Pendulum: Review

Pendulum: Rapid Review

Information:

Mechanics: Real-Time, Worker Placement, Variable Player Powers
Player Age: 12+ 

Player Count: 1 - 5 Players

Time to Play: 60 - 90 Minutes 
Game Designer: Travis P Jones

Game Artist: Robert Leask

Publisher: Stonemaier Games

Year Published: 2020

BGG Weight: 2.92

Disclaimer: A review copy for the game was provided by the publisher.

I have recently decided that I would try a new review format that focuses more on my thoughts than how the game runs. This new format is called a R.A.P.I.D. review and the categories are Rundown, Alteration, Production, Interaction and Determination.

Rundown:

In ‘Pendulum’ you are sending your workers to gain victory points over four rounds. There are four tracks; power, prestige, popularity and legendary. These all have to reach the parchment towards the end of the track for that player to score. There will be one legendary point available each round. This is all in real time so workers can only be placed and returned where there isn't a sand timer. The actions can only be activated where their is a worker already and the sand timer is there. There are three sections on the board; purple (three minutes), green (two minutes) and black (45 seconds).

Alteration:

Each character has two playable sides. The basic side has some variation in how much they need on each track. The real variability comes with the more advanced side as they will have different tracks, different stratagem cards, and a different cost to recover these stratagem cards. The stratagem cards allow players to perform unique actions at their leisure as long as they meet the cost. Everyone begins the game with multiple cards. One of which will give you a new worker if you can afford it. At the end of each round you can tailor the collection of cards to suit your needs by drafting either of these cards or do an instant effect. 

These pendulum cards really make the strategy for each character challenging as there are really powerful cards for some characters like one of  ‘Bolk the Warmonger’ cards. The card can do the action on their worker spot as well as one worker spot adjacent to that spot. The cost to recover these cards and to gain a new worker is two power victory points which is extremely hard to manage which keeps the game balanced.

Production:

The production for pendulum is great as all stonemaier games are. The card stock however, is pretty thin compared to other games. The game has been designed to be versatile for the type of players with a solo mode, variants for two players, and a unique mode that allows the game to work separated in rounds instead of real time.

Interaction:

Players will constantly be blocking each other with their workers since a basic worker cannot go where another player is. There is a way around this though, if you gain a grande worker you can place that worker in any spot even if a worker is there. The game will only allow you to gain two of these grande workers. The real part that keeps the interaction and tension high is the timers. The timers don't have to be moved when they are finished. Instead, they are flipped once they are completed and a player chooses to flip it because they want the round to end or because they want the rewards of that section. This will happen frequently so players can use workers in the new timer space and withdraw workers from the old timer space. Players will also consistently choose not to flip timers so that other workers become available from different time tracks. This creates high interaction between players as you are often hindering your opponent while progressing your own agenda. Once the purple timer has been flipped three times, no more timers can be flipped and the end of the round approaches.

There are achievement cards that will be changed each round. This requires players to have, but not spend, numerous resources. If completed, players can gain a benefit or gain the legendary victory point. To win, each player will need one of these legendary victory points where only one is available each round. This creates further tension to gain the resources before your opponent, as well as the challenge to gain these resources and ignore the path you are aiming for. If you already have the legendary victory point then you can still aim for these achievements to gain other victory points, resources, or one time bonuses.

Determination:

Pendulum has received a lot of mixed reviews but I do not believe it deserves this. It is a great game with an interesting puzzle that incorporates the stress of real time with competitive worker placement. This is a game for select players, if you are not a fan of real time games then this one will not change your opinion. So you have to go into this game knowing this. It does create a unique type of real time game that has a lot of strategies and tactile decisions alongside the usual race against the clock. If you’re a fan of worker placement games or real time games and are looking for something different then Pendulum is worth checking out and will be receiving a silver seal of approval.

Click...feed the addiction: 

Stonemaier Games
Pendulum on BGG
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