One Kallax Cube Challenge

28th February 2023 (Tuesday)

Monthly Rambling: One Kallax Cube

So the latest 'thing' appears to be what would you keep if you had only one Kallax cube… Not sure why this is a 'thing' but here’s mine!

PALADINS OF THE WEST KINGDOM

I surprised myself with Paladins being my first choice. I have only played Paladins a handful of times but each play was incredibly crunchy and exciting. However, if I am being honest with myself, I absolutely love the solo game against the AI opponent. I have this fascination with how the interlocking powers work and then coming across a revelation that allows you to temporarily power up to hitherto unreachable levels. Paladins also has the distinction of being one of the few games where the rulebook just clicked with me before I had even attempted any gameplay. Paladins is a shoe-in to my one Kallax cube because if I can’t get anyone else to play it with me, I would happily play it by myself.

CAVERNA: THE CAVE FARMERS

I knew I had to have an Uwe Rosenberg game in my one Kallax cube, the important question was which magnificent creation would make the final cut. For me personally, it was a close three-way tie between Ora et Labora, Glass Road and the winner – Caverna. For much the same reason as Paladins, Caverna is a great game solo as well as with multiplayer, though the solo mode does lack the AI controlled opponent to give you that competitive feel. In the end, Caverna takes this spot simply because it is a worker placement game that makes me feel like I’m at a buffet of options. Sadly, A Feast For Odin which has been on my wish list is out of print, otherwise I suspect AFFO would be here in its place.

LOST RUINS OF ARNAK

So I love the worker placement mechanic, and my second love would be the deck building mechanic. Arnak is a wonderful marriage between both mechanics that plays within a surprisingly reasonable amount of time. We do get the feeling that the game unlocks more 'content' with more players but playing with four different temples to raid is already plenty of great variety. Arnak is a wonderful blend of theme, combos and powers in an elegant, quick and fun package.

ORLEANS

Medium weight euros occupy a big space in my boardgame collection and many of them have stood the test of time and earned their place in the collection many times over. Orleans with the Trade & Intrigue expansion however is just on another level when you consider its size relative to its depth. The best aspect of Orleans probably lies in its simultaneous player turns, which very, very few euro games can actually do, keeping rounds engaging and tense at the same time.

RACE FOR THE GALAXY

RFTG has to be one of my most played boardgames on BoardGameArena. It is fast, blessedly quick and still has so much depth of strategy to be explored. This would be my quick two player game that could end up being multiple plays if the mood takes us, as it often does when playing with an equally skilled player. There is a reason that this small and difficult to learn deck builder is the longest lasting boardgame in my collection.

SUSHI GO PARTY!

We all need that obligatory party game that fits all occasions, all ages and a large group then Sushi Go Party! is that game in my collection. I love that it is customisable to even fit the dynamics of the group. Don’t like meanness in your boardgaming? Or you like it cutthroat and agonizing? There are menus to fit every occasion. It’s size means it will fit in any Kallax collection and is good for travel as well.

HARBOUR

Harbour is the platinum standard for amount of game relative to board size. Player powers, building variety, changing economy and resource collection all in a box that is smaller than my calculator (admittedly I do use a rather large calculator). The boardgaming world lost a great deal when its publisher Tasty Minstrel Games closed its doors and one of them was the loss of the availability of this tiny gem. One of the cheapest kickstarters and the only one I backed directly (I usually go through my FLGS), this was a ridiculous RM60 back in 2015. The amount of value on all levels is ridiculous.

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And that was my one Kallax cube challenge! As my collection is and has been limited to a 2.5 ft x 2.5 ft for the past 8 years now, like this exercise, my boardgame collection does take into consideration box dimensions of a boardgame relative to the fun it brings to the table. Nevertheless this was an interesting exercise of ranking my games by physical boardgame size.
Until next time, keep calm and play better.