Merneith's Profile
Stat Summary
- Average Rating:4
- Helpful Votes:85
- Reviews Submitted:1
- First Review:October 2, 2013
- Most Recent Review:October 2, 2013
- Featured reviews0
Merneith's Review History
There is a wonderful tale within you. 7 Grand Steps builds a story of your ancestors and how you came to be.
Overall rating
4
/
5
85 of 85 found this review helpful
Lunchbreak game with surprising strategy depth
PostedOctober 2, 2013
Merneith
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Large File, Match 3, Card & Board, Strategy, Brain Teaser, Time Management, Puzzle, Mahjong
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
3
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
3
/
5
I bought this elsewhere and have had it for a few months now. I enjoy it quite a bit but it's kind of an acquired taste. It's not like anything else here at Big Fish so definitely try the demo if you're looking for something new.
it plays out similarly to the way a board game would. You start out as one guy in the dawn of the copper age who finds a mate and raises a family. You choose a goal for your young family (well, the first few rounds, the game walks you though this but after that, you can choose for yourself). The goal can be to make a discovery, complete a hero challenge, or improve social standing. Each round you can choose to make tokens with the grown ups in the family. The tokens are your currency in the game for moving or doing things. Making tokens moves your character backwards on the wheel (It helps to think of the wheel as if it were the game board.) Or you can spend a token on each character to move them forward on the wheel. If they fall too far back, they will be consumed by crocodiles.
The wheel moves forward each round, bringing your characters closer to the crocs, representing old age, and revealing new board spaces. Each space is marked with a symbol for a certain technology appropriate to the age - thinks like Irrigation, Masonry, etc. When you land on a square, you receive tokens based on the symbol, modified by your character's learning and family situation.
Ahead of you on the board squares are beads which represent points toward your goal. Landing on a square with beads acquires those points for your family. There's an event called the Challenge of the Age that happens when it's time to advance out of the copper age (and subsequent ages). Having a variety of achieved goals under your belt helps survive the challenge of the age.
Any time your couple are on the same square together, they can try for a child. It happens automatically if they "make tokens" together. You need at least one child in order for your story to advance. You also want a spare or two, in case of tragedy. Too many children though can be a real problem. Children can't make tokens but each round they need to be fed a token to advance their education. If you don't educate all of your family together, the children will form rivalries which can affect your progress on the board.
It's not just you moving around the wheel. Your neighbors and other family members are there too, snarfing up your beads and interfering with your progress. Your children's rivals and friends will grow along with them affect how well your children do in subsequent generations.
You need to stay at the front of the pack in order to get beads, so you need to spend your tokens. OTOH, being short on tokens can really hurt. That's where the strategy of the game comes from, deciding how aggressive to be in pursuing your goals and how long you can sit and make tokens before the crocs get you. My current family is super short on tokens right now. I'm almost tempted to spend the next generation just accumulating wealth.
There's a subtle little story that develops as you play across the generation, which narrates your family's success and failures. There's some luck and random events too, so each story won't be the same as previous families,
This all sounds complicated but it's not, really. A few turns of the wheel and you'll understand how the people move. Also, you can save your game at any time. And there's no time limit on your moves. You can take as long as you want to think about it. This makes it a great game to play on a lunch break, where you can pop, play a few rounds, and pop out.
Sorry for the Great Wall of Text but I hope it's helpful. I do really like this game. It's an odd little game but thoughtful and unique. It's not for everyone but it's definitely worth a look.
I recommend this game!