Embers Game Review

I love that Button Shy exist, that crazed purveyor of 18-card games in cute li’l wallets. Even if most of their games fail to leave much of an individual impression as games, I have all the time in the world for the larger project. Button Shy makes games for people to enjoy, yes, but they also present an ongoing exercise in game design: What can be done with only 18 cards?

To make a compelling game out of 18 cards is terrifically difficult. Consider everything a contemporary audience expects from a game, and then ask yourself how you can pack all of that into 18 cards. You need setting, you need intelligible user interface, and you need an attractive product. When it all comes together, the 18-card restriction yields a Sprawlopolis, a Battlecrest, or a ROVE, something that transcends the restrictions of the medium. Often, the games that result are fine, but that’s alright. They're inexpensive and don't take up much space. By the time you're done, you've learnt some things that work and some things that don't.

From the jump, Embers makes one hell of an impression. The art, by Steven De Waele, is the best I’ve seen from Button Shy. While they’ve printed great art in the past—Dustin Dobson and Milan Zivkovic have done wonderful,…

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