Take Time

• Designers: Alexi Piovesan, Julien Prothiere 
• Publisher: Libellud
• Players: 2-4
• Age: 10+
• Time: 30 minutes
• Amazon affiliate link: https://amzn.to/48MVKOv
• Played with review copy provided by publisher

Take Time is a cooperative game where players either win or lose together.

To succeed, you must strategically play 12 cards facedown around a Clock, following specific rules for each Test. You can work together through a series of games to pass all 40 Tests available in the game.

Take Time is split up into 10 chapters of 4 tests.  In general, the rules want you to progress through the chapters in order, also going from clock 1 to clock 4 within each particular envelope.  The goal in each round is to be able to play cards around the clock following the particular rules of the current round.

To start each round, reveal the clock for the current round. Put the reminder token on the table as well.  Shuffle the Lunar and Solar cards together to form a single deck and then deal each player a group of 3 or 4 cards (depending on player count).  Players should NOT look at their cards.  Each clock has 6 segments on it.  Some segments will have rules that affect just that wedge and there may also be rules in the center of the clock which apply to all the segments. 

When playing a test, there are three broad phases: Discussion, Card Placement, Resolution.

In the Discussion phase, the players learn the particular rules for the current clock and then have a chance to talk about their plans.  Note that the players cannot look at their cards yet!  You are allowed to discuss broad strategies, but you are NOT allowed to come up with ridiculous conventions to let other players know what cards you have.  Once the discussion is complete, players may look at their hands.

In the Card Placement phase, there is no more discussion. Any player may start the phase, and they can play a card into any of the six segments around the clock.  Now going clockwise from that player, each player in turn places one of the cards from their hand into and of the segments – continuing until all cards have been played by all players.  In general, cards are placed facedown – but the group may collectively play some cards face up, the number equal to the number of eye icons on the reminder token.  Of course, there is no discussion between the players to help decide which cards should be placed face up.

In the Resolution phase, starting with the segment denoted by the clock hand, each facedown card is revealed, making sure not to change the order of the cards.  The value of the segment is the sum of the cards placed there.

There are three general rules to passing the test:

• At least one card has to be in each segment
• The value of each segment must be equal or greater than the previously revealed segment
• The value of each segment must be 24 or less

In addition, each Test may also have its own unique restrictions which must also be abided by.  These rules may apply to particular segments or some to the clock as a whole.

If you pass the test, put it back into the envelope it came from.  Once you finish all 4 tests in a Chapter, put that envelope under the insert of the box, never to be seen again.  If you fail the test, flip a Bonus token over – this allows you to play one additional card face up when you try to beat the test the next time.  If you really give up, you can simply skip the test and place it into the Sleeve of Regrets.

The game is complete when you have passed all 40 tests!  If you make it this far, the rules suggest that you could open the Rebirth envelope for additional replayability.  I have not yet gotten this far, and I’m not going to spoil it for myself for the sake of a blogged review!

My thoughts on the game

Take Time has gotten a lot of chatter on our internal Opinionated Gamers mailing list, and it feels like the opinions are fairly bimodal – it’s either a great cooperative experience or it’s felt to barely be a game.

After reading a bunch of my friends debate the merits of the game online, I was definitely interested to give it a go.  We’ve played through a couple of the envelopes (but not all ten), but I think that while I haven’t finished the game yet, I’ve seen what it has to offer.

Each round has a unique challenge determined by the special rules which each particular clock face brings to the game (in addition to the three general overarching rules). The rules allow for conversation prior to looking at your cards, but once the round starts in earnest, you only have the card plays of your partners to guide you…

At least around here, we often don’t have a lot of commentary on the first run at a board – but once we fail, or see how the particular restrictions will force our plays in certain ways – then we have constructive things to discuss for the next try.  There really isn’t any downside to trying and failing as you simply can do it again right away.

Oftentimes, we have found it useful to agree upon a certain card to start with – often the 12 or the 1 – to help us gauge things (and get a free reveal as well).  Other times, we might try to set things up so that a certain player plays all the cards to a particular zone.   Talking about when and where to reveal cards is also a common point of discussion.

There are some amongst us that say that this game is nothing more than a “read my mind” game – such as The Mind.  I’d have to say that I actually disagree with that.  There are definitely points here where group discussion, card counting and whatnot bring skill into the game.  Figuring out when it is valuable to use one of the card reveals is a big determinant of success (IMO).  

There are some amongst us that say this is a fascinating challenge of working together with your teammates to figure out how to beat each successive level.  I’d have to say that I actually disagree with that.  There are definitely times where the group can have meaningful discussion to help solve the puzzle, but in my experience so far, it’s more helpful to have a luckier deal of the cards amongst the players.

Take Time has been enjoyable each time it has been played around here, but yet, it’s not something that I’ve been itching to play again.  I have not been as entranced by it as my colleagues – it’s never been the sort of thing where I’m immediately wanting to play another board after finishing the current one.  Though, I’ll admit that I’ve played a lot of it because it definitely engenders that sort of response by some of the people I game with.

Thoughts from other Opinionated Gamers

Joe Huber (7 plays, ish) – I tend to avoid cooperative games.  Not because I don’t enjoy them – while there are ones I enjoy more and ones I enjoy less, I do tend to find them good fun – but because they don’t stick for me.  I get through N tries and – I’m done.  Take Time is not an exception for me, and in fact the very mechanical, mathematical nature of the play makes it less engaging for me than other cooperative games.  I wouldn’t veto the game if others really wished to play, but I’d at least try to find a better alternative.

Dan B: I guess I fall between the camps. I don’t love it but I like it well enough and would be happy to play a few clocks when asked, although I don’t have a burning desire to plow through all 40. So far I’ve played the first envelope three times and gone through part of the second.

Erik Arneson (23 plays): Take Time has been a huge hit with several members of my local game group, including me. One group of us made it through the first three envelopes (12 clocks) in a single session, and we’re looking forward to seeing what awaits in the envelopes yet to come. We like the simple rules and gameplay, the opportunities to make clever decisions, and the fun conversations that take place after each clock – win or lose.

Ratings from the Opinionated Gamers

• I love it! Steph H, Erik Arneson
• I like it. Dan B
• Neutral. Dale Y, John P, Joe H
• Not for me…

Amazon affiliate link: https://amzn.to/48MVKOv