By CAROLYN COWAN
Mesa Top Games and Toys
Los Alamos
With the change of season comes busy preparation for the next phase of the year. The better we prepare ourselves now, the more opportunities will be available come the new season, though the annual cycle will forever keep us occupied.
Such is the philosophy of Everdell (Starling Games, 2018), a competitive strategy worker placement board game.
The goal of Everdell is to earn the most victory points. In Everdell, players select an animal “meeple” as their character. The meeples will be deployed over the season to collect resources which can be spent to build a critter community and earn points. The game board includes a 3D cardboard construction of a great tree. In the shade of the tree flows a creek with abundant resources filling the banks.
Further inland are the forest cards which change from game to game for varied strategic approach. Finally, the meadow is where most critters can be found to welcome into your personal community with the benefits they offer.
When there are no more meeples or resources, a new season begins for a total of four-season rounds. Players may move through the seasons at different times based on their resource gathering and community building prowess. While the game is competitive, players have few opportunities for direct interaction but instead compete for rare resources and milestone bonuses.
Everdell not only offers a family fun game but is beautifully designed. The soft, detailed artwork combines a natural representation of the critters with their personified community roles for an enhanced player experience. With multiple nominations and awards for artwork and gameplay, BoardGameGeek.com has Everdell as the 30th best ranked game.
Find Everdell and available expansions at Mesa Top Games & Toys in Los Alamos. Recommended for ages 13+ and groups of 1-4 players.
