In the gaming world, there’s a fine line between a game that’s too simplistic and one that doesn’t have enough elements to make it interesting enough for repeat plays. Straddling that line with apparent ease is the Days of Wonder game Small World. A fairly basic objective combined with more strategic and always unique game play makes this game a great introduction into a lot of more strategy based board games.
The premise of the game is fairly simple: you are living on some mythical, far away island, trying to conquer as many territories as you can in order to earn gold. In order to do this, you can pick a race. Maybe you fall in with trends and want to be a vampire. Maybe going against the grain and being a goblin sounds more appealing. With eleven different races, there are certainly plenty of options. Each comes with their own unique traits that can help you take over territories and get more gold. What’s more, they’re matched with a special power that, when used correctly, can help you even more.
The characters and the powers are always randomly matched, making every time you play the game a completely different strategic experience. While orcs may have been your money maker in the last game, you may find that this time around, amazons are the way to go. To keep all of the races a powers straight, the game comes with a easy cheat sheet for every player. What’s more, to keep the game challenging, it has a built in end – with each separate board, there are only a certain number of turns per game. The question becomes how can you adapt the choices of races and classes to the limited time period you have to make the most money.
Small World is a great family game. The quirky characters and magical setting inspire kids and draw them in. While they may have a hard time grasping the different powers and how they help players win the game, the basic goal – to take over land and get gold – is simplistic enough that they can easily understand the point of the game. It’s this universal appeal more than anything that makes Small World a lot of fun for every player.