An ancient dragon sleeping in a deep forgotten cave filled with hordes of goblins, and of course the brave knight that will try to kill the dragon. All in all it sounds like a pretty good start to any game, right? But Trove: The Crystal Caverns has much more to offer. It adds an intriguing mix of asynchronous play, where every player has a different role, and a different way to win. It makes the game very exciting and truly unique.
I’ve seen many different asymmetrical games, but none like this where the asymmetricality (yes it’s a word) permeates the entire game experience the way it does in this game. As a player you control one of the four main elements of the game: The Dragon, The Goblins, The Cave or The Knight, and they with completely different rules that makes each of them feel like little game in itself.
You win the game in a different way depending on what you are playing. It’s described pretty well on the Kickstarter page:
The Knight must kill the Dragon. The Knight gains power by completing Sidequests and recovering lost Treasures. She can reset her abilities each turn.
The Goblins must kill the Knight. The Goblins build 3 different Tribes by playing a push-your-luck style game. Then they move around the board trying to corner the Knight.
The Dragon must wake up and escape through the entrance. The Dragon starts out slow but wakes up as he steals treasure, devours Goblins, and explores the Cave. He does this by playing cards to fuel various powers.
The Cave must fully expand and then collapse. The Cave does this by gaining Omens, placing treasure to lure the other players into the its depths, and placing Tiles.
I really think this a great game, it might not be for everyone, and it might be a game you’ll only love after a few plays and trying out the different elements. I would not recommend this game for beginners, but it’s defiantly something new that I haven’t seen before. I highly recommend looking into it and backing it if you like something very unique and different to the “normal” games.
Facts about Trove: The Crystal Caverns
- Players: 2 – 4
- Playing time: 60 – 60 minutes
- Recommended ages: 10+
- Languages: English
Would you like to know more?
Check out the Kickstarter page here:
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/2074786394/trove-the-crystal-caverns
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