Animal Empire: Review
Information:
Mechanics: Area Majority, Hand Management
Player Age: 12+ Player Count: 2 - 8 PlayersTime to Play: 30 - 60 Minutes
Game Designer: Jack Ford Morgan
Player Age: 12+
Game Designer: Jack Ford Morgan
Objective:
You are trying to rally the other animals together under your empire. If you successfully control nine kingdoms , you now have the largest animal empire and are the winner.
Card Anatomy:
Wilderness Cards:
These are unique cards that can be played at anytime the card allows as a free action. These will help modify the board state to help the player's with their goals.
Crown Cards:
Each player will have a crown tucked behind the first kingdom. If at any point in the game this crown is taken by another player you will now be in their control and under their animal empire. All of your kingdoms will now count towards their animal empire.
Kingdom Cards and Army Cards:
If any player has captured the nine kingdoms of the game then they will win. Each kingdom card is linked to a matching army card shown by the symbol on the top left of each kingdom card. When any kingdom is gained into a players animal empire they will gain the matching army card. There are several abilities an army may have access to including attackers, defenders, fleet of foot, and raiders.
Attackers will instantly battle an enemy army when they move into a kingdom. Defenders will block this attack, one fleet of foot army can move at the end of the players turn and raiders can move (at the cost of an action) into another kingdom after they capture a kingdom on the same turn. There is also an elite dragon army that has access to all the abilities listed above.
Setup:
- Shuffle the kingdom and wilderness decks.
- Deal each player a kingdom (two kingdoms in a two-player game) and give that player the matching army card.
- Give each player a crown card and place that card under their kingdom with the crown symbol displayed.
- Deal each player a wilderness card which, along with army cards, will remain in the player's hand.
- Place the wilderness and army deck within reach of all players.
- Place all the kingdom cards face down between the players.
How to Play:
On a players turn they can take up to two actions. Each army is only allowed to do one action per turn though, so try to have multiple armies at all times. The actions are detailed below:
March:
Move any army card to a kingdom, including those conquered by other players. You can also move an army onto the wilderness deck, drawing a wilderness card and returning the army card to your hand.
Battle:
If your army shares a kingdom with an enemy army they battle that enemy and the loser returns to its player's hand. That army isn't allowed to return to this kingdom next turn.
Capture:
If you have the majority of armies on a kingdom you can claim that kingdom as your own. Place it in front of you and gain the matching army card.
Seize Crown:
If you are capturing a kingdom with a crown owned by an opponent, instead of capturing the kingdom you can capture the crown itself. This makes that player your vassal where all of their kingdoms will now count towards your total.
Manage Vassal:
If you have one or more vassals instead of using an action on an army you can either remove a vassal’s kingdom or give them another kingdom of your own. Helping them to help you work for your animal empire.
Whenever a player has nine or more kingdoms in their empire they have been victorious and have a united animal empire.
Final Thoughts:
Pros:
- Big player range.
- Good art.
Cons:
- Complex rulebook for simple gameplay.
- Not much space for decision making.
'Animal Empire' aims to be a light diplomacy game. Unfortunately, however, I found that it fell flat on this front. It has the rules and pieces that make it suit this aim but on a turn the decision space felt empty which often resulted in turns being the most obvious choice. The game was also challenging to start as the rules were more complex then they needed to be. This is sadly a game I can not recommend.
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