One Year On – Tiny Epic Galaxies

When I reviewed this game, I reviewed it as only having really played it solo, and now, one year on, I can say that that is still the case.

I don’t know what it is about this game, but it just doesn’t seem to appeal to those that I play with. It’s such a shame, because I for one would rather play this with others than on my own. Don’t get me wrong, it certainly has its place as a solo game, which I will cover shortly, but play with a group of three or four players and the game really comes to life, mainly due to the follow action. When someone takes an action you have the option of spending culture to also immediately take that action.

It’s a simple game to teach and play, there’s certainly nothing complicated here, and there’s just the right amount of luck to give everyone a chance. It isn’t deep, it’s quick to set up and play, and above all, it’s pretty good fun, and yet, I just can’t get anyone interested in playing!

That leaves me with the solo game. Its fast set up and play time are a big plus here, and it doesn’t take up much space on the table either. There are a number of differing opponents to take on, with ever increasing difficulty, and one of the attractions of the game is to work out how to beat each opponent.

This is also its main drawback. After several attempts you will cotton on to how to beat it, and once you’ve mastered them all (The hardest does take some work), you’ve nowhere else to go with the game.

I reached that point in the space of a couple of days, though that was with some fairly intensive play, and then the game got shelved, but this didn’t mean an end for this Tiny Epic game. It doesn’t see the light of day too often, about once every three or four months, but it still gets played. You see, I have the memory of a small goldfish, and that means I can never quite remember how to beat it, so every time it comes out I get a few plays in before the penny drops, and then away it goes again.

Will it remain in my collection? Yes, for the time being, anyway. It’s a little bit different to other games I have, but it is the fact that I can be playing within seconds of opening the box that’s the biggest draw. It also doesn’t take up much shelf space, so it isn’t like I have to turf it out to make way for something else, but when the time comes I won’t have any qualms about sending it on its merry way!

Knowing what I know now, would I have still bought it? No. I never expected it to be just for solo play, and thought that it would see plenty of group play as a light filler game. Alas, this wasn’t the case, and there just isn’t enough here to sate my solo thirst, as it doesn’t take long to figure out each opponent.

One Year On – I stick by what I said in the original review, that as a solo game it lacks depth and presents a fairly limited puzzle to solve. But, play with others, and it turns into a an excellent little game, ideal for filling those gaps between longer, more involving games, or simply as a way to pass the time.

Read the review here