Dale Yu: Microreviews of Three Button Shy Games: Aqua Rove, Death Valley, Adventurous

Aqua Rove

• Designer: Dustin Dobson & Milan Zivkovic
• Publisher: Button Shy Games
• Players: 1
• Age: 8+
• Time: 15 minutes
• Played with review copy provided by publisher

Sometimes even the familiar can be alien. As a ROVE (Results-Oriented Versatile Explorer) you are accustomed to the rigors of space, but the impenetrable darkness of the ocean depths is a brand-new challenge to confront.

Aqua ROVE is a standalone entry in the ROVE series. In this solo spatial puzzler, the player must complete missions by using their movement cards to align ROVE’s modules in the proper pattern. Each module has a unique one-time ability that can give ROVE a much-needed boost at a key moment. As ROVE travels further, efficient use of movement points and module abilities becomes paramount to achieve success.

To setup, place the 6 modules in a 2×3 grid; then shuffle the mission cards – flipping a random card over to provide you with your initial mission. Draw a starting deck of five cards – these cards grant you a number of movement points as well as a possibility for bonus movement if you have certain modules in a particular arrangement.

The mission cards specify an arrangement that you must meet – two modules must be in specific areas while the other four simply have to have cards in the right places.  When you are able to move your modules to match the mission, you have completed it!  You do lose any unused movement on your current movement card.

Flip over the next Mission card and keep going! You win if you are able to complete 7 missions. You lose if you cannot complete the current mission (i.e. you run out of cards).

You are able to use your movement cards to solve the puzzle, and you also have a one-time use of each of your six modules, each with its own unique ability.  Note that there are three different types of movement specified by the card (move as far as you want in a direction, move one space in a direction, move in a direction and push cards out of the way).

If you need help remembering your movement points, there is a clever system of hashmarks on the movement cards – once you have chosen your card, you can rotate the card around to show how many movement points you have left.

Experienced ROVE players will notice that there are a few changes in Aqua ROVE. For one, movement cards no longer provide generic points that are limited by the modules’ movement restrictions. Instead, each card provides both the points and the direction of movement, providing a major twist to the original gameplay. All modules have been replaced with new abilities to match this change. However, each pattern now requires two specific fixed modules to complete rather than one. And as befits an ocean adventure, ROVE’s missions are now placed vertically rather than horizontally to create a beautiful panorama of your descent.

Games of Aqua Rove are quick, taking ten to fifteen minutes tops.  It’s an interesting spatial challenge to move the cards into the right places.  Trying to figure out how to do this most efficiently is a big challenge.  The game easily fits in a small space (say a plane tray table), and I do love the way that you build a little vertical panorama with your completed missions.

Death Valley Highs and Lows

• Designer: Kevin Ellenburg
• Publisher: Button Shy Games
• Players: 1-2
• Age: 8+
• Time: 15 minutes
• Played with review copy provided by publisher

Death Valley: Highs & Lows is the second entry in the Death Valley series. Its 18 cards can be played as a standalone game or combined with the previous Death Valley game to create an all-new set of 18 cards every time you play.

In this tableau-buillding game for 1-2 players, each traveler is striving to assemble the best mix of cards in their Journey and Scrapbook to win the game.  The deck of 18 cards is shuffled and one card is flipped face up to be in the Desert.    Each player keeps area on the table free – a Journey row (closer to the opponent) and a Scrapbook row (further away).

Each turn, the active player chooses whether to add a card to their Journey row or to Rest and move cards from their Journey to their Scrapbook row.   When you rest, you can hide more cards from your Journey under that card and you may also shuffle any number of Journey cards back into the deck.

Adding new cards runs the risk of revealing too many Hazards of the same type – players will bust if they ever have three cards of the same type visible between their two rows.  When a player busts, they shuffle away all cards in their Journey.  (Cards in the Scrapbook are never reshuffled back in – they are safe).

At the end of the game, each player scores the cards in their two rows. Stars earn points, while Skulls cost the player points. Any special abilities also apply, typically earning the player points based on specific placements or conditions. Only cards which remain visible are scored! The player with the highest total is the winner!

If you have the original Death Valley, you can use cards from that set to make a unique combination – so long as you keep to the same distribution of the suits.

Death Valley Highs & Lows is a neat game where you are constantly trying to work out how to best use your cards.  There is a little bit of push-your-luck when you have a lot of similar cards showing.  Each of the cards has a special action on it, and they can really have a huge effect on the game.  I’ve only played this a few times so far, but it’s been sufficiently challenging to have me coming back for more.

Adventurous

• Designers: Dustin Dobson and Milan Zivkovic
• Publisher: Button Shy Games
• Players: 1-4
• Age: 8+
• Time: 15 minutes
• Played with review copy provided by publisher

Shrouded in myth and untold dangers, the vast ocean calls to those brave enough to explore its secrets. What marvels lie beyond the horizon?

In Adventurous, players sail across the mysterious ocean in this cooperative tile-laying game. Extend your route with path cards or discover a marvel by meeting its requirements. Take in the fantastical sights without facing too many encounters to safely complete your wondrous journey!

The team starts with their ship card on the table. It has one waypoint at the top.  The marvel deck is then constructed; pulling 5 cards out; using the difficulty chart in the rules to determine which types of cards to choose.  One of the marvels is placed next to the deck – thus two of them can be seen at all times, the one on the table and the one on the top of the deck.  Further, the difficulty level of the marvel card on the table tells you which of the three ship special abilities is in play.  If the marvel on the table changes, so does the special ability.  The remainder of the cards are shuffled and flipped to the other side, which shows a map.

Each turn, the active player may draw two path cards, placing them in such a way that they extend the dotted line showing your ship’s journey. As you draw cards, you can either choose the top card of the deck (which players can see) or take the unknown card on the bottom of the deck.  These cards are then placed to extend the path of the ship.  The path cannot branch, but the cards are placed in a way that one of its waypoints covers the path of a previously played card; possibly shortening that path (depending on how much of the previous card you cover).  The waypoints and path segments must always form a single continuous path.

Alternatively, players may place one of the two available marvels to cover up the specific set of required encounter icons shown on the marvel, adhering to any additional placement restrictions on the marvel card.  You cannot cover up any paths or waypoints with the marvel.

When no further cards may be placed, the game ends. Count up the number of encounter icons of each type still visible: if they exceed the threshold for that type (as seen on your ship card) – if you exceed the limit, you will not score for that type of encounter.

Now score your journey. Points are earned for each path segment, non-whirlpool icons, and whether all marvels were placed. Points are lost for unplaced marvels and visible whirlpools. Compare the final score to the included chart to determine the fate of your epic voyage!

For an additional challenge, you may use the journey effects found on the back of the ship card, adding complications that change throughout the game depending on the current active marvel. Overcome these odds and guide your ship to safety to prove yourselves masters of the sea!

Adventurous is a really neat path building game.  It could be played by any number of people – it’s all about drawing the cards and then agreeing on where to place them. 

—

All of these Button Shy games come in extremely portable card wallets – these are super easy to slip into your pocket or a purse, and they do a great job at protecting the cards.  I have now stashed these in my go-bags as well as my car glove compartments for those situations when I need a game/distraction/time sink.  All three of these can be played solo, so that’s another nice feature of them.

If you’re looking for small games that provide a lot of gameplay, any of these would be worth looking into (or really any of the Button Shy wallet games!)

Until your next appointment,

The Gaming Doctor