Covert combines elements of several beloved Euro-style games into a Cold War spy theme, with great artwork and lots of potential to enact detailed strategies! Each round of the game plays out in three phrases, meaning you'll have to make long-range decisions in the first phase, then hope you can maintain the necessary variables to carry out your plan by phase three. (Covert echoes Ticket to Ride and Settlers as far as gameplay: create a plan, collect materials, execute plan. It's also a bit like Splendor in terms of planning, except that you're gathering an arsenal of spy gear and plane tickets rather than gemstones. Covert also displays shades of Pandemic in terms of maximizing your movement on a board.) The design allows for a LOT of options when it comes to strategy--although there's more potential for "analysis paralysis" with so many options as well. Competitive players will enjoy the breadth of possibilities available. Players who prefer simpler strategy games can still fare well, even without careful calculation of every outcome. The sheer range of choices can be overwhelming, but they also grant limitless possibilities for creative thinkers! (Unlike, say, Settlers, where you might get stuck without lumber and not be able to build anything for ages, Covert resource cards have multiple options. Don't need that passport? Maybe you can use the plane ticket or the special ops move!) One of the best parts: after a player completes a sixth mission, all players finish the round and count up their points. Speed doesn't necessarily guarantee a winner. One can collect the most missions but not ultimately gather the most points. This balance of planning, luck, and precision gives equal advantage to all players, not just the one who finishes first! Worst part: The rulebook is trash. Instructions for the first two phases were okay, but once you start reading about the third phase, things get veeeeery murky. The rules are not thorough, they reference things which are never explained elsewhere, and they don't account for exceptions. We were so confounded by this point that we opted to watch an explanatory YouTube video. If this is your frustration, too, don't give up! There's a lot to keep track of at first, but--like Settlers or Ticket to Ride--nothing is as complicated as it seems. It's just a matter of getting all the pieces in place upfront! The games I've mentioned throughout this review are some of my favorites, and Covert does a nice job of borrowing those elements, then sprinkling extra variety on top! While I appreciate a good strategy game, I can be easily overwhelmed by too many working parts (Seven Wonders, for instance). If you already like Settlers, Ticket to Ride, etc., and want something along similar lines, Covert will be an enjoyable find! But if you like something a little meatier and more mentally challenging, Covert can also fit that bill. It really has the flexibility of Clue: you know, some people like to simply ask the questions and check the boxes on their list of suspects; others are making careful notes of which cards they've shown to whom, which person has entered which room, etc. There's a ton of flexibility depending upon how competitive and calculating you want to be! Overall, great game, sweet artwork, and a good mental workout! A rewriting of the rule book would make this strong game even stronger!Weiterlesen
