My wife is my primary gaming partner, so when I am looking to get a game I always consider if it is a game that we can play together. For the most part my track record is really good at finding games that we both like. Occasionally, games that should have been a good match fall shortand in the case of Cyclades, it was a complete flop.
I played Cyclades a couple of months ago and I absolutely LOVED it. I had what turned out to be faulty reasoning, for my wife might like it or at least find it playable. We played Cyclades a couple of times and it turns out that she HATED it. After the second play, she was done with the game. This review is not a rules explanation or an objective analysis of the game’s virtues and faults. This is a comparison of why I loved the game and why she hated it.
I loved The Conflict : I really like games with direct conflict. I really liked that conflict happens on multiple levels in this game. I like how even though there is no actual conflict the competition during the auction can really like conflict as player butt heads against each other. I also really like the combat system. I like that the 0-3 die is the only modifier to the number of units, so that the one with the majority has the advantage but it is not a done deal. I also liked the constant sniping. If someone was left to their own devices then the game would end in like 15 minutes. The game is all about players tripping each other up.
She hated The "Screwage": The down side to the direct conflict in this game, is that it can really mess people up. She found it really frustrating when someone was willing to go higher than her on the auction she really wanted to win. What she disliked the most was how high stakes the combat could be. 366
She hated that if she built a metropolis, and had it defended with one unit someone could hire the Pegasus, fly in, and take over the metropolis that she had spent multiple turns building. She does not mind direct conflict in games, but apparently only in games when conflict is the point of the game. Since the way to win this game was build to metropolises, she really hated the constant meddling with her attempts at building.
I loved Multiple Strategies : One of the things I liked about this game is the openness of it. There are multiple ways that players can go about playing the game. I like how players have to decide during the auction phase how much money they were willing to spend and still be able to pull off all the other actions they wanted to do. However, if someone else wanted the favor of the same god or if the god that fit into a player’s strategy for that turn was not available, then players have to adapt on the fly. I really like that need for flexibility and how there are lots of different ways a player can use their money on a turn.
She hated Not Knowing What to Do : What I saw as dynamic flexibility in the game she saw as overwhelming confusing. With so many options she felt unsure how to best proceed, and she really disliked it when her plans did not come together and she had to figure something else out. Instead of finding that fun, she found it frustrating.
I loved The Game Being Scalable : I have played the game with every possible player combination and I thought it worked well with 2-5 players. While I personally liked it best with four, I thought the game works well with all number of players. I was surprised by how well the two player game worked. I thought the modification of letting the players bid on two roles worked well. I liked how having two roles opened up a lot of extra possibilities, and the addition of a third metropolis to the victory condition made the game length just right.
She hated The 2 player Game: While she did dislike it less with more, she really did not care for the two player game because she felt like I was always out to get her. With multiple players all of the interference was spread out, instead of two people focusing on winning while keeping the other person from doing so.
I loved The Combination of Euro and American Style Games : For me the best part of the game is that it took a very euro game auction mechanic and put in a plastic piece heavy game, with lots of random elements, and a slug fest that is all more comfortable in an American game. This combination was perfect for me and it really drew me into the game.
She hated The combination of Euro and American Style Games : My wife prefers euro games, but she has played and enjoyed a fair share of ameritrash. However the combination just did not work for her. If Cyclades was a euro auction game about building up a metropolis she would have loved it. If Cyclades was a conflict game about creating an island Empire through conquest, she (probably) would have had fun playing it. 366