One Year On – SteamRollers

SteamRollers, a roll and write game where players build a railway network in order to deliver cargo and, ultimately, outscore their opponents.

If you are a fan of roll and write games, then this certainly holds some appeal. There’s plenty to like, such as being able to upgrade your loco in order to deliver further afield, or the action tiles which add a little variance into the game. It is easy to teach, fast to set up, and plays with a good pace.

However, roll and write games are not a favourite genre of mine.

With Steamrollers I just felt like I was doing the same thing over and over, game after game – something I find common with this type of game.

It is an okay game to play every now and again, and a lot of people seem to enjoy it, but I find it doesn’t hold my attention, it doesn’t make want to play a second game, and I find the gameplay somewhat dull.

I find myself asking why that is.

I don’t think there’s enough to do, and despite it being a competitive game, it doesn’t feel it, it’s more like you against the game rather than against other people.

But, many of the people I play with do enjoy it, so I would definitely put it down to my personal taste and If someone wanted to play, then I certainly wouldn’t say no, at least for one game!

There is a solo variant, but to be honest it doesn’t hold up for anything other than passing the time, and I haven’t played it that way since I reviewed the game.

Will it remain in my collection? For the time being, yes. I think every collection should contain a roll and write game, and this one has its uses. It’s good as an introduction to the genre, or even to the hobby, and it’s easy enough for children to get to grips with. I’d probably look to replace it with something like Welcome to… or Ganz Schon Clever (That’s pretty clever), as I think either would be more up my street.

Knowing what I know now, would I have still bought it? It’s a yes, maybe, possibly, no! As I mentioned, many of the people I’ve played it with, if not the majority, have enjoyed it, and for me that’s a big positive. For some people it has being a great introduction into the roll and write world, which has definitely expanded some over the last year or two, and because of it I know that they’ll be more than willing to try something a little more challenging from the genre. It has been a steppingstone, and for that I’m incedibly grateful. However, for purely selfish reasons, I wish I’d looked elsewhere!

One Year One – Despite my original liking for the game, it quickly grew stale. Too repetitive in its gameplay, and a bit dull in terms of fun. If you like roll and write games then you’d probably disagree with me, but it really isn’t my cup of tea!

Read the review here