Breakscore product reviews

I am not really a numbers games person so I found it to be quite a hard slog to get into. Once I did get into the flow of play it was easy enough to understand but I felt it wasnt really to much to write home about. A good game if youre into that kind of thing but not my cup of tea really. Too much rolling-dice and not much player-interaction, which is more my kind of game.

Well, I have to give it this, I haven't come across a game quite like it before... though it has elements common to many boardgames; a board, dice and cards, that combine to control the game, the game itself has some rather interesting, and unique, rules and scoring options. Sometimes, moving your counter less squares will give you a better chance to win, or put you in a position to suddenly leap ahead... it's crazy, in a fun and thought-provoking way!

I admit that after playing the basic and medium versions, I was reluctant to delve into the tournament-level version, so I won't be commenting on that. Even the rules say that it is best if moderately experienced players attempt it... and I'll go along with that... for an afternoon bit of fun, or an evening spent with friends and a few beers, the two 'weaker' versions are quite enough.

The basic version has less scoring issues to deal with, and far simpler rules, which make it a great stepping-up block for beginners to get to grips with, and once you have mastered the concepts of play, it's a good, satisfying challenge to move on to the 'standard' game, where scoring only happens with particular roles, more dice, and a lot more thought. This may, at first glance, look like a gloryfied 'snakes and ladders' variant, but I assure you, it's far from it.

Overall, the game is a bit on an acquired taste I think, but for those who get into it, it can provide a lot of entertainment. Takes some careful reading of the rules, and a couple of warmup games before you get into the swing of things, and really, it all has to be done again when you progress up to the standard game, but if it's your thing, it's well worth the effort. Ask around at your local games stores about it, and if they don't know anything, try contacting the developers through the website, and maybe you'll get a chance to play it before you buy it.