Image provided by Rampage Games LLC
Being a huge science nerd, I love discovering games that are able to bring a fun twist to a sometimes boring subject. So naturally I became very interested in Elements. In this unique tabletop game players collect resources and strategically use these elements to construct a variety of different substances, earning you points and hopefully the title of Alchemist Supreme!
You may be familiar with nature’s elements: Air, Water, Wind, and Fire (shout out to all you Avatar fans). Well in this game, these are your primary elements, and when combined with secondary elements: Wood, Power, Oil, and Metal, you can build nearly any substance. Elements also includes a variety of Substance cards, which are objects created by using those element cards I previously mentioned. Examples of substance cards include a boat, dinosaur, tools, house, human, and numerous other objects, all of which earn you points when fully constructed. The more substance cards you construct, the more points you earn.
Image provided by Rampage Games LLC
However, with less secondary element cards than primary element cards, players will need another way to create their secondary elements. Luckily that’s where gems come into play. Elements provides you with a variety of different gems, each representing a different primary element. But unlike cards, these gems can be combined (fused) to create secondary elements. Different combinations of gems create different elements!
There are 2 additional elements that play an important role in this game: Meta and Elixir. These special elements can be used to greatly improve your chances of winning. The Meta element can substitute any element in the game and the Elixir element can be used to earn an additional point upon constructing a substance card. Both special elements have their own cards, but can also be created by a fusion of all 4 element gems.
Remember how I mentioned that constructing substances earns you points? Well the first player to earn 10 points (or that has the most points when all the substance cards run out) wins the game! While 10 points may not seem like a lot, you might be surprised at how long it takes you to get there. With each roll of the dice you and your opponents have a variety of outcomes that can either improve your chances of creating a substance or can entirely sabotage the work you had put in so far. For this reason, Elements can be quite a competitive game.
Image provided by Rampage Games LLC
I had the opportunity to try Elements in several settings, sometimes with just 2 players, other times with 4. I personally found the game to be much more challenging when playing 1:1 with a friend. In this case, the outcomes of your opponents dice roll usually results in your cards being switched or stolen, whereas with a larger group you have a better chance of building your substances before being sabotaged. Also when playing with 4 players, there is more opportunity to develop a strategy and plan your opponents moves, although the unpredictability of each dice roll can make strategizing difficult (which I believe provides fair opportunity for all players).
Whether playing with just one other person or with a small group, the result is the same; Elements is a great game that is easily addicting and hard to top. The creative combination of using both gems and cards work well together and even in this case feels natural, which isn’t always easy to achieve with a tabletop game. The artwork is quite impressive, makes sense, and enhances the gaming experience. There are also instances where the game’s humor is apparent, such as the fan-favorite “Sam” substance card, adding a lighter tone to a game that can sometimes be cutthroat. In my personal opinion, and the opinion of those who helped me test this game, Elements is fun game that the whole family can enjoy. Whether you are a fan of science or just really like great table top games, Elements is the game for you.
You can learn more about Elements by checking out the Elements page and can even purchase it from GameCrafter. If Elements sounds like your kind of game, then you may be interested in some of the other games Rampage Games LLC has to offer. Aurora, Singularity, and many more, Rampage Games LLC has a variety of unique games that might make awesome addictions to your collection. You can check them out for yourself on the Rampage Games LLC website or from their Facebook page.
Image provided by Rampage Games LLC
Elements was reviewed using a retail copy provided by Rampage Games LLC.
from Nerd Reactor
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