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| by Steve Jackson Games |
The Call of Cthulhu
When you work a normal job like I do, sometimes it's hard to open up about this hobby. Usually, when I tell a coworker that I play board games, I'm met with a look like I just told them something comparable to me siding with Hitler during WW2 (I don't by the way... Please don't call me a Nazi).
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| My coworker's reaction as I explain to them how you play Dead of Winter... |
So, you'd imagine the levels of dread that arise every year come Secret Santa time, when everyone sees my interests and starts scanning the toy aisle at Target for some version of Monopoly or Life. However, last year, my coworker Evelyn got me a small dice game by Steve Jackson Games called Zombie Dice, and you know what? I LOVED IT! Simple engaging push your luck gameplay in the span of 15-20 minutes, and easy enough to play with the whole family.
Now, Steve Jackson Games has sent me a new entry in their _____ Dice series, Cthulhu Dice. Will it live up to my expectations, or will madness seize my mind?
In the Mouth of Madness
Cthulhu Dice is a take-that style dice rolling game where two or more players compete to be the last sane person in the game. Before the game starts, each player is given a certain amount of green counters to represent their sanity level, and on their turn, they choose another player to target and roll the custom 12 sided Cthulhu die. These results can have you steal one of their counters, they simply lose a counter, or ALL players lose a counter. Then that player gets to roll the die, specifically targeting the player who targeted them! And that's still the first player's turn! Once that's done, the next player finally gets to take their turn.
That's it. That's the game.
Where is the risk? Where are the choices?!? Where are the options?!? Well, there aren't any.
It's not like you can wager one of your sanity to reroll the die if you get a bad roll. There's literally nothing you can do other than choosing who you're going to attack. After that, it's all up to a dice roll.
I attack you. You attack me. Then somebody else gets to go.
If you play this game with only two players, it becomes nearly unplayable, as you're essentially doing the thing they do in pro wrestling where the two guys just punch each other like crazy people in the middle of the ring until one of them decides to do something else. It's not much fun to watch, and it's even less fun to play with a die.
I mean, I get it. In my Fallout review, I discussed how doing the same thing and expecting different results was the definition of insanity (thank you, Einstein) so it's thematic, I GUESS. The problem is, it's just not very fun.
They do, technically, have a mechanic where Cthulhu itself can win. This happens when all of the players lose their sanity. But you know what, that's not Cthulhu winning. That's just all the players losing. Even more so, I guess, because they already lost when they decided to play Cthulhu Dice...
That's it. That's the game.
Where is the risk? Where are the choices?!? Where are the options?!? Well, there aren't any.
It's not like you can wager one of your sanity to reroll the die if you get a bad roll. There's literally nothing you can do other than choosing who you're going to attack. After that, it's all up to a dice roll.
I attack you. You attack me. Then somebody else gets to go.
If you play this game with only two players, it becomes nearly unplayable, as you're essentially doing the thing they do in pro wrestling where the two guys just punch each other like crazy people in the middle of the ring until one of them decides to do something else. It's not much fun to watch, and it's even less fun to play with a die.
I mean, I get it. In my Fallout review, I discussed how doing the same thing and expecting different results was the definition of insanity (thank you, Einstein) so it's thematic, I GUESS. The problem is, it's just not very fun.
They do, technically, have a mechanic where Cthulhu itself can win. This happens when all of the players lose their sanity. But you know what, that's not Cthulhu winning. That's just all the players losing. Even more so, I guess, because they already lost when they decided to play Cthulhu Dice...
H.P. Dicecraft
So, the die itself is nice. It's etched with clear markings so that you know exactly what you've just rolled.
It's chunky, and a good size, so it feels pretty good when you roll it. You also get a nice velvet dice bag along with your basic glass counters, so I can't say that I have any problems with the components. That's about it...
Buy It!, Try It!, or Fly It!
Oh, man. Oh, man, oh man... I WISH I could talk more about this game. I WISH there was more of this game for me to go over, but there's just not. This is it. This is the game.
I really wanted to like this game, too. But I just can't. I can't do it. There's not enough here design wise, and honestly, the only reason to buy this would be if you wanted a Cthulhu dice bag. I know Steve Jackson Games makes some good games, but this isn't one of them. If you're looking for a good, fun, dice rolling good time, go with Zombie Dice. Cthulhu Dice on the other hand...
The Verdict...?
FLY IT!
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