And even then, I’m most likely to enjoy a Quinns review (funny, even if the humor is mostly about him and not the game) as opposed to a Matt (trying too hard to achieve “critical balance”) or Tom (doesn’t seem to have developed a critical tone yet-too much enthusiasm and “feel” for me) review. I’m actually most likely now to watch the videos of games I’ve already played (or carefully read the rule book, examined pictures and videos of the game, and read a bunch of reviews, which right now often has to substitute). I’ve stopped listening to the podcast regularly because I’m not going anywhere and the episodes are too uneven in terms of quality and depth. I’ve stopped watching their videos right away, if at all-they’re less entertaining. I’ve actually found that over the last year, I’ve stopped visiting the website (no forums and now no Games News). I did use the Games News as a way of finding out about more unusual games that I might not have heard about as quickly. Mostly, I find them pleasant entertainment, and I watch or read them for that reason. To be honest, I don’t use Shut Up & Sit Down’s reviews in any format as a guide to games very often.

What I’m saying is that the game constrains strategy too much? Frequently I was thinking, “oh, this would be a great plan!” only to find that the market was devoid of any suit-changing cards. And the market seemed to limit what you could do. My lasting concern is that the cards felt like just the illusion of variety, actually very same-y throughout. I won easily both times despite barely knowing the game.īut stepping back, I think my frustration was mainly with Wakhan, not with Pax Pamir itself? I’m hoping to get a good play in at 4 players. Additionally, I found Wakhan a poor simulation for an opponent (basically, button mashing) and easily exploitable. The manual was messy to start with, the game is fiddly, and Wakhan then triples the rules overhead and fiddliness. I’ve played two rounds against Wakhan, the automated opponent. I got it for the same reason I got Keyflower, usually listed as “like Tigris & Euphrates.”

Tichu vs bots