Brain-burners

Here are my reviews of the brain-burners I’ve played based on the system set out here:

Owned

The Search for Planet X (BGG)
 A massive logic puzzle that everyone seems to enjoy, even those not into logic puzzles usually.

  • Brain-burner:

  • Simple – Complex: 7/10

    • A good puzzle, but gameplay can get stale after a few plays.

  • Instinctual – Calculating: 10/10

    • This game is pure calculation, and rewards it well.

  • Luck-based – Skill-based: 9/10

    • Pretty much entirely skill based, but can be a little luck based with lucky surveys or targets.

  • Solitary – Interactive: 10/10

    • If you want you can treat it as a solo game, but can always choose to incorporate others’ actions.

Final score: 8.8/10

The Search for Lost Species (BGG)
 An even more complex massive logic puzzle that players of Planet X enjoy even more.

  • Simple – Complex: 10/10
    • Incredible puzzle, although disclaimer I’ve only played it once.
  • Instinctual – Calculating: 10/10
    • This game is pure calculation, and rewards it well.
  • Luck-based – Skill-based: 9/10
    • Pretty much entirely skill based, but can be a little luck based with lucky surveys or targets.
  • Solitary – Interactive: 10/10
    • If you want you can treat it as a solo game, but can always choose to incorporate others’ actions.

Final score: 9.7/10

Brass Birmingham (BGG)
 Number 1 on BGG for a reason.

  • Simple – Complex: 10/10
    • I will never fully understand this game but I will constantly enjoy trying to.
  • Instinctual – Calculating: 10/10
    • So much long-term planning in this game, but all of it is fun.
  • Luck-based – Skill-based: 10/10
    • I suppose there’s slight luck by what other people do and the cards you draw, but that just makes the calculations more interesting and its still a 10 here for me.
  • Solitary – Interactive: 8/10
    • Can sometimes have turns take a while due to changing circumstances, but usually you can know roughly what your plan for your next turn is before it comes around.

Final score: 9.8/10

The Crew: The Quest for Planet Nine (BGG)
 Making you and your team feel amazingly smart when you succeed.

  • Simple – Complex: 8/10
    • Such complexity arising from such simple rules it’s fantastic, although can be a little too simple occasionally.
  • Instinctual – Calculating: 8/10
    • Counting cards makes this game really interesting, but sometimes you just have to go with your gut.
  • Luck-based – Skill-based: 8/10
    • Sometimes you get a dud round where you either easily win or lose, but usually you win or lose based on the skill of your team.
  • Solitary – Interactive: 10/10
    • As a cooperative game, what your teammates do is the puzzle.

Final score: 8.2/10

The Crew: Mission Deep Sea (BGG)
 Making you and your team feel somewhat smart but also somewhat lucky when you succeed.

  • Simple – Complex: 8/10
    • Such complexity arising from such simple rules it’s fantastic, although can be a little too simple occasionally.
  • Instinctual – Calculating: 8/10
    • Counting cards makes this game really interesting, but sometimes you just have to go with your gut.
  • Luck-based – Skill-based: 4/10
    • Far more often than the original you get a dud round where you either easily win or lose.
  • Solitary – Interactive: 10/10
    • As a cooperative game, what your teammates do is the puzzle.

Final score: 7.0/10

Turing Machine (BGG)
 Very neat artifact that kinda plays okay as a game.

  • Simple – Complex: 1/10
    • Bursts of complexity surrounded by somewhat mind-numbing process of elimination, and an EXTREMELY mind-numbing process of setting the whole thing up each time.
  • Instinctual – Calculating: 10/10
    • Pure calculation.
  • Luck-based – Skill-based: 9/10
    • Can sometimes get lucky, but otherwise completely skill based.
  • Solitary – Interactive: 10/10
    • Purely solitary so can calculate completely.

Final score: 7.0/10

Unowned

Spirit Island (BGG)
 Easily the best cooperative brain-burner out there.

  • Simple – Complex: 10/10
    • The entire game is a crazy interesting puzzle.
  • Instinctual – Calculating: 10/10
    • Pretty much pure calculation, finding the best move involves a great amount of skill and experience.
  • Luck-based – Skill-based: 9/10
    • Can sometimes get lucky, but otherwise completely skill based.
  • Solitary – Interactive: 10/10
    • Teammates don’t hinder your plans, instead they HELP them and make things even more interesting.

Final score: 9.7/10

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