Flotsam and Jetsam in The River of Life: RIVER VALLEY GLASSWORKS
We had the pleasure of visiting a couple that we used to play light card games and euros this weekend. We had not seen them since last summer, so there was a lot of catching up to do. But after we put away the last of the hummus and chicken, and after enjoying some unusually gorgeous spring weather, we moved inside to play some games.
I brought a few light games that I knew they had not played, and that were in their wheelhouse. They love Azul; it’s probably one of their top played games of all time between the different stand-alone expansions. So, I thought a good choice for the night would be River Valley Glassworks, the gorgeous little box game from Allplay designed by Adam Hill, Ben Pinchback, and Matt Riddle.
I was right, for once!
In River Valley, players are cute little anthropomorphic critters collecting river glass as it floats down the river to a lake. The cover is gorgeous, evoking an idyllic western relaxing setting that belies the interaction that can be generated. The animals are carrying a basket full of gems, with happy smiles on their faces. You have to look closely, though, because I think they are laughing at you, not with you.
The game board is a set of river tiles connecting to a lake full of river glass. During the game, each tile will have various amounts of brightly colored glass, and gameplay is super easy to teach. I like to teach the scoring first, which is kinda counter intuitive, but it helps players to understand the “why” they are doing the “what” on each turn. The “what” is simple — they will either refill their hand of glass pieces from the lake, or place one piece on a river tile and grab all of the glass that is contained on one of the adjacent tiles. That’s it. Either re-fill or place and grab glass.
To be fair, the second option is where the game really takes place. When players grab glass pieces, they immediately put them on their own board. And that’s why teaching the “why” is important for that first game. Players have rows and columns of empty space, with a whole host of points on them. Completing rows gets you lots of points, but you can also score tons if your two largest columns have been strategically built as far to the right of your board as possible, because those are the most valuable columns. (The Fleeples love Knizia, and this is almost an homage to Knizia’s scoring mechanic, except it is a reverse twist on Knizia’s famous pull-up-your-pants, the lowest track is what scores at the end of the game).
I had so much fun watching the other players during that first play. I have — ahem — played the game 34 times between live plays and BGA. (This might be the most amount of plays of any game before I blog about it.) But there’s something different about playing it on BGA or with Jerod in a fast two player game on the table (he knows the game very well), versus a breezly little first play with friends who are thinking through the mechanics.
I dig games like River Valley Glassworks, and it’s definitely in the running for one of my games of the year. You can get players playing the game in just a few minutes, and then as each turn is taken, talk through some strategy and hints. The turns are snappy, and good players can be rewarded by taking their second best options if it means a set up for a better play down the road or even to stymie a good opponent.
I was also pleasantly surprised that when we finished, all of the players immediately said, “re-rack it!” The first time you play a puzzle game like River Valley Glassworks is really just a pancake game, akin to that first pancake you make in the morning that you toss to the puppy because it did not come out right. Playing it again immediately with the same group was a joy — they knew the rules, they asked questions about strategy, and it was a very competitive second game.
On the plus side, the game is gorgeous on the table. Clinking the glass around is so satisfying. I also love the illusion of control you have. Maybe you do have control some times, but it’s a little slippery, like walking along the river beds in Colorado with your shoes off. Frankly, even with 34 plays, I’m not even sure which of the myriad of strategies of collecting and placing glass is best. There is just enough randomness in the game to make any strategy shine or fall apart, depending on what comes out of the bag or what the player in front of you does.
On the downside, one of our players struggles with color blind issues, and had a lot of trouble distinguishing the greens and blues. For me, the colors pop like candy, yet I always mix up the hearts and triangle pieces. I’m not sure that there is much Allplay could do in that regard, but just giving out a fair warning.
By now, you can find River Valley Glassworks everywhere, and I’m convinced that if you like puzzle games like Sagrada or Azul or Ingenious, this is a must-have for your collection. The toughest part of the game is learning the scoring, but once that’s down, almost any family member can play it. When kids look at the cover, they will enjoy seeing those little frogs and gators smiling back at them.
You’ll know better.
Until next time, laissez les bon temps rouler!
— BJ from Board Game Gumbo