by larryjrice
I did not much care for this game the first couple times I played and the duration of the games approached 2.5 - 3 hours. However, it has played much more quickly with experience and we consistently finish in the 75-90 minute time frame now. I also find the different combos and interplay between tiles and the angst between end game scoring and in game scoring interesting. There are times I do wish that the game would only go for 4 rounds since I often find that there isn't much I still want to do by the time the game ends. However, I would argue that players with a plan will do much better than those who just pick willy nilly what to build.It is a Feld game and Alea so I don't have expectations of theme nor artwork. :D
I've seen quite a bit of player interaction with tile denial and the like. I've been the recipient of someone choosing to take the last animal on the selection board just to deny me my field bonus - even if the tile is a different animal than I was trying to collect. However, there is no to little direct player conflict/interaction.
In short, the game grew on me and it has become a go to game at game days as I also feel it is fairly approachable for people new to the game. I don't find the different types of tiles daunting to explain and feel the player board gives a pretty representation of what each tile does (except for the knowledge tiles).
Enjoyed reading your critical review - always appreciate reading differing opinions.