Board Game Arena - Winter of Games Review - Roll Into Town

 

Roll Into Town (2022)

Players - 1-8
Playing time - 25-40 mins
Quick to learn, engaging and fun Roll and Write Game

As the Board Game Arena Winter of Games 2023 rolls on, we encounter the second 'Roll and Write' title of the series. Diceathlon hit the site a few days ago which was reviewed here and today we have 'Roll Into Town' by Chris Heaney. After playing the title, and enjoying it, I was rather surprised to see such a low score on Board Game Geek for this, but alas if you enjoy Roll and Write style games, I would strongly suggest giving this a go!

The premise of the game involves you being appointed as the mayor of a town and being presented with the tasks of turning the town into a hub of activity and residents. 5 Dice are rolled every turn which enable you to build resources which are then used to plan buildings and develop further resources to enhance your options. The game is kept quite tight with only a small number of building options, so developing strategies and coming up with plans is not only quick to learn, but is also easily adapted as the game goes wrong.

The game plays through 12 rounds with continuous and ongoing scoring throughout, enabling you to see opponents boards and where they may be gaining points on you. As the rounds develops you are able to use less of the dice as resources and hence stockpiling early and building and effective engine to ensure you can have the resources you need at your disposal is vital!

You can see a more useful guide to the game on the video below...

 

In essence, this is a nice straight forward and relaxing game. The simultaneous play works wonderfully, especially on BGA, and if you are considering getting into Roll and Write Game, or indeed trying to tempt a fellow gamer into the scene, then this is a perfect start. I also think my non-gamer partner will enjoy some of the mechanics here and its a nice quick easy game to learn.

Whilst it may not do anything ground breaking, and the lack of building options might be a source of criticism for some, I cant help but reflect on the fact that during a dozen or so plays, I have enjoyed my time with 'Roll Into Town' and will certainly aim for more!

7/10

Pros - Easy to learn, quick playing, nice introductory game

Cons - May be too simplistic for some, lack of building options may hinder fun