tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29827974911080640852024-02-07T05:13:39.936-08:00Too Much Me TimeShawnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14344330062945641480noreply@blogger.comBlogger1125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2982797491108064085.post-57225579966811734952020-07-03T09:04:00.004-07:002020-07-03T09:28:54.042-07:00Relics of Rajavihara - Board Game Review<div style="font-family: "times new roman";"><b style="font-family: times, "times new roman", serif; font-size: x-large;">Quick Look: Relics of Rajavihara</b></div><hr style="font-family: "times new roman";" /><div style="font-family: "times new roman";"><span style="font-family: times, "times new roman", serif;"></span></div><div style="font-family: "times new roman";"><b style="font-family: times, "times new roman", serif;">Designer</b><span style="font-family: times, "times new roman", serif;">:</span><b style="font-family: times, "times new roman", serif;"> </b><span style="font-family: times, "times new roman", serif;">Joe Slack</span></div><div style="font-family: "times new roman";"><b style="font-family: times, "times new roman", serif;">Artists</b><span style="font-family: times, "times new roman", serif;">:<b> </b>Tristam Rossin</span></div><div style="font-family: "times new roman";"><b style="font-family: times, "times new roman", serif;">Publisher</b><span style="font-family: times, "times new roman", serif;">: Crazy Like a Box</span></div><div style="font-family: "times new roman";"><b style="font-family: times, "times new roman", serif;">Year Published</b><span style="font-family: times, "times new roman", serif;">:</span><b style="font-family: times, "times new roman", serif;"> </b><span style="font-family: times, "times new roman", serif;">2020</span></div><div style="font-family: "times new roman";"><span style="font-family: times, "times new roman", serif;"><b>No. of Players</b>:<b> </b></span><span style="font-family: times, "times new roman", serif;">1</span></div><div style="font-family: "times new roman";"><span style="font-family: times, "times new roman", serif;"><b>Ages</b>: 12+</span></div><div style="font-family: "times new roman";"><span style="font-family: times, "times new roman", serif;"><b>Playing Time</b>: 1-20 Minutes</span></div><div style="font-family: "times new roman";"><span style="font-family: times, "times new roman", serif;"><br /></span></div><div style="font-family: "times new roman";"><span style="font-family: times, "times new roman", serif;">Find more info on <a href="https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/308493/relics-rajavihara">BoardGameGeek.com</a></span></div><div style="font-family: "times new roman";"><div style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div></div><div style="font-family: "times new roman";"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: "times new roman"; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5T2-J_YfppV-J2tspJ6z5jGWxB1zBCzwHyd1_U-UPsziKCzHGgQEntXjKq-RHHPc8UkboS_Wi9yb9GejE9aU8tmOe3sUY2KnTr-SSKSCrR6xKvmhpMeZJSNHRaQ24lHlpDDYxVrhY5PlK/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1437" data-original-width="2048" height="450" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5T2-J_YfppV-J2tspJ6z5jGWxB1zBCzwHyd1_U-UPsziKCzHGgQEntXjKq-RHHPc8UkboS_Wi9yb9GejE9aU8tmOe3sUY2KnTr-SSKSCrR6xKvmhpMeZJSNHRaQ24lHlpDDYxVrhY5PlK/w640-h450/RelicsofRajavihara.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: "times new roman"; text-align: center;"><br /></div><b style="font-family: "helvetica neue";"><span style="font-family: times, "times new roman", serif;">Review:</span></b><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><div style="font-family: "times new roman"; text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><font face="times"><b>Relics of Rajavihara </b>is a clever and engaging solo, campaign-style game featuring 50 unique puzzles broken up into 5 distinct floors of increasing difficulty. Collect gems, block your nemesis, and unlock new challenging gameplay elements as you advance through the 5 floors of an ancient temple!</font></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><font face="times"><br /></font></div></div></div></div><div style="font-family: "times new roman";"><div style="text-align: justify;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYYa7qou18ALtOOsCH_SEnYDjb-LsxRGLOmVU28KM0EVHVXvoex8TKosUrckAw_U6Re5Lqe4HObUDUjYQV_w-CgUV5khbg_uA5yofHm6vOeBtpHJht5YK9sehNkwh7g1-FG0iqeT12JndG/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1437" data-original-width="2048" height="450" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYYa7qou18ALtOOsCH_SEnYDjb-LsxRGLOmVU28KM0EVHVXvoex8TKosUrckAw_U6Re5Lqe4HObUDUjYQV_w-CgUV5khbg_uA5yofHm6vOeBtpHJht5YK9sehNkwh7g1-FG0iqeT12JndG/w640-h450/Relics+of+Rajavihara.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="font-family: times;"><span style="font-family: times, "times new roman", serif;"><br /></span></div><span style="font-family: times, "times new roman", serif;"><b>Setup</b>: </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: times, "times new roman", serif;">The setup for this game is extremely simple. Each floor consists of 10 puzzle cards, a reference card, and an advancement card that is revealed once all 10 puzzles are completed. </span><span style="font-family: times, "times new roman", serif;">Each puzzle card illustrates the starting pattern you must create with the components you have previously unlocked. Floor #1 provides you with a few handfuls of wooden crates, a green gem, and two meeples (i.e. your player token and your nemesis). Once the necessary components are correctly arranged, you are ready to play!</span></div></div><div style="font-family: "times new roman";"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: "times new roman"; text-align: center;"><br /></div><font style="font-family: "times new roman";"><b><span style="font-family: times, "times new roman", serif;">Gameplay: </span></b></font><div style="text-align: justify;"><font face="times">In an effort to respect the hidden nature of some gameplay elements, I'll speak in general terms about the various ways </font><span style="font-family: times;">Relics of Rajavihara manages to perfectly expand upon its existing mechanisms in a way that feels natural and accessible</span><font face="times">. </font></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><font face="times"><br /></font></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><font face="times"><i><u>Actions</u></i></font></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><font face="times">The primary actions taken by a player include: (a) the movement of your meeple and (b) the pushing of various objects unlocked on each floor. Your player meeple may move any number of spaces but can only climb obstacles one step above or below its current elevation. Pushing objects (e.g. crates) requires the positioning of your meeple directly behind them. When attempting to push against a stack of objects, only the object directly in front of your meeple moves forward, assuming that the space to which it is being pushed is unoccupied. This causes all remaining objects in the stack to drop straight down into their current position. You must carefully plan your meeple movement and pushing of objects in an effort to complete each puzzle card. </font></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: times;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: times;"><i><u>Puzzle Card Objectives<br /></u></i>The objective of most puzzle cards is to manipulate objects in a way that allows your meeple to retrieve a gem; however, a select few puzzle cards require you to drop a crate on your nemesis or eliminate unlocked objects from the board.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: times;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: times;"><i><u>Discoverable Components & Mechanisms</u></i></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: times;">Each floor provides you with a new set of components (i.e. cube-shaped objects with specific rules for movement and interactions with previously discovered components). The manner in which crates and other discoverable objects move and interact is the heart of this game's charm. The complexity of each new element keeps the game engaging and promises endless combinations of interactions. In my efforts to complete various puzzles more than once (to ensure that I hadn't cheated), I sometimes discovered alternative solutions!</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><font face="times"><br /></font></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><font style="font-family: "times new roman"; text-align: justofy;"><b><span style="font-family: times, "times new roman", serif;">Final Thoughts: </span></b></font></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: times; text-align: justify;">Relics of Rajavihara is an excellent puzzle-style game. Although my experience with the game is limited to its prototype form, I believe this game will have considerable table presence once it reaches final production. The 50 puzzles included in the copy I received provided several hours of entertainment. There were many puzzles with which I asked my wife for help; thus, I believe this game could work as a cooperative experience. Given the nature of the game board and hefty component count, this game also provides an excellent opportunity for DIY gamers to create new puzzles and challenges for themselves once they have mastered the puzzles and mechanisms included in the box. Check out the <a href="https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/crazylikeabox/relics-of-rajavihara?fbclid=IwAR2lGBx6FnyvWXgSe0fY6b5vAm1wncXiTAblMih_WcseDlGaPRRixOODQMo">Kickstarter</a> for </span><span style="font-family: times; text-align: justify;">Relics of Rajavihara, launching on July 7th, 2020!</span></div></div><div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: "times new roman";"><div style="margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><br /></div></div></div><div style="font-family: "times new roman";"><span style="font-family: times, "times new roman", serif;"><b>Recommended for Players Who Enjoy: </b></span></div><div style="font-family: "times new roman";"><span style="font-family: times; text-align: justify;">Quodd Heroes & Ricochet Robots.</span></div><div style="font-family: "times new roman";"><span style="font-family: times; text-align: justify;"><br /></span></div><div style="font-family: "times new roman";"><table class="forum_table" style="background-color: #d1d4d7; border-spacing: 1px; box-sizing: content-box; color: black; font-family: times; font-size: 15px; text-align: justify; width: 683.75px;"><tbody style="box-sizing: content-box;"><tr style="box-sizing: content-box;"><td align="center" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; margin: 0px; padding: 3px;" width="15%"><font size="3"><br /></font><div class="sf b" style="box-sizing: content-box; font-weight: 700; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><font size="3"><img border="0" data-original-height="455" data-original-width="439" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyB6NVClP__sxpCUTtp_14Htc0ZUnTUs_fz97UJo-mywL4d2Yi0NsSlEwq0H-RqpXFNnZKot0sVW0hXGxinW1vP4L3Xuk3Zlgiqo6hItorQQnlmb3kIuh44Xa3BI8E97LjnWkm90LBIzSH/s200/Review+Profile.jpg" width="192" /></font></div></td><td style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; margin: 0px; padding: 3px; text-align: center;" width="75%"><div class="sf b" style="box-sizing: content-box; font-weight: 700; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: justify;"><font size="3"><b style="font-family: "times new roman"; text-align: justify;">Shawn C. Hilliard, Ed.D.</b><span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-weight: 400; text-align: justify;"> is a school psychologist, graphic designer, and board game enthusiast from Delaware. Shawn runs a board game design summer camp for kids and often shares his love for the hobby with family, friends, students, and fellow educators. In his free time, Shawn also creates </span><a href="https://www.instagram.com/shawnchilliard/" style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-weight: 400; text-align: justify;">custom laser-cut projects</a><span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-weight: 400; text-align: justify;"> and blogs about various </span><a href="https://toomuchmetime.blogspot.com/" style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-weight: 400; text-align: justify;">board games, movies, and comics</a><span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-weight: 400; text-align: justify;"> he encounters each month.</span></font></div></td></tr></tbody></table></div><div style="font-family: "times new roman"; text-align: justify;"><br /></div>Shawnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14344330062945641480noreply@blogger.com0