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Remade and re-themed Santa Fe. Players own trading settlements on islands in the Pacific and must attempt to get trade routes established in order to make those settlements score points. Trade routes are established by connecting various different shipping companies, represented by different colored Clippers, to land at your island. The more Clippers that land at an island, the more points a settlement there will be worth.
Players control creation of trade routes by six trading companies by laying down wooden sticks that advance the appropriate clipper. The different islands have point values, as well as a set amount of potential settlements and a number of ports that clippers can land at. Throughout the game phases, players will have to manage placing their settlements, claiming option cards, laying track segments, and adding new clippers. With no luck involved, it is a difficult task to both advance the clippers in the way you want without alerting your opponents to your plans. Successful play heavily involves taking advantage of situations your opponents leave open and capitalizing on ports that they make valuable.
At the end of the game, an island will be worth its value multiplied by the number of different companies that have landed at it. Duplicate landings by the same company do not increase the score. For every settlement you have on an island, you will score points. For instance, an island with a base value of 5 that has 3 different companies will be worth 15 points. If you have placed 2 settlements there, it will earn you 30 points. Place your ports too early and no one will send ships there; place them too late and you may not get a spot!
- Asymmetrical leaders with unique abilities that shape play
- Modular, three-dimensional map provides varied experiences each game
- Rich faction variety and expansion content broadens strategic options
- Deep deck-building with multiple market options and synergy through drones
- Vertical gameplay with rooftop exploration adds tactical depth
- Complexity may be intimidating for new players
- Extensive setup and component management may require a large play space
- Expansion content can add rule complexity and escalation
- post-apocalyptic survival, resource competition, urban exploration
- London during a new Ice Age on a frozen Earth, with survivors navigating rooftops and ground level environments
- asymmetrical faction design with modular exploration and story-like progression
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- Area Control — Compete for territories and markets to gain influence and scoring opportunities.
- area/territory control — Compete for territories and markets to gain influence and scoring opportunities.
- Deck building — Players play cards from their personal deck to activate a variety of actions and chain combinations.
- deck-building — Players play cards from their personal deck to activate a variety of actions and chain combinations.
- drone deployment — Drones are assigned to factions and can be used to influence actions and control resources.
- end game bonuses — Control outposts to unlock special ability tokens that grant various bonuses.
- Events — Weather cards introduce global effects that add variability and challenge.
- market system and card drafting — Purchase cards from four markets (red, blue, green, white/black) to enhance decks and actions.
- modular 3D map exploration — A three-dimensional, modular board representing ground level and rooftops; map layouts change each game.
- Modular board — A three-dimensional, modular board representing ground level and rooftops; map layouts change each game.
- outpost control and bonuses — Control outposts to unlock special ability tokens that grant various bonuses.
- Resource management — Collect and trade energy cells and tokens, managing scarce supplies to power actions and upgrades.
- resource_management — Collect and trade energy cells and tokens, managing scarce supplies to power actions and upgrades.
- structure building — Upgrade decks and build structures like bridges or elevators to access rooftops and higher levels.
- weather and event effects (expansion) — Weather cards introduce global effects that add variability and challenge.
Video topics + discussion points
Quotes (from this video)
- Each of leaders is characterized by different unique asymmetrical skills which affect the style of play of a player.
- The Scrappers are represented by managers and a leader.
- The game map is three-dimensional and because it is modular, each game will be different.
- Survivors will collect resources on two levels from the ground level and by roofs of buildings.
- There are four markets for buying cards—the red Market, the blue Market, the Green Market, and the white/black Market.
- Weather cards introduce various difficulties like eyes and then players can't build Bridges and elevators.
References (from this video)
- High player interaction with sabotage and counterplay
- Accessible setup and quick to learn with an easy rulebook
- Engaging theme and playful artwork that invites laughter
- Multiple valid strategic approaches: card management, belt timing, and tussle decisions
- Paced sections keep games relatively short and repeatable
- Lack of a dedicated token to indicate which Bodger a player controls
- Cover art may mislead some players into thinking it's only for kids despite deeper strategy
- Potential for chaotic interactions in larger player counts or intense tussles
- Bodger workers building contraptions in a conveyor-driven factory
- Factory floor with conveyor belts where bodgers assemble Contraptions
- Competitive, lighthearted strategic play with misdirection and sabotage
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- Action Card Management — Players reveal and resolve action cards, discarding them to execute actions; some cards offer multiple button presses that trigger different effects.
- Bodger placement and activation — Each player controls bodgers on the factory floor; activating a bodger triggers its card-driven actions.
- Conveyor belt manipulation — Parts on the conveyor belt move toward the bin; cards can push, pull, or reverse the belt, altering part order and access.
- Core assembly and victory condition — Players rearrange plugs into a Core to form a complete contraption; completing the Core with four connectors wins the game.
- hand management — Deciding how many cards to keep, which to play, and when to discard affects timing, tussles, and access to parts.
- Resource and hand management — Deciding how many cards to keep, which to play, and when to discard affects timing, tussles, and access to parts.
- Tussle for parts — When several bodgers contest a single part, players draw tussle cards and compare tussle symbols to determine the winner.
Video topics + discussion points
Quotes (from this video)
- We really really enjoyed this game.
- There was a mischievous and fulfilling sense you got out of scrapping other players' plans as you push their buttons, and we all laughed a lot.
- The cover can be a little misleading, making you think it's only a kids' game, but there's a lot more depth and strategy here.