Back In Time with The LOOP, a Non-Evil Clone, and Management
Travel through time to prevent time vortexes and thwart Dr. Faux’s evil plans with the quirky agents found only in The LOOP.
My journey through time and space was finally successful with the simplest game mode of The LOOP, which could only mean one thing… More time travel! I wanted to check out another mode of play to see what it might change in this awesome threat management solo game. Plus, new agents (plus a non-evil clone) looked like they were ready for anything!
Game Overview
Game Name: The LOOP
Publication Year: 2020
Designers: Maxime Rambourg & Théo Rivière
Artist: Simon Caruso
Publisher: Pandasaurus Games
Solo Mode: Included in the Base Game (Cooperative)
Agents use special skills and items to fight back rifts, clones, and other challenges throughout the various ages. A central Machine randomizes some of the danger each turn, as there are plenty of disasters to work through with some careful planning. With a bit of luck, Dr. Faux can be defeated!
First Play
August 29, 2023
Complexity
3
Latest Play
August 1, 2026
Expansions
2
Setup Time
10 Minutes
Lifetime Plays
6
Play Time
1 Hour
High Score
N/A
Game Area
38" x 24"
Low Score
N/A
Sayan Supa Clones
Bam! The next game mode introduced these new clones, who were pretty dangerous looking. However, they acted like standard clones in most respects. Not a lot of new rules!
To win, though, the agents had to defeat these special clones… Which then spawned other, smaller clones. Yikes!
This introduced a new challenge and some new timing mechanics around when to destroy and when to wait it out.
I enjoyed this new layer since it came with very little extra overhead, but changed up my strategies a little more. Moving Dr. Faux’s clones took on a new meaning.
Dr. Faux vs. Dr. Faux
Wondering who that first agent is called Faux Klein Schlag? In a world of time travel and Dr. Faux’s clones, you may have guessed it… That’s Dr. Faux himself in the before times!
This trio was excellent in many ways, but I couldn’t get over the fact that Dr. Faux was going to be the end of Dr. Faux.
Such a fun time! The Peak Twins were awesome in that they were a 2-in-1 agent, allowing better coverage of the ages.
Young Dr. Faux was the most instrumental, but do you know the secret to success? Middle management, courtesy of Mr. Time over there who coordinated everything. Ha ha!
Successful Missions
The last of the Sayan Supa Clones proved to be a little bit of a nightmare, but the agents succeeded at last! It was neat to use the persistent energy they left behind to move around.
I fared better this time not because it was easy, but because I could finally see the whole puzzle come together.
Each agent must be utilized in specific ways, although that isn’t always apparent until they activate. Picking up new items was also a lot more strategic… Just leave that alone!
Indeed, the agents achieved more loops and did more on their turns. Another excellent game mode and adventure!
Middle Management
Although I enjoyed every agent and laughed over some of their descriptions or items, Mr. Time was kind of the best one of all this time. He is middle management personified!
I even think one of his items is a Manager Suit. Mr. Time takes his job seriously! Indeed, I found the perfect item…
He was quite delighted to find the Employee of the Universe Medal on his travels and used it to award himself. Treat yourself to the wonders of middle management, Mr. Time.
Just another excellent session! I loved seeing the new agents and how this mode changed my choices. Love this game!
When a Game Invites Enjoyment of the Theme
This is a mechanically sound game in every respect: Its pieces work well together to create a challenging puzzle that calls for a lot of strategic adjustments. I still love the theme, though, and just keep enjoying parts of it even more. What could be better than a young clone of the evil Dr. Faux being the key to victory?! Or that time a Manager Suit saved the universe.
It’s a silly premise. And I love it. There’s nothing too serious about it and that’s one of its best qualities for me. I can laugh at the outcomes of turns and yell at Dr. Faux for no other reason than a rift cube got stuck in the Machine and caused an awful flood of time vortexes. Sometimes, this sort of silliness or quirkiness is the only reason to play… But this game has it all!
Session Overview
Play Number: 6
Expansion 1: The LOOP: Fur Brigade
Expansion 2: The LOOP: The Revenge of Fauxzilla
Solo Mode: Included in the Base Game (Cooperative)
Play Details: Sayan Supa Clones Employee of the Month
Outcome: Win
The way Dr. Faux moves through each cycle is also neat. I enjoyed looking at the ages he might travel to so I could make sure I managed the worst threats. Vortexes still showed up, but these agents were clearly highly skilled! Until next time… Which I hope won’t be in another age.
%
1 Play
Affordability
Price & Value
9
Functionality
Challenges & Mechanics
8
Originality
Design & Theme
10
Quality
Components & Rules
9
Reusability
Achievement & Enjoyment
9
Variability
Distinctness & Randomness
9
+ Pros (Positives)
- All of the artwork is delightful in a unique style that brings the game world to life in a quirky and fun setting.
- Dropping cubes into the Machine is tense but enjoyable, as it’s very random and proves whether planning paid off.
- Each agent is unique with a different set of abilities and cards, and playing solo with a trio is a very fun time.
- Working out the next age that Dr. Faux will move to uses simple deduction, but is a neat mechanic to identify trouble.
- Humor can be found throughout the game in every sense, adding to the experience and making it all feel immersive.
- Multiple game modes exist to try out different challenges and see how some components are used in new ways.
– Cons (Negatives)
- There are some ways to mitigate bad luck, but if all of the rift cubes land in a single age, disaster can strike right away.
- It’s a minor issue, yet with the way the board is presented, a number of missions are often upside down or hard to see.
- Parsing all of the information on the board can be a little chaotic at times when there is a lot going on in the ages.
- Not a lot of rules are present, yet the large size of the rulebook can make it annoying to look up a single sentence.
Victory Conditions
Complete All Objectives
- Overall Goal Progress 100%
Goals and Milestones
Win S.A.B.O.T.A.G.E. mode as Employee of the Month.
Win S.A.B.O.T.A.G.E. mode as Employee of the Year.
Win Sayan Supa Clones mode as Employee of the Month.
Continue the Conversation
Do you have a favorite agent or mode in The LOOP? Have you succeeded in unexpected ways against Dr. Faux? There is plenty more to explore with the components I still haven’t tried out, and the difficulty level can be adjusted should I ever feel like I’m a time traveler extraordinaire. Ha! Loving every moment of this silly and quirky solo game, even when I lose!
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