Review | Board game review after us

“After us is the flood…” “Or rather the monkeys?” Already in 2083 (in just 60 years!) It will end with us – at least that’s what the board game predicts After us, which was recently published by Pegasus. Like a lot of games After us This game takes place in the post-apocalypse, and as with other games dealing with this theme, it does not look as sad as you might think: the main thing is that it was drawn by Vincent Dutrait! Even the post-apocalypse would be nice. What After us You can read more about what we have to offer below.

Karina Brachter

Game description

At the core it is After us The race for the most points and who is the first to pass the 80 point mark on the track leads to the end of the game.

But how do we get points? Let’s start from the beginning: Initially, everyone receives a starting deck of 8 cards and draws 4 of them into their hand. In Parallel Phase 1, we “collect our deck,” meaning we place our cards in a row in front of us. We decide the order ourselves, because the cards display resources and action parts in three rows, and depending on how you arrange them, you get the corresponding bonuses. You can only get it if you collect a locked chest.

You receive pills, fruits, flowers, and batteries, which you can exchange for other resources, victory points, or other items in other actions. We go row by row and box by box.

In the second phase, which is also played in parallel, we can turn on the action dial that gives us victory points or other bonuses. By paying resources, we can also use the actions of one of our neighbors.

The color of the action dial that is then played also shows the types of primates, i.e. the deck of supply cards, which we can then purchase for a corresponding payment and place the card directly on top of our draw pile. Different main types have individual abilities:

• They focus on scoring victory points.
• It gives you more batteries with which you can, for example, trigger special actions that can be found on three displayed tiles and can be used by all players.
• They allow you to collect rage, which can be used to remove cards from the deck.
• They allow repeated use of actions in squares on cards.

Once both stages are resolved, the screen is cleared, everyone takes four cards from the draw pile and a new round begins. Whoever exceeds the 80 point mark in the current round triggers the end of the game. Whoever was able to score the most points wins in the end After us.

Author: Florian Sirix Illustrations: Vincent Dutrait
Publisher: Pegasus Spiele ■ Year of release: 2023

1-6 players

From 10 years

About 40-60 minutes

Game rules (Download addon from Pegasus)

Gaming feeling

So just from the cover, I imagined something completely different in this game. Not only mechanically, but also in terms of requirements, because After us Marked as a connoisseur’s game. Well, I think the game should be seen more in the border area between family and connoisseur. Most families and those who play infrequently will probably not have any major problems with the rules and their enforcement.

What you might have a problem with is the solitary feel of the game. Of course, we sit together at the table and are sometimes far apart in the race, sometimes close together on the points track.

But we do what we do without any input from others or any influence on how they play. After usIt’s pretty much what you’d expect from a multiplayer solitaire game. Everyone is doing puzzles and swapping. On the one hand, this requires trust in what others are doing. On the other hand, it requires you not to be disturbed and to enjoy playing peacefully and quietly in a group.

One flower and one fruit for two batteries

The task that the game sets for us is very attractive. The options that cards give us with most half squares, which we are supposed to put together productively and score points as much as possible, are fun. At first, it is not easy to know which combinations are the best: in the top row of cards we get resources that we can transfer in the bottom two rows. Therefore, it not only makes sense to consider how to get the most resources possible, but also whether this fits into the transfer options at lower ranks. Sometimes you have to change again, so that for example you get the battery at the top, which then gains 2 victory points at the bottom.

Every man for himself

When you put the cards together, you only pay attention to what you are doing to yourself. Everyone also does their own thing when it comes to assessing and distributing income. Everyone seeks to allocate resources and then use the resources to do other things. The pieces are moved forward on the track so there is a constant shift between the leaders.

Then a short interval of mutual attention occurs in the second stage, when the only interaction begins: we then look at the adjacent panels and see what motion discs are detected there. Interested in using one? If so, you’ll usually be told briefly: “I’m benefiting from your campaign.” Then everyone lowers their heads again and looks at the new cards that can be purchased.

Monkey in the bag

The deck building aspect is limited because only one card can be purchased per round. The great thing is that it is located directly above the draw pile and we can use it immediately in the next round.

What’s less wonderful is that we always “buy the monkey in the poke.” Although the four types of monkeys have their own individual focus, the chests on the respective cards still vary greatly. I’m thinking about whether we should have home bases in the future and put the decks face up so we at least know if the investment here is really worth it. And of course it begs the follow-up question: Who can take the card first if multiple people want to buy from this pile? You still have to think about this.

But even if you buy the card openly, the question will be whether it will pair well with the other cards in the next round. You can be unlucky and nothing really fits into your profitable starting points…

Mandrill, orangutan, or chimpanzee?

Therefore, luck plays a big role After us. If the cards in the draw pile are unlucky, things could end badly. This is the method I tried in Showdown, where we were directly at home in the points lane in a two-man game and I just drew cards from the starting deck for this deciding round. Then you can pack your bags, you don’t have a chance. Purchasing cards so you can trade more effectively is extremely important. More important than cleaning.

Naturally, the question arises: Which one should I buy? Should I buy the first level cards sooner or should I save resources until the next round and then buy the powerful second level card? Would I rather buy the memondrill, which gives me victory points, or choose the batteries with the orangutan because I can always trade 5 batteries for 5 victory points with the item piece currently on offer?

These are critical considerations here and we need to think carefully about what we do, because you don’t buy that many cards during the game. Some cards are only used once or twice.

Regardless of the size of the group

If I After us Playing in pairs or in a large group of six is ​​not important. Since we always play in parallel, everyone is always busy, there is no downtime, and because we are always doing something similar, it goes by very quickly. Because it’s a race we’re in, sometimes there’s a real racing feel. There are a few games that can be played by six people and offer a fast pace of play.

Individual covers by country

Finally, we have to talk about it After us Not only is it attractively and at times ridiculously photographed, but it is also well-equipped. The resources come in wooden pieces, the gameplay aids are very beginner-friendly, and the rules explain everything well.

It is worth noting that the cover has been modified in each country separately. The British are happy to have Big Ben on the cover, the French find the Eiffel Tower damaged, while the German version shows the ruins of the Brandenburg Gate.

summary

After us It is an accessible and easy-to-learn game with very intuitive gameplay. Therefore, it is also suitable for experienced families and open-minded and infrequent players. It poses few challenges to experts and experts.

After us At its core, it’s a combination of racing, resource management, and deck building, where we make our moves in a very solitary way. Since everyone is playing at the same time, no one gets bored. It’s one of the few games that works well in large groups, as long as no one misses the lack of interaction.

• Easily accessible and quick to play with little downtime
• Great design and beautiful game materials
• Beautiful idea with squares that need to be grouped together on cards

• Very isolated, with almost no interaction
• Lucky ingredients when buying and drawing cards
• Trusting the actions of other players is necessary because you cannot control their actions

From my point of view as a player: You play After us It can be put on the table with people who know it and don’t think much about it. I appreciated the fast pace of the game and the puzzle quests with chests on the cards. And to me, it’s perfectly okay if you don’t get in each other’s way. But the game is not suitable for every round of play and the demands that the game imposes on me are probably a little higher.

I know this in large groups at a gaming meeting After us But certainly appreciated because of its accessibility.