Alas the game, for all its charm, has some rather important ambiguities that need to be addressed in either an addendum or the next version. I won't bore you with the details here (none will make sense unless you have played the game), but instead I will be sending a critique to the developers culled from our copious notes.
Now there are some great things about this game ranging from the “Kyoto” card that forces an empire to pay for large amounts for each town or city. There was some amusement at the fact you “buy” terrorists from the world bank. It's witty, amusing and cynical…all aspects that my friends and I love in a beer & pretzels game. The trouble is that the game falls between a beer & pretzel game and a “serious” board game. It's too complicated for one and not enough for the other.
With a few tweaks War on Terror could be a great game for you and your mates to play on a Saturday over a few drinks. Right now it’s merely a decent game that causes debate and arguments between gamers of any experience. Great concept, design and humour — now it's time to get the game mechanics right.
Article comments