Roux Dat: Recent Plays of Compile Main 1, Orapa Mine, and My Island

Our once a month meetups at the local Jet Coffee have really been picking up steam — heh heh — as we get closer to Southern Board Game Fest coming up in March. Sagan, who runs the once a month game nights, schedules friendly intro tourneys sometimes, and this particular meet up last Friday featured a game I’ve been really wanting to try. 

Compile is a two player lane battler designed by Michael Yang. Each player tries to compile (i.e fulfill) one of three emotions. The theme is that we are each AI computers trying to compete to understand the human world first. Each of the emotions in the game has a small deck, and the three chosen are smashed together and then played from a hand of cards. 

I couldn’t stay for the tourney, but had a warm up game against Sagan’s wife, Emily. It came down to the wire but I got lucky with my last play. I stuck around to help teach and answer questions for the new players. I am very impressed with how quick the on-boarding is for this game. The rule set is simple: either play a card to a lane and do its effects, if any; compile a lane if you have 10+ strength already and more than the other player (mandatory if you meet it); or refresh your hand back up to five cards. The complexity comes in analyzing your hand of cards and managing them well. 

With the teach done, and while waiting for more people to show, Sagan taught me Orapa Mine, with the pitch that it was basically Battleship with better play. He wasn’t wrong!

Each player secretly places five objects on their personal hidden grid board. Then in turn order, each player “shoots” a “laser” straight down one of the lines on the grid, either up and down or left and right. The other player then informs the first player where the laser ended up and what color. 

Fast, breezy turns, lots of cool combos, and some interesting card play spread out in the themed decks. Two thumbs up for me; I might have to find my own copy of the base game to teach my sons. 

Since each shape we pick has various edges, either straight or at an angle, the “light” will either bounce back to them or more likely, hit something and bounce in another crazy direction. If it hits multiple buildings, then it is assigned a mandatory amalgomated color. Those are the only hints you get, but from there, each player is quickly trying to narrow down the location of the mines. 

This game attracted a lot of attention from passers-by, because it looks so colorful and cool on the table. It was hard to chat, though, because it is one of the most brain-melting games I’ve played in a while, especially for what is essentially a quick twenty minute game. I’d definitely play this again. 

And finally, we played our first game of My Island, just the intro scenario. I am not going to go into too much detail, since it is a legacy game, but if you have played My City, you get the drift.

Players discover an uncharted island, and then try to score points playing tiles that fit the spaces around the island. Just like it’s big brother, the choices are easy at first, but progressively crunchy as the game wears along. I played with my son and his wife and SneauxBunny, the same group that played Ticket to Ride Legacy (minus my son Jack), and they loved it. We’ll play the campaign over the next few months, and then I can discuss more.

Solid beginning of the year in terms of gaming. Euro Monday is coming up next, and I can’t wait to get the game I have planned to the table! (It will be the first time in a long time for me.)

Until next time, laissez les bon temps rouler!
— BJ from Board Game Gumbo