kdm_01 said:
Anybody give Scythe a try yet? From what I've read I'm definitely interested. But the availability and cost are making me hesitant.
I've played around 20 games or so of varying sizes on Tabletop Simulator. It's an interesting strategy (or 4X, though that's debatable) game that tries to change each time you play it, if you randomize the faction and player maps. If you play with less than 5, it provides even more variety due to factions and mats not being used.
Once you learn the game mechanics, you find that it's a very simple game to play. It is a game about maximizing the efficiency of each turn. The strategy comes from deciding whether to maximize efficiency or to take a less efficient turn to move closer to winning. You also need to plan a few turns in advance.
I have a few complaints about it that lower my opinion of the game after multiple plays. I feel like the game can get a bit boring if you play with very conservative players, as there won't be much player interaction and everyone can still accomplish their goals without it. Playing with a table of aggressive players makes the game so much more fun and interesting, but many groups (especially casual gamers) likely aren't aggressive enough to keep the game interesting.
I also feel like the replayability isn't as great as it should be, even with the random matching of factions to player mats. While each faction is unique, you can tailor any of them to play to a specific player mat and the way you play that mat likely doesn't change much based on the faction.
For me, my first few games were pretty exciting, but once I figured out how to maximize each player mat, the game became less interesting. It's a very well done game, though, in nearly every aspect. If it had some other factor to make each game a bit different (for example, if the resource tiles were in different positions each game), I would say the game would have top ratings.
To sum up, the game has great mechanics, great art and is simple to learn. However, it can suffer from a table of players who are afraid to make moves against other players and it can suffer a lack of replayability after 10-15 games or so.
I would rate the game overall as an 8 out of 10, though that may lower a point or 2 if you are looking for a game that you can have fun with after 20+ sessions.
