Scythe
$79.99
Scythe at a Glance
| Game Type Strategy / Territory Building Area Control | Play Time 90 - 120 mins | Skill/Complexity (3.5 - 5) Medium - Heavy |
| Age 14+ | Publisher(s) Stonemaier Games | Published 2016 |
| Categories Strategy | Players 1 - 5 | Our Rating 9.5/10 |
| Related My Little Scythe Board Game – Ages 8+ | Cost $79.99 approx | Rules Manual Official Rules PDF |
About – Description
The board game Skythe is a strategy based game aimed at the more advanced player and gamers.
Created in 2016 by Jamey Stegmaier, it’s still a relatively new game that offers up to two hours of play and is suitable for up to five players and recommended for players aged 14 and over.
The game was originally available at the crowd-funding platform (Kickstarter) where it raised a whopping $1.8 million before becoming mainstream.
Who’s it best suited for?
Scythe is suitable for those who have experience of playing strategy based games.
It’s suitable for players as young as 14 and that does offer them a chance to explore a game such as this but it’s a game that plays in such a way that it is best enjoyed by those who already play strategy games with various mechanisms.
Skill – Complexity
This is considered to be a complex game and that means that players should have some experience in playing these games in order to get as much from the experience as possible.
In terms of skills, it does require tactic, strategy and logic and with mechanisms such as area control and grid movement, it requires knowledge in order to make the right decisions.
Set Up & Gameplay
The game consists of a lot of pieces and so, set up can take around ten minutes.
The encounter tokens are placed on each territory that has an encounter symbol while the resources and coins are placed in a supply area next to the board. The combat cards are shuffled and placed on the board as well as the factory cards, the objective cards and the encounter cards. A Structures bonus tile is picked at random and placed face up at the bottom of the Popularity Track.
To play the game, players take it in turn and when their turn arrives they have to play an action token on a different section of the play mat and then take top-row action on that section only once if required or take the bottom-row action on that section once. This means that players can either take one action, two actions or none at all but players are still required to move their action token.
Players can use resources that they have taken from the top-row action in order to pay for the bottom-row action while they have to complete an objective card as part of their turn.
On the player mate, the costs are shown as red boxes and benefits as green boxes will show the amount if empty spaces prior to an action being taken. When a player takes an action, they have to pay the cost and then take as the benefit in any amount they wish.
All players are given six star tokens that are used throughout the game but when a player puts the sixth start token on the board the game ends. At this point, players total up their coins and the player with the most wins the game.
This how to play video is very useful…….
Other Versions, Editions or Expansions Available?
Scythe has been released in many different countries and a number of expansion packs have been released for the game. This includes the likes of The Rise of Fenris, Invader from Afar and many different promo packs.
Likes & Dislikes
- Great artwork and components, and the rulebook flows well enough to follow although there’s a lot to take in.
- Does not feel as threatening as other fighting or wargames and gives a feeling of enjoyment as well as getting tactical.
- Quick to learn and hard to master. Great replay value.
- All the mechanics needed for a decent board game wrapped into one.
- Some players found that the game didn’t make any sense and it can take too long to complete while feeling slow paced.
- Lack of interaction with others.
Players find that this is a great game to play although the rules can be tricky to learn at first, especially with the mechanics involved but those who have played strategy games before find it challenging and exciting…….
Final Thoughts
This is a highly recognized game that has garnered a significant following from hardcore game players.
It’s a great tactical game that requires a meticulous approach but it is clearly a game that gets players gripped, which is the whole purpose of the game from start to finish.
There’s a really good group on Facebook for Skythe playing tips an advice you can check out here.
