DIY roleplaying game adventure
Besides some plot holes I didn't poke into, there's now little difference between this six-year-old's semi-planned RPG sandbox challenges and my own, to the extent that she preempted the specific plot point of finding a password in a book in a library that was going to feature in my follow-up. She pointed out that we were both nicking it from Final Fantasy VII anyway.
As with Anthelion before it, the expansions for the 18-card interstellar trade simulator are small themed decks that replace rather than supplement other cards. One difference is you have the freedom to mix and match sets at your leisure this time, unless you prefer to set the theme for today's episode.
Expansion Collection: Debts and Damages, Out of Route & The Dynasty Seal ****
Each set of 6 cards has a fairly distinct theme that manages to stand out when only diluted by 12 others. Once you've played each of them once and learned their quirks, you can mix them all together and pick randomly. Some work better when they have enough related cards to synchronise with (especially the enemies), but the universe generally sorts itself out.
A slightly more game-changing enemy makes this the most interesting of the expansions and is the enemy I'd probably choose if I didn't leave things to fate. It was presumably left out of the wallet compilation for space. I say, let 'em bulge.
2019 / Card game / 1 player
****
The Elite computer games as an ingeniously compact card game (which I obviously decompressed by getting it with all the expansions to give the universe some breathing room).
I was wary of dense multifunction cards after failing to grasp the likes of Deadeye Dinah, but this leisurely/boring activity of buying low, selling high and trying not to explode is up my space lane, and I can even win sometimes. Some humour wouldn't have gone amiss, but insisting on that retro computer font despite it making everything unnecessarily hard to read is quite amusing.
RNSM (DY)
2024 / Wrd crd gm / 1-4 plyrs**
Vexing Letters ***
The customary mini expansion adds 6 less common letters to the pile and an optional twin word variant that seems like the preferable way to play, since I'm stuck at 4 letters either way.
1985 / Drawing board game / 3-16 players (played with 2)
***
Well, not really. The internet suggested that the board and most of the other components were unnecessary, so we ended up at a sand-timed sketch guessing game using prompt cards borrowed from Stella. Is this Pictionary? I dunno, but it was wholesome family fun.
The two small, official expansions are already pushing out the lid as it is, but more variations are always welcome, especially when they're free to print and play. Or, in my case, awkwardly substitute existing cards and read what they're supposed to do off a screen.
Fanmade 8-card Expansion **
This fan sequel to the first expansion does pretty much the same ideas as the official second expansion, making it unnecessary now, but it at least made me realise how badly the game's lacking an origami turtle.
Solo Variant ***
Various solo modes have been proposed involving flow charts, character abilities and multiple stacks that likely provide a tougher challenge at the cost of fiddliness. This one that determines a stupid opponent's move using dice rolls is difficult to lose and not very satisfying, but approachably simple for the lazy solo player, before I came up with my own that's even simpler:
Try it.
2012 / Board game mini expansion / 2-6 players
***
Someone was selling off their old pieces, so I got to upgrade the unofficial placeholders I'd been using, though I still base them around the Shrines for want of bespoke tiles. It adds some supernatural drama/annoyance.
2021 / Adventure gamebook / 1 player
***
Back for another round of punishing ordeals and inappropriately traumatic deaths that are impossible to deduce using logic or any method other than brute-forcing all avenues. I do find it quite comforting that they still make this shit.
2021 / Doodling game / 1-4 players
***
Another one you could do yourself, but it was only £1 from a charity shop and it was good to have the prompts provided, plus ever-useful spare pencils.