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Crafting the Cosmos: Review Information: Mechanics:  Rondel, Mancala, Point Salad, Tile Placement, Variable Player Powers Player Age:  14+ Player Count:  2 - 4 Players Game Designer:  David Gordon (I), TAM Game Artist:  Greg May, Dann May BGG Weight:  3.00 Publisher:  Office Dog Time to Play:  60 - 90 Minutes  Year Published:  2025 Disclaimer:  A review copy for the game was provided by the VR Distribution Introduction: Crafting the Cosmos is a game where players design and fill their own cosmos. This is achieved by using a clever mancala mechanism on the central board where actions aren't granted by the position of the first or last mancala action. Instead, the benefits/resources are determined by the entire state of the main board after the movements have been made. Game Anatomy: Main Board: During this game, players share a main board that will work as a shared state of mancala. On this board, there w...

Five Tribes: Rapid Review Information: Mechanics:  Variable Setup, Mancala, Set Collection, Auction, Bidding Player Age:  13+  Player Count:  2 - 4  Players Time to Play:  40 - 80   Minutes  Game Designer:   Bruno Cathala Game Artist:  Clément Masson Publisher : Days of Wonder Year Published:  2014 BGG Weight:  2.85 Rundown: Five Tribes is a mancala style game where players are picking up meeples from one tile, dropping a meeple on each tile passed, then landing on the last tile where the last meeple must match a meeple on that location. All the meeples of that tribe will be picked up and discarded or placed in front of the player (depending on the tribe). The meeple action will resolve and the player will also activate the action of the tile. This will go on until each player has had a turn and then players will bid for the turn order of the next round. There will be multiple rounds until all possible moves have been pla...

Crusaders: Divine Influence Information: Mechanics:  Mancala, Rondel, Area Movement Variable Player Powers Player Age:  14+  Player Count:  2 - 4  Players Time to Play:  40 - 60   Minutes  Game Designer:   Seth Jaffee Game Artist:  Ariel Seoane Publisher : Renegade Games, Tasty Minstrel Games Year Published:  2022 BGG Weight:  3.00 Disclaimer:  A review copy for the game was provided by the publisher. Introduction: My favourite mancala/rondel game Crusaders Thy Will be Done has gone out of print (for my original review go here ). Luckily, Renegade Game Studios has come and reprinted the game in all its glory. Not only have they reprinted the game but they have blessed us with the long-awaited expansion, 'Divine Influence'. This expansion adds four new buildings, 4 new characters, and a revamped system for influence.  Influence System: The original influence system was the easiest action in the game where you simply g...

Crusaders Thy Will be Done: Rapid Review Information: Mechanics:  Mancala, Rondel, Area Movement Variable Player Powers Player Age:  14+  Player Count:  2 - 4  Players Time to Play:  40 - 60   Minutes  Game Designer:   Seth Jaffee Game Artist:  Adam P. Mclver Publisher : Tasty Minstrel Games Year Published:  2018 BGG Weight:  2.43 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: This game is set during the period of the crusades; eliminating enemies and raising settlements. However, the main focus of the game is the underused mechanism of Mancala. Crusaders has you building, crusading, travelling, gaining influence (victory points) and mustering,...