Image taken from https://boardgamegeek.com/image/9490163/the-rise-of-a-jarl

Designer: Joe Klipfel
Publisher: Button Shy
Artist: Dan Gartman

Okay, I never claim to be the smartest person ever, and this game is the perfect example as to why. Button Shy kindly sent a PnP version of this game to review, and my dumb self decides to not print the backs of the cards because they’re all the same and I assumed it was just for pretty decoration. I was incorrect, and the backs are actually quite important in the game, so I didn’t get to experience 100% of the gameplay, but I got to try most of it. Just continue knowing that.

If you have any experience with Joe Klipfel designs, you probably have an idea of how this one plays out. It’s mainly an action selection and resource management game where the number of action options is crazy and the gameplay is surprisingly deep.

The game plays out over four rounds, and each round players utilize the cards in their hand, in their player area, and the sea to build developments, construct kingdoms, gain wealth, and acquire citizens. The majority of points are scored via developments, kingdom and citizen pairs, and wealth.

Without getting into too much of the nitty gritty, there are two main things to know. The first is that each card has a specific suit which represents a group of civilizations. Multiple gameplay actions and effects rely on these suits, and each suit has certain actions they can be used to perform. The second is that each aspect impacts or is affected by other aspects. For example, you can only have one citizen until you have enough food resources in your storehouse to feed more.

Initially, I was very overwhelmed by this game. I sat there confused on what to do, how to do it, what to prioritize, how to accomplish literally anything… But after some trial and error over the first two rounds or so, it started to click. There are so many actions, and everything is so intertwined that there was a steep learning curve for me. So, be prepared for that, especially if you aren’t very familiar with Joe’s designs.

My second playthrough went a lot better. I understood more so I felt I could actually strategize more and work harder at the optimization puzzle. My score improved and the game played a lot more quickly after that first game as well.

In comparison to the usual solo Button Shy game, this one is quite crunchy. Like I said, it’s a lot to take in, especially on that first play, but don’t give up. It’s honestly a really clever design and there’s a neat puzzle to solve. Once you understand the rules, it actually plays pretty quickly. I definitely enjoyed the second game I played more than expected, particularly after that initial overwhelming play. Besides the fascinating gameplay, the artwork is also really lovely and there’s a surprising amount of replayability. It’s not massively variable, as there are only seventeen action cards, but the randomness and sheer number of action orders and possibilities adds a lot of variety. If you’re looking for a compact but deep solo game, look no further! This one packs a lot of punch in a little package.