I’m always on the lookout for good “cute animal” games, since my daughter is more likely to want to play such games with me. She is very adamant that those animals must not be hurt in any way during the game, however abstractedly it may occur.
I’m happy to report that no animals are harmed in the playing of Arctic from Ludonaute, a set collection game for 2-4 players, with a play time of 10 minutes per player.
Gameplay Overview:
The deck of cards is divided into four sets and each player is dealt three cards, then six cards are placed faceup on the table to create what is called “the river”. A numbered track of six “Landscape” cards is also placed above the river, then six animal tokens are placed on the three space of this track. Players are given a secret Animal Totem tile which will correlate with one of the animal tokens on the landscape.
During the game, players will take turns playing cards from their hand, faceup, one on top of another, to their personal score pile. The top card of your score pile at the start of your turn will determine how many cards are to be played on that turn (anywhere from 1-5).
So if I play a fox card with a placement value of three, then on my next turn, I must put three new cards from my hand on top of that fox card (on the first turn you will play only 1 card, since there are no cards on your score pile yet). After placing their cards the player takes the animal power card that matches the animal on their topmost card.
Next, that player must move the two animal tokens indicated on their card up or down on the landscape track. The cards on the landscape are numbered 0-15, and the position of the token matching your secret Totem tile will determine how many points it’s worth at the game’s end.
Next, the player draws cards from the River equal to the draw value of the card currently on top of their score pile. This value can be anywhere from 1-5, and players have a hand limit of 7 (any excess hand cards are placed in a penalty pile). The player takes the cards of their choice from those available, then refills the River and their turn ends. Play continues clockwise until the draw pile runs out, after which point one more round of play is completed, then the game is scored.
At game’s end, players will score points based on groups of the same animal types that are stacked together in their score pile. The more identical animals stacked together, the higher that group scores. Additionally, players receive points according to the track position of the animal on their Totem tile, as well as points for how many different animal sets they were able to score. They also lose points for any cards in their penalty pile. The player with the highest score is the winner.
Game Experience:
I like the set collection in this game and the need to balance your turns due to placement values and draw values, you want to make sure you have enough cards in your hand to place all that are required, but you also want to try not to exceed the hand limit, otherwise you lose points. These restrictions add a little zest to the game and make for an interesting balancing act.
The problem is, that when all the elements that make up this game are added together, the result is somewhat convoluted. It feels like too much for too little. I’m not convinced the game would be better without those animal tokens, however, they are an extra detail that is easily forgotten and felt somewhat unnecessary. Truly good filler card games, in my opinion, are easily processed and easily played, while still doing something unique and engaging players. This game is full of little nuances that bog it down so that that design actually gets in its own way.
The animal power cards add a little twist but also feel almost pointless in four-player games because they change hands so often that you can’t count on them being there when your next turn comes around, so you can’t base your strategy on them. At two players you tend to hold onto powers much longer.
One other thing about the animal power cards I really, really wished for was a written explanation on each card of what it does. These cards use only icons and each of the six cards is double sided, for a total of twelve different powers. Each power is depicted by only an icon, which is not repeated elsewhere in the game. I found I had to check the rulebook almost every time for the explanations of these powers even after the first couple of plays. Icons work well in games when the same icons are used repeatedly so that players get used to them. Not only was I often forgetting to take power cards in this game—or forgetting to use them—but I also had to look up how they worked.
After the game is played the cards also need to be separated back into their sets to make setup easier for future games, as each player count will use a different number of sets. This is a somewhat annoying step. I’m sure it was done to balance the game, but it also feels like there should have been a better way around this. All of this results in a game that is maybe a little too complicated for new or younger players, but not quite engaging enough to hold the interest of experienced players.
Final Thoughts:
Due to the overhead required for what is essentially a light card game, the best I can say about Arctic is that it’s kind of fun. I would play it if someone asked me to, but next to so many other card games in my collection I don’t see myself often choosing this one, and despite the cute animals my daughter didn’t love it either. Some aspects are enjoyable, but it feels like too many features are patched together in the hopes they would result in a good game. Unfortunately, I think Arctic needed more time in the design phase to be smoothed out so it would all come together just a little better. It’s not a bad game, however, I would just recommend trying it out before you buy.
Final Score: 3 Stars – There’s a good game here, but some of it gets lost in the convolution of too many rules.
Hits:
• Fun set collection with a single score pile
• I enjoyed the need to think ahead as you place cards
• Cute artwork
Misses:
• Animal tokens feel unnecessary
• Too many rules for a simple game
• Lack of written explanations on power cards
