Eight, Nine, Ten… Elevenses for One with a Tea Trolley
Set up a tea service as time ticks down for the tea, cakes, and sandwiches to be in their proper places in Elevenses for One.
Apparently, I used to play Elevenses for One quite regularly when I first started playing solo games… And then I found out that it was about 5 years since my last play. Goodness! Lady Agatha Smythe has been patiently waiting for her next tea service. Ha ha! I brought out these whimsical, breezy cards again to see how well I could set up this tea party!
Game Overview
Game Name: Elevenses for One
Publication Year: 2014
Designer: David Harding
Artist: TJ Lubrano
Publisher: Eagle-Gryphon Games
Solo Mode: Designed for Solo (Included in the Base Game)
Only 15 minutes remain until everything must be ready! Luckily, this isn’t a real-time game, but simply counts down time as cards are played in order. Yet the lineup calls for careful decisions that make it quite a challenge to impress the lady of the house! Tea parties are hard. Ha!
First Play
July 20, 2017
Complexity
1
Latest Play
August 10, 2024
Expansions
0
Setup Time
Almost None
Lifetime Plays
74
Play Time
5 Minutes
High Score
15
Game Area
18" x 10"
Low Score
5
Lovely and Simple
I often use the word “simple” to describe a lot of solo games these days, and I hope it comes across as a positive!
This one hasn’t seen my table in years and I got back into it in a matter of minutes. It’s deceptively small for the amount of strategies packed into these light cards.
It might seem obvious when it comes to ordering the cards, but the front of the line usually doesn’t go in ascending order. So how to get to the next card?
Discarding a few cards and using the abilities of others takes a little thinking through to understand… Very fun!
In the Last Minute
I had myself a pretty nice outing as Grosvenor! Most of these tea services resulted in success, even with a half day off in some cases. Nice! But no top-tier service this time.
Moving these cards can be a little tricky, and I probably lost a minute here and there when I wasn’t certain.
That could be an easy fix… Yet look at this little clock! There is a very tiny teacup hanging from the hands, so I simply can’t ignore the adorable whimsy of this card!
It was nice to reach the final card as the tea service began. Grosvenor just needs to speed herself up someday. Ha!
Serving Up the Tea
A-ha! A most adorable guest popped by to visit Lady Agatha Smythe and partake of the tea trolley.
Was this previously used to serve ice cream? You can’t prove it. Best tea trolley in all the land right here!
Like a good host, I encouraged this young beaver to take whatever she liked from the offerings. I had plenty of other treats nearby, should she need them!
Actually, this is true. I have a pair of giant containers of little Calico Critters accessories. One of these is dedicated entirely to snacks and meals. I can serve everyone!
Off to the Village
Suspect last seen headed east, downtown… Ha ha! Well, I guess the offer to take anything resulted in someone running off with the entire tea trolley. Come back here!
Ironically, the actual tea trolley depicted in this photo is also in my collection… The part that still needs to make the journey to be set up as a full and proper village.
I’ll get there and be on the lookout for this stolen tea trolley. Cute animal thieves are very hard to catch, though!
But the appearance of this box does mean that my village is getting a move on… I’ll have some fun photos soon!
Time to Celebrate Board Game Birthdays?
I realized that I’ve been playing a few solo games lately that were published in 2014, marking a decade in existence this year! Some show their age in different ways, but I’m enjoying these blasts from the past. Also, this means I don’t need to keep on buying everything that’s coming out… My shelves have plenty of fun times to offer!
Continuing on this ramble, I might post a little feature before the year ends recognizing all of my older games that have stuck around. Maybe I didn’t necessarily purchase them 10 years ago, but older designs that are still fun amidst the more modern trends deserve a bit of recognition. I’ll be sure to have a proper tea service ready for all who attend. Ha!
Session Overview
Play Number: 63-74
Solo Mode: Designed for Solo (Included in the Base Game)
Outcome: 9 Wins & 1 Loss
Well, perhaps I didn’t excel in most cases, but there was only a lone disappointing service this time around! I love the scoring tiers and the little tidbits of information. Earning a wage raise does take some very careful planning, but that’s well-deserved… There’s no way to put a proper value on more efficient time! I’m so glad I brought this back to my table again. Simply a delightful little game that still offers an interesting challenge!
%
70 Plays
Affordability
Price & Value
9
Functionality
Challenges & Mechanics
10
Originality
Design & Theme
7
Quality
Components & Rules
9
Reusability
Achievement & Enjoyment
8
Variability
Distinctness & Randomness
4
+ Pros (Positives)
- All of the artwork is whimsical, breezy, light, and welcoming with plenty of white space to avoid feeling crowded.
- Card abilities might seem obvious at first, yet there are some interesting decisions to make based on the order.
- Reaching the highest scoring tier doesn’t happen that often, so these victories feel even more satisfying.
- The theme is very approachable and although it’s about running out of time, there is no real-time element.
- Lining up the cards can be done in multiple ways to fit different play areas, with multiple rows possible if needed.
- Not a lot of deep thinking is required, making this a very relaxing sort of experience with a lovely tea party setting.
– Cons (Negatives)
- A fair amount of luck in the order of the cards can have a major impact on the outcome, although the puzzle is fun.
- Some of the rules aren’t written as clearly as they could be, which can lead to a few small ambiguities.
- Sliding the timer cards to keep track of the time remaining is a little fiddly and can result in accidentally lost time.
- Gameplay is rather repetitive when played many times in a short period of time, but there is still a lot of joy.
Victory Conditions
Score 11+ Points
- Overall Goal Progress 100%
Goals and Milestones
Score at least 12 points.
Score at least 14 points.
Continue the Conversation
What are your favorite aspects of Elevenses for One? Have you managed to impress Lady Agatha Smythe on multiple occasions? I was pretty happy to return to this one after so many years for a great time! My scores were better than I expected, although I absolutely did not want to disappoint. Now to just track down that missing tea trolley… Ha ha!
That one is kind of an “oldie” by now ! Good to know it still provides enjoyment. Somehow, I haven’t gotten to print it out a few years back and I have always put it at the bottom of my to print list. Maybe I was wrong all along.
It’s on the simpler side with limited variety, yet it does everything very nicely! If you get around to printing it out, perhaps it will turn out to offer a lot of enjoyment for you, too. I hope so!