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Mammoth Hunters by Alan R. Moon & Aaron Weissblum Rating: 6/10 after 1 play

Mammoth Hunters by Alan R. Moon & Aaron Weissblum art Felix Scheinburger publish Ravensburder/Rio Grande players: 3-5 duration: 75 mins. type: middleweight; influence game theme: hunters trying to survive the Ice Age PACE: QUICK. Since players are only playing one card per turn, and they only choose form a couple different cards, the game flows fairly quickly/ COMPLEXITY: MEDIUM. The game rules make sense, and only a couple concepts are tricky (hunters with clubs; vertain card interpretation.) Just get your hunters into areas where they can survive, with mammoths providing more victory points. No long term strategy, just trying to maximize card plays and provide some incentive for other players to benefit you and them. LUCK: MEDIUM. The cards you draw determine what you can do, but since better cards cost more, and since all cards can be useful somehow, it mitigated. The tricky part is all the actions that the other players are doing, which kills long-term planning in the game. TENSION: MEDIUM. The tension that exists comes from trying to decide when to play the Dark cards that earn you income, but give your opponents free actions. Which action should you allow, and who should you assign it to? Very nice mechanic. VICIOUS: HIGH. Like El Grande, in a matter of two player turns you can go from first to last in an area. Wherever the mammoths are is where the hunters go, and competition is fierce. SOCIAL: MEDIUM. Fairly easily to socialize around since the game doesn't require fixed concentration. The temptation to tabletalk is incredible in this game! VISUALS: GOOD. The board is actually fairly bland, and almost on the ugly side, but what saves it are the ultra-cool wooden wooly mammoth pieces! The actions cards also look great, with cave art depictions of the actions, and the currency is depicted by cardboard stone tokens. THEME: MEDIUM. It works. The game is a bit random, but the action cards aren't unreasonable and are balanced by tiered costs. The theme fits very well, I think, and is helped by nice pieces. GAMER APPEAL: MAYBE. The randomness may turn some gamers off, but if played to only 3 rounds, the quick pace makes it reasonably fun. It lacks the modicom of control provided in El Grande with the King marker. NON-GAMER APPEAL: MAYBE. Because it has some tactical play, and a 'take that' type atmosphere it will turn some off, and other will like it. Hard to say, but not overly complex may help appeal. 2 PLAYERS: NO. REPLAY: pending. Good with ?-5 players. Best with 5 players.

Though a part of the well-respected 'Alea' line from Ravensburger, Mammoth Hunters is generally considered the worst game in the group. 'Worst' is a little strong, but to say it has the least strategic delth of all of them is a fair thing to say. Still, with a nice theme of ice hunters trying to survive, nice bits, and some new mechanics, this game isn't all that bad. Maybe not a good game for the 'Alea' line, but a decent game by itself. Players try and maneuver their hunters into high scoring areas (mammoths) and into areas where they can survive, making lower scoring areas better for survival, since compeition is less intense. Players can play Dark card that help their opponents but earm themselves income, or Light cards which help themselves but cost them. This introduces some neat thinking into the game and it is what makes the game worth playing, since the tension between the two decisions can be tough. Nice quick pace help make this game a nice one to play ever once in a while.

This page by Jeremy Avery