****edit *disclaimer****
****This is a negative review based completely on my own opinions and experiences. Clearly my own opinion isn't the only one. If you would like to read a positive review please go ahead and click on the numerous other ones posited on <PERSON> page. This review was in response to the copious amounts of positive reviews. Based on the positive and negative comments I have received I can easily say that this is quite a polarizing game that I suggest everyone to play a few times before purchasing. This disclaimer does not mean I have changed my opinion, it is simply a response to all harsh critiques I have received. From now on I will think twice before giving my opinions on this site and if I do decide to contribute again I will downplay the pathos of my opinions.
Thanks, <PERSON>****
I don't even know where to begin.
I am writing this out of sheer confusion and frustration. I was surfing through the rankings when I hit this one currently ranked somewhere in the upper 300's. I was so shocked and enraged that I checked through the forums just to see that this game has been getting praise by users and critics alike.
Unbelievable...
I bought this game on release as soon as it came out because I loved Arkham Horror so much. Boy was I surprised when this game came out to be an unbalanced version of Yahtzee.
Issue 1: Gameplay
I consider this the most disastrous issue of the game. There is simply not much to it. You choose a room and roll. THAT'S IT!!! Sure you might have some modifiers here and there but all they do is add a die to your roll. You gain elder signs and whatnot and then you fight the enemy if you didn't manage to seal him off. It all turns out to be an exercise in boredom and frustration as a game that should be a filler turns out to easily take over an hour. Which brings me to my next point.
Issue 2: Length
This game is LONG. Even if you all you want is a Yahtzee variant, do you honestly want a 60+ min Yahtzee variant with very little variety? With any game over 60 min you should expect a meaty experience, not a filler.
Issue 3: Theme
I love <PERSON> as I know many others do. While this game is <PERSON> flavored, the theme is empty. The very minimum they could have done is put a little flavor text to make it more interesting. Another place the theme falls flat is the fact that you can enter any room. If you are supposed to believe you are walking through a museum shouldn't there be a room order? Not every room connects to every other one.
Issue 4: Scalability
This game scales horribly. I played this game a few times with different numbers just to see if it gets any better. Let me just tell you it doesn't. 504
More than 3 and the game just drags. Others have nothing to do during your turn. I played an 8 player game as well. THIS WAS THE WORST GAMING EXPERIENCE I HAVE EVER HAD. Everyone was bored waiting for their turns even two turns in. Most of them just left after 30 min.
Issue 5: Price
I paid full price $40 for this game. Where did my money go? For a few dice and a little bit of cardboard. Ended up selling it for less than half that. I will never buy another game blindly like that again.
Issue 6: Balance
Elder Sign is completely broken in it's current form. Since you can enter any room in the museum, the best route is just to enter the easiest rooms and gear up. With 3 players we beat the game entirely too easily. I saw that some people have tried to create variants to balance this game on the forums. I just think that no game I buy should be this broken right out of the gate. Was it even playtested?? I doubt it.
Conclusion:
Now I really wanted to like this one. I have tried this game with over 20+ different people just to make sure. Every single one was completely bored and called it a long Yahtzee variant. PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE don't buy this game before trying it out. I have no idea how this game shot up so high in the charts. I guess when you put a <PERSON> theme in a game people buy it up. Please help me by reconsidering your ratings on here. We need to lower Elder Sign's ranking. How could this game be better than <PERSON> Discworld or Betrayal at the House on the Hill? This game is broken and everyone knows it. Help me ensure that others don't make the same mistake I have.
Thanks for listening to my disorganized rant and I hope some of you disagree so I don't look so contrary. 386