Review Details

Small World

Product Rating:

Product Review (submitted on October 19, 2009):

Small World is a highly entertaining game in which you battle with a variety of fantasy races over a limited amount of space on the board.

The true fun of this game is the hilarious combinations of powers and races that you can use to defeat your enemies. Bivouacking skeletons, flying amazons, dragon master sorcerers and pillaging trolls are just a few interesting variations that are available. The different races and power combinations keep each new game fresh and exciting as you can never be totally sure which power will be best for your next few turns.

Another exciting element of the game is putting your race into decline and starting again with a new race. This means that having some of your race destroyed doesn't end the game or make it less interesting as your defeat is inevitable. If your commando wizards are wiped out, simply start again with some wealthy halflings.

The game play is simple and easy to learn, and after a slow first game where you get a better handle over which races do what and what powers do what, future games go very quickly. The game ends after a set number of turns, while collecting points on each turn. The fact that you have no idea exactly how many points anyone else has adds greatly to the fun through the last two turns, because barring a complete and obvious win, everyone stays involved thinking they have a chance to win.

This is a great entry into wargaming for people who enjoy a fantasy theme. I'm already looking forward to the inevitable expansions of more races and powers that are sure to come!