Steve
Glory to Rome, 3 players

I had never played Glory to Rome before, but I like Innovation so I figured what the hell. There are some subtleties of the card flow that took me the better part of two games to get---the hand/stockpile/pool/vault distinctions are crucial and the way cards flow between them, and which actions flow which direction, are the game. For the two games we played, the stockpile was essentially empty or immediately swept up whenever something entered it, which made for two very constricted games where several the actions were almost useless unless you led with them. It was impossibly hard to fill the stockpile. Broadly, though, I thought the game was pretty brilliant and would definitely play it again. The card powers were suitably strong, but not so game busting as Innovation. The game is also bruising and you have to keep just the right vigilant watch of your opponenet's tableau without needing to memorize every card at all times entering it. That is a tough line of fun to walk in this sort of game.

Like any Chudyk, when you lose in this one you LOSE. Bad. Someone locks the shit out of you. One game we had someone pouring stockpile into their vault and running completely away with it. In the other, someone had a complete lock on the game by having a bigger hand and the x2 clients power and going on a building blitz straight from their hand. It was brutal.

Good games.

#glorytoromeboardgame #carlchudyk #edcarter #cambridgegamesfactory #therewillbegames #boardgames #boardgamegeek #bgg #tabletopgames #tabletopsimulator
Jan 13 at 2:57pmWeb
Show threadJerkJan 13
@steve_tabletop From your description, I don't think, that's a game for me. A consistent runaway-leader-problem for me is a pain and I hate it, especially of cause, if the leader's not me. 😅 Otherwise you got me curious, but that's a big no-no.
Regardless, you and your group having fun, and this is what it sounds like, is all that matters in this case.
Show threadGraysonJan 26
@jerk @steve_tabletop
GtR teaches players that if you're winning, you must end the game asap; because if you don't, someone else can build a better combo and a (subsequent) comeback.

In my plays over the years, I find the game really only stalls when you have newbies who don't understand that they need to advance the game.

Also, like so many of Chudyk's games, I find it best at 2-3p (compared to some of the other Puerto Rico children which want 4 as in the case of San Juan).
Show threadMarcus The Board GamerJan 27

@grayson @jerk @steve_tabletop I’ve never played Glory to Rome. Doubt I will, but I love Innovation. There too if you’re winning you had better push end game or someone else might snipe that win from under your feet.

Innovation is super mean. Not for everyone, but I love it.

Show threadGraysonJan 27
@lordsplodge @jerk @steve_tabletop It's sometimes called the "world's greatest prototype" and I think thats apt.

I've played a lot of GtR and I've studied it and related designs. I think Race for the Galaxy is probably the slickest of that bunch, but I vaguely remember that's favored at 2p (and I think GtR is best at 2-3p). San Juan is really the only one that I think shines with a full player count (for a plethora of reasons). Fwiw, I kept GtR of the three.

I think if GtR had another year or so of real development vs clicking print, it would have looked closer to Mottainai (which is a well designed game, even if it lacks soul compared to GtR).