Rolling Realms: Promo Realms Review
Information:
Mechanics: Roll and Write, Bingo
Player Age: 14+ Player Count: 1 - 6 PlayersTime to Play: 30 Minutes
Game Designer: Jamey Stegmaier
Player Age: 14+
Game Designer: Jamey Stegmaier
Introduction:
Rolling Realms has turned into a living roll and write game with multiple promo realms being released every couple of month. My game box is starting to become full and, as someone that already loves this game, that is fantastic news. Today I am focusing on my latest seven additions, and ordering them from least to most favourite.
Expedition:
Expedition is a relatively easy realm to learn where you are moving from one hex to the next based on the dice roll. The catch is that you are filling in the hex as you go so you are creating fewer locations on future turns. The only reason this is last in the order is because it doesn’t relate very well to the actual expedition game.
Roll Player:
Roll Player is in the shape of a big square and you are moving orthogonally based on the die roll (1-west, 2-north, 3-east and 4-south, 5-wild, 6-wild). When you move off a location that space becomes filled in and doesn’t allow you to move backwards. To gain all six stars you will have to fully venture around the card.
Risky Rewards:
Rather than Risky Rewards being a realm, it is actually a new way to add bonuses to every round. These bonuses either manipulate how the dice are used or manipulate the resources such as changing the value, gaining a third dice, reducing the cost of resources by one for the turn or using both dice on the same realm. Any reward players don't use that round can instead gain 0.3points towards their score. This can be setup in different ways like using any amount of rewards per round, discarding past rewards, or reshuffling each round.
Mini Golf:
Rolling Realms have ascended past creating realms only for board games they have now gone into sports as well. Like normal miniature golf, the fewer shots used to get the ball in the hole, the better rewards received. Once you sink the ball you gain any unmarked par bonuses. Each lane has two or three empty par spots so you better sink the ball fast to get the best benefits. There are challenges along the lanes that limits the shot to around a specific number.
Isle of Cats:
Starting anywhere then continuing adjacent to a previously marked spot, you are filling out your ship with either marked treasures (gaining resources) or numbers. The interesting part of this realm is the scoring. To gain two stars you must have two numbers matching the treasure number, either adjacent to the treasure or connected to the treasure. This is done by having one number touch the treasure and the other number touching the number. Since you have to fill in adjacent to a previously filled spot, this creates an interesting puzzle.
Skulk Hollow:
Skulk Hollow has introduced something new where you are fighting a guardian. This is completed by paying the resources needed to vanquish that part of their body. Be careful though as a dice roll of doubles will destroy the resource benefit of an unmarked area, leaving a lesser location where only the star is left to gain. This is the only realm I have seen fight back at you and is a truly welcome twist I would like to see developed further.
Lost Ruins of Arnak:
The research track is a pivotal part of Lost Ruins of Arnak so it makes sense that it is the focus of this realm. You will be ascending the research track with your book and magnifying glass using the numbers you roll and by paying resources. Like the game, it's based on the fact that you cannot ascend the book further than the magnifying glass. Having a good balance of both is imperative as this realm is harder to progress then it may first appear.
Final Thoughts:
- Risky Rewards is a unique way to play would love to see more variability with this feature and see a risky rewards two.
- Incorporates the essence of Isle of Cats and Lost Ruins of Arnak perfectly.
- Interesting to see the realms expand into real life sport games such as the mini golf.
- Skulk Hollow has the unique mechanism of fighting back.
- Two less interesting realms but the other four are very unique additions.
Rolling Realms is already a great game. Since its initial release, 19 realms have been added to the game creating a vast array of replayability. It is probably the most varied roll and write game I have. In saying that this review is specifically talking about the seven above promos. The Risky Rewards adds an interesting layer of one-time effects that can be used to turn the luck into your favour during play. I would love to see more variability in this game mode then the current six rewards. The realms themselves are mostly great and I had a hard time ordering the four best realms of this bundle. They all had unique mechanics that made them stay fresh and engaging. Unfortunately, I didn’t gel so well with Expeditions or Roll Player but that’s ok. Like I said, there are an abundance of realms to dig into so a couple that don't hit the mark are more than fine. If you love Rolling Realms or just want more variability in your game, there is a bunch of great realms that I can happily recommend. Also if you are finding yourself getting stuck with a bad dice roll often then Risky Rewards is a great mitigation to keep luck on your side.
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