We're well into 2024, and Knarr is shaping up to be the star discovery of 2024. Yes, yes, the game was originally released in 2023, but it did not hit the US shores until February. Have you had a chance to play this yet?
Knarr is published by Bombyx and Pandasaurus. It offers a strategic and scalable experience for 2-4 players. Here's what makes the game stand out for me:
Perfect Length: The game is a breeze to play. It offers a strategic experience that can prime you for a heavier game or simply provide a quick lunchtime duel, a fun outing at a bar with friends, or satisfying a 30-minute board game tease. Playing time ranges from 20 minutes for a head-to-head match to 30 minutes for 3-4 players
Viking Theme FTW!: If you're a fan of Vikings (like my wife!), Knarr's artwork is a delight. The game is colorblind-friendly and language-independent
Affordable and Portable: Knarr is affordable, and it comes in a medium to small-sized box. I love that the game comes in a compact size because it allows you to take it out of the house, and it doesn't hog your shelf space
Simple Rules, Deep Strategy: The rules for Knarr are straightforward, but don't be fooled by their simplicity. The game offers a surprising amount of strategic depth. Each turn, you have five cards to choose from, making careful planning crucial. Drafting the right crew and resources allows you to build an engine that dominates the game. However, scoring points goes beyond simply picking the best cards. In addition to drafting the right combination of Vikings, the cards form a foundation for you to reach 40 points before your opponents. You are constantly balancing which destinations to explore and figuring out how to grow your reputation
Knarr for Fans of Card Drafting Games
If you enjoy card drafting games with beautiful art, Knarr is a great candidate for your next board game night. Here's how Knarr compares to some familiar titles:
Herbaceous: Similar to Knarr, Herbaceous is a fast and light card drafting game with beautiful artwork. However, Knarr offers more strategic depth with engine building and point scoring
Arboretum: Like Knarr, Arboretum involves card drafting and set collection for points. However, Knarr features a Viking theme and engine building, while Arboretum has a nature theme and a more positional drafting element. I also think that Arboretum can be a mean, mean game. In fact, I only play this game with a few select friends because it has caused chaos before. Knarr, even though is Viking themed, it does not cause as much turmoil, which is ironic to me
Splendor: Both Knarr and Splendor involve card drafting and engine building, but with different resource management mechanics. Knarr focuses on crew and resource acquisition for raids, while Splendor revolves around collecting gem sets to acquire development cards. Splendor offers slightly more complexity, but it takes a while for things to start turning. I feel that Knarr gets the game going faster, and the score board being visible to everyone makes it easier to track how you are doing compared to the competition
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