Clank Catacombs: Rapid Review
Information:
Mechanics: Deck-Building, Push Your Luck, Exploration, Tile Placement
Player Age: 13+ Player Count: 2 - 4 PlayersTime to Play: 45 - 90 Minutes
Game Designer: Paul Dennen
Player Age: 13+
Game Designer: Paul Dennen
Rundown:
Clank has returned with a standalone expansion, Clank Catacombs. The main change in this version is instead of having one static board, the board is constructed as players play through numerous tiles.
Appeal:
The appeal is easy with this game, it targets two types of players; those intrigued by the mechanisms but prefer tile-laying games/variable maps, and the players who are pre-existing fans of Clank. For the fans, this standalone game is completely compatible with existing content (unlike Clank in Space). This means that the cards in the deck can be combined, although some refer to specific locations that aren't in the base game, the asymmetrical decks can be used in Catacombs and the market items can be mixed and matched.
For fans that weren't originally sold on the static boards of the original game, Catacombs introduces tiles that are shuffled, hidden and revealed as players move into unforeseen rooms. These tiles can be rotated to the player's favour and create new pathways. This keeps the game feeling fresh while adding a sense of adventure and new mechanisms.
Placement:
The tile placement is a large chunk of this new base expansion. Each tile has two tunnels per side, allowing it to perfectly connect to the next revealed tiles. These tiles can have any amount of rooms, and create weird and sometimes lengthy tunnels when connected. As the catacomb grows longer certain things will help the players such as market stalls and artifacts being spaced throughout the tiles. There are also portals, which helps players navigate different areas of the map as they allow players to jump to any previously discovered portal. Some cards have an arrival effect that will further jumble the board state for the players by rotating the tiles they are on 180°, for example.
Inclusions:
Many new features have been included in this version of Clank such as locks, prisoners, blood amulet, catacombs map, haunted tiles and wayshrines.
Tile Features:
There are two unique tile features that have been added; haunted tiles, and wayshrines. When revealed, the haunted tiles will add a white cube to the Clank pile which will hit everyone when pulled. Following the resolution of the dragon attack the cube will return to the clank pile in a never ending cycle.
A wayshrine is a good source of gold as long as you can find enough of them. When entering a wayshrine you can place a clank cube on one of four squares and gain an initial gold, plus one gold for every previous wayshrine you have already visited. Several cards will make this wayshrine hunting easier.
Lockpicks:
Lockpicks is a revamped version of the master key from the original clank. Each player starts with three lockpicks and can gain more through cards, minor secrets or by buying two lockpicks at the market.
These lockpicks will be used to unlock the passageways permanently in the tunnels, however their real benefit comes from unlocking Secrets held in certain rooms. These secrets can only be gained once through a single lockpick. These secrets can be either a major secret, secret tome a highly sought after card worth seven points (but clogs your deck), or it will free prisoners and give the player the top two prisoners from the stack. Prisoners are a new mechanic introduced in this version of the game who contain various benefits and points. These range from immediate benefits/effects such as swords, healing, increasing the dragon's anger, to larger effects such as gaining higher points if a certain goal is met or gaining a point for every freed prisoner you have.
Market Items, Major Secrets and Minor Secrets:
Besides the new locks sprinkled throughout the minor secrets and market items, there is a blood amulet, catacombs map and puzzle box added. The blood amulet is a market item that will immediately heal twice (as long as the player currently has at minimum five damage). The catacombs map is a major secret that is a permanent item that when gained will allows the player to traverse one-way tunnels in either direction, making the catacombs much more maneuverable. Lastly, the puzzle box will transform into a major secret when a player turns it in at a wayshrine.
Determination:
- The way tiles combine can create interesting tunnels and unique pathways.
- Interesting tiles.
- Doesn't eliminate the original static clank boards, just gives players a new method of playing.
- Can take up a lot of space on your table, based on how tiles come out.
- Good mix of unique cards.
- Can be used as a standalone or an expansion of sorts.
- The catacomb gets more dangerous as players explore thanks to the ghost tiles.
Clank Catacombs is easily a great addition to the Clank family of games. There is the initial twist of changing the board to tiles, whereby creating a more modular map every time the game is played. However, more in-depth changes are made to the game such as the new lock system which is a great addition creating a new resource that players will constantly need and will have to consider when to use them. They also create a new prisoner system that gives players a new treasure type to seek out. Some cards even work off these prisoners and locks. To further solidify its spot in my collection, it is backwards compatible with the expansions, cards and tokens from the original clank. Some parts of the game are not as transferable but a large section is. This is staying in my collection and earning a Go-To Golden Game Seal.
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