Wheeling in an Upgraded Wagon to Enjoy The Magnificent
Plan an exciting circus show by building out a camp and setting up acts from fantastic performers in The Magnificent.
To the circus! I last played The Magnificent several years ago, and I nearly forgot all about it. Although it might not be perfectly themed around Halloween and the autumn season, it seemed close enough! This one can be quite difficult to come close to the solo victory threshold. I wasn’t sure if the game was still right for me… Only one way to find out!
Game Overview
Game Name: The Magnificent
Publication Year: 2019
Designers: Kristian Amundsen Østby & Eilif Svensson
Artist: Martin Mottet
Publisher: Aporta Games
Solo Mode: Included in the Base Game
Gameplay is quick, with a total of 12 turns over 3 rounds. Dice set the power of an action, although higher values or the wild clear dice require coin payments at the end of a round. The goal is to host performances at the circus with a careful degree of planning. The show must go on!
First Play
November 11, 2023
Complexity
3
Latest Play
October 13, 2026
Expansions
1
Setup Time
5 Minutes
Lifetime Plays
8
Play Time
40 Minutes
High Score
182
Game Area
32" x 22"
Low Score
157
The Candy Wagon
Traveling is one of the main actions on a circular track, marked by a colorful wagon. Well, I had something better!
This tiny candy wagon rolled into town filled with everything needed to make the circus a fun one. I should have granted myself around 100 bonus points for this. Ha!
A fancy rabbit arrived in her best interpretation of circus attire, complete with a magical top hat. I imagine that’s where the candy wagon is stored when it’s not roaming!
I enjoyed this pop of bright colors I brought to the table, for this color scheme was rather excessively dark for my eyes.
A Lot Going On
Gameplay flowed well, with the choice of dice used to activate powers on cards. I had scoring goals to keep in mind and various requirements to try to meet on posters.
Building out the camp was pretty fun, although it felt a little too jumbled at times. Performers have tile requirements, and I sometimes couldn’t find the edges in the large areas.
Everything flowed nicely and made sense. I was just not at all engaged. This was a very mechanical sort of solo mode.
Don’t get me wrong: It worked! My suspicions that the game wasn’t for me seemed to be on the right track, though.
Dice Selections
I loved the way the dice worked here! They set the available power for each value, with clear dice acting as wild options.
In the solo mode, I could discard a poster at the start of a turn to add to this pool. That was quite helpful, especially since the same color dice stack their power in later turns.
The need to save up to pay for high values was excellent, providing a way for me to take calculated risks.
Yet it all boiled down to icons, and I never felt like I was putting on a neat circus. The art is beautiful, but leans into a dark palette where some of the details are easily lost.
Candy Wagon Rush
The standout performance came from the candy wagon, which surprised absolutely no one. Ha ha! Calico Critters flocked to sample the endless sweets that nearly sparkled.
I think this is a very good solo game that creates a challenge. My multiple attempts never saw my score rise enough, though, and I felt like I saw it all after a few plays.
My preferences tend to shift over time, and just having a great set of mechanics doesn’t always work for me.
Still, this sat on my shelf for a long time, so I’m happy to know my circus planning can be used for the Calico Critters!
Looking for That Magical Spark in Solo Play
It’s interesting to play a variety of solo games, in that I haven’t quite hit on an understanding of what works for me when a theme doesn’t come through. Gameplay might be excellent, yet I sometimes struggle to enjoy something when I’m so focused on optimizing my turns for victory points. And I’m someone who will gladly play extremely abstract games!
Perhaps it was more apparent here because with the circus theme, I expected to see some sort of magic or entertaining puzzle. The mechanics all work together and there is a lot of thought that has to go into making decisions. But I wanted to feel like I could see the performers in their tents, twisting through the air or putting on illusions that looked like magic.
Always something to learn! I thought I could overcome my lack of connection to this theme since the mechanics flow together so nicely. Maybe one day, I’ll understand that nebulous formula that defines my preferences in solo games. In the meantime, the only thing to do is the one thing I love: Playing more games and enjoying the ones that make me smile!
Session Overview
Play Number: 5-8
Solo Mode: Included in the Base Game
Outcome: 182, 169, 174, 157 (4 Losses)
I tried out a variety of strategies, and it was fun to explore! But I never felt like I was doing more than optimizing. That works in some solo games, and I can see the appeal! Yet when I stepped back to realize the highlight was me decorating and driving a candy wagon around my solo table, I knew this wasn’t for me. My priorities and game preferences are quite unusual, though. Ha! At least I enjoyed some moments, and can appreciate my time with the game.
%
1 Play
Affordability
Price & Value
7
Functionality
Challenges & Mechanics
9
Originality
Design & Theme
4
Quality
Components & Rules
9
Reusability
Achievement & Enjoyment
3
Variability
Distinctness & Randomness
4
+ Pros (Positives)
- Multi-use cards provide thoughtful decisions around action bonuses, as well as scoring criteria at different points.
- The rulebook is relatively short with enough examples to make everything very clear during the first reading.
- Dice provide interesting choices tied to the power of actions, tempered by the need to pay coins for high total values.
- Filling in the camp is a a very fun and enjoyable part of gameplay that offers bonuses and requires a bit of planning.
- Performer posters look really neat and offer a glimpse into the exciting acts that take place during the circus.
- Not a lot of overhead is needed with the solo mode, and it offers a great way to roll more dice for additional options.
– Cons (Negatives)
- The theme doesn’t really shine through with the way the mechanics feel abstract and a bit disjointed in general.
- A lot of icons means checking the rules fairly regularly to confirm the meaning of a card ability or scoring condition.
- Improving takes a fair amount of planning, yet each play doesn’t offer up a vastly different strategic path to explore.
- It can be difficult to see the edges of the polyomino tiles when the camp starts to get filled up, which looks very busy.
Victory Conditions
Score 200+ Points
- Overall Goal Progress 67%
Goals and Milestones
Score at least 170 points.
Score at least 180 points.
Score at least 190 points.
Continue the Conversation
Have you achieved a victory in The Magnificent? Did a series of turns result in a fantastic performance? I like many of the core elements in this one, but with so many solo games I love, I didn’t quite match up with the experience. It still offered up some neat moments, and although the artwork is rather dark, the neon pops of color will always be remembered!
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