue different strategies. If you are able to play this game with a wide variety of people I think it would be endlessly replayable as every player brings something new to the table. There is also a lot of depth in terms of predicting and reacting to the actions of the other players and building your own strategy around taking advantage of the developing economy.
7. Visual Impact on the Table
High. This is a game that will undoubtedly draw in onlookers. Seeing ships get loaded and unloaded with containers and seeing the island pile up with containers is just plain fun.
8. Suitability for New Gamers
Medium. The game has a very simple rule set and can be taught quickly. For this reason it has the potential to be an excellent game for a new gamer. However, it can also seem fairly dry and mathy at times, so you should keep that in mind when deciding whether to introduce this game to less experienced gamers. If your players have any interest at all in a game where you play an active role in developing the game’s economy, then I would not hesitate to introduce this to newer gamers. 629