As I said before, Dead of Winter is an incredible mix of mechanics, a collection of outstanding ideas that come together to create something special. But it’s not the best example of a semicooperative game I’ve ever seen. Dead of Winter may be excellent, but the bigger, more serious older brother of this game is a masterpiece, a series of disparate elements that come together like the pieces of a Swiss clock. Archipelago manages to do a lot of things at once, and it does it with an effortless elegance that surpasses nearly any other game.
Archipelago sees each player working to colonize a steadily expanding cluster of islands in the South Pacific. It’s a true worker placement game, with players assigning workers to explore further, harvest resources, trade goods domestically and internationally, and build churches, towns, and harbors. Throughout the game, various crises will pop up, with the natives growing ever more restless as players juggle food shortages, simmering rebellions, demands from the crown back home, and much more. The players will have to work together to resolve these issues, the game's mechanics push for sneaky, Machiavellian maneuvering to constantly figure out the minimum you can do to keep the island stable without giving up your own advantage.
Archipelago should be a much more complicated game than it is, but the design and layout of this truly beautiful game somehow make it flow so much better than you’d ever expect. Every component has its place, every action fits within the narrative that’s developing every turn. As more and more tiles are revealed, the islands develop a character, with volcanoes, rich jungles, and oceans teeming with fish. The economy of the island feels vibrant and alive, with surges in supply driving prices down, and rare tropical fruits bringing in piles of coins. A mechanic that allows players to bid to decide the turn order allows for wheeling and dealing, with players bribing, cajoling, and threatening each other for position. Archipelago is an organic, fluid experience that feels wholly unique and completely innovative every time you play.
Archipelago is something special, a game that creates a layered, complex experience and yet never feels overwhelming. It’s a worker placement game that doesn’t feel like a worker placement game, a cooperative game that feels sneakily antagonistic. Everything it does, it does beautifully, all the way down to the plastic inlay that holds the components. The game is a symphony, something extraordinary that I’ve yet to see matched.
- Dietrich Stogner
Archipelago sees each player working to colonize a steadily expanding cluster of islands in the South Pacific. It’s a true worker placement game, with players assigning workers to explore further, harvest resources, trade goods domestically and internationally, and build churches, towns, and harbors. Throughout the game, various crises will pop up, with the natives growing ever more restless as players juggle food shortages, simmering rebellions, demands from the crown back home, and much more. The players will have to work together to resolve these issues, the game's mechanics push for sneaky, Machiavellian maneuvering to constantly figure out the minimum you can do to keep the island stable without giving up your own advantage.
Archipelago should be a much more complicated game than it is, but the design and layout of this truly beautiful game somehow make it flow so much better than you’d ever expect. Every component has its place, every action fits within the narrative that’s developing every turn. As more and more tiles are revealed, the islands develop a character, with volcanoes, rich jungles, and oceans teeming with fish. The economy of the island feels vibrant and alive, with surges in supply driving prices down, and rare tropical fruits bringing in piles of coins. A mechanic that allows players to bid to decide the turn order allows for wheeling and dealing, with players bribing, cajoling, and threatening each other for position. Archipelago is an organic, fluid experience that feels wholly unique and completely innovative every time you play.
Archipelago is something special, a game that creates a layered, complex experience and yet never feels overwhelming. It’s a worker placement game that doesn’t feel like a worker placement game, a cooperative game that feels sneakily antagonistic. Everything it does, it does beautifully, all the way down to the plastic inlay that holds the components. The game is a symphony, something extraordinary that I’ve yet to see matched.
- Dietrich Stogner
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