Golden Bell Studios Unbroken: a Solo Game of Survival and Revenge , Black

This is probably the greatest physical solo game experience I have ever had. This game is easy to learn, complex enough to keep your interest after several playthroughs, highly strategic, and a nail-biter in terms of intensity. If I had to offer any criticism, it would be the way the flavor text is presented. The flavor text adds a lot to this game. Instead of just overcoming an obstacle, you can look back on you adventure with memories such as 'Wow, I pried open a rusty bear trap and fashioned a knife from the spikes!" The issue is, the flavor text on every card is extensive and very small, whereas the mechanics (icons) are very large. This encourages the player to just glance at the icons and draw another card, rather than actually straining to read the interesting text revolving around each situation. Another issue might be the reliance on random chance--no matter how good your strategy is, a few bad card draws can ruin it. I personally don't see this as an issue because just about every game out there has some element of chance, and not knowing what you might find next only adds to your need to manage resources. I like close games where you can't guarantee you're going to win every time, even when you already know how to play really well. This game captures that perfectly. If you're looking to sail through with minimal effort or don't react well to frustration, this game is not for you! Overall, I feel that designing this game specifically FOR one player is what really makes it shine. Too many games out there have 'solo mode' tacked on as a variant, either with rules that don't fit well into that dynamic, or are straight up cop-outs like 'just take all the other player's turns yourself'! You really feel the dismal lonliness in this game, and it adds that much better to the theme. Anyway, good show, I love it. And for those who are wondering, yes, the retail version comes with all the original kickstarter add-ons. I'm told this had something to do with a fiasco in the way the game was distributed that has given people a very negative view of the publisher, but I encourage you not to let this drama prevent you from supporting this game. None of what happened was the developer's fault--at the very least they deserve recognition for the achievement of this game (plus hey, you get all the add-ons).

So it's out there, yes the publishing company is awful, but the designer isn't and that's who these unfounded negative comments are hurting. So to describe THE ACTUAL GAME. I watched a 30 minute youtube tutorial of the rules and only referred to the included rulebook to fill in and had most of my questions answered immediately. A few minor points required an online FAQ review (can I use Orienteer after committing myself to an action, for example) but everything else was very straight forward. The engine is simple and elegant. A wide variety of cards and variance in PC cards allow for a lot of replayability. I missed a creature ability on a level II creature which was probably game-affecting but for my first play, I expect misses like that. The components are great and durable. Lots of blank cards to customize the game. I think I might prefer tokens for resources instead of sliders but that's just preference. The sliders are designed well. It might be worth replacing some of the blue cubes with difference colors to reflect the resource type - but again, just to taste. Great game with lots of replay value. Very glad I purchased it.

The gameplay is marvelous. Inventive, intriguing, and replayable. Enough story to keep it interesting. One of the better exclusively solo games I've played. The actual game components feel very cheaply made. The cards are very thin. The rulebook promises a soundtrack that is not where the rulebook says it is. There is a general lack of material polish. I paid $40 for the game from Amazon- It is not cheaply priced. There appears to be drama around the the publisher. They seem to have behaved badly and I intend to avoid them in the future. I will be looking for other games from this designer, though.

I didn't know what to expect from this game. I read a lot of mixed reviews. From personal experience, if you like solo games and a good storyline, this is for you.