A Trilogy Finale with Forage: A 9 Card Solitaire Game
Explore the forest to collect blackberries, chestnuts, and mushrooms in the puzzle of Forage: A 9 Card Solitaire Game.
Onto the final game in a wonderful trilogy with Forage: A 9 Card Solitaire Game! The previous iterations certainly share many characteristics with all of the overlapping cards and dice used to track values. I was interested in the slightly more complex mechanics presented, along with the cutest mouse intruder ever for a very autumn-like atmosphere!
Game Overview
Game Name: Forage: A 9 Card Solitaire Game
Publication Year: 2022
Designer: Mark Tuck
Artist: Mark Tuck
Publisher: Side Room Games
Solo Mode: Designed for Solo (Included in the Base Game)
With just 9 cards per play, the goal is to collect victory points by overlapping matching spaces. Split squares provide interesting strategies and a little forgiveness, for the mismatched squares bring out the hungry mice! It’s a quick and engaging little puzzle with lots of fun turns.
First Play
September 2, 2024
Complexity
2
Latest Play
September 2, 2024
Expansions
0
Setup Time
Almost None
Lifetime Plays
4
Play Time
10 Minutes
High Score
38
Game Area
10" x 10"
Low Score
32
Edwood Mouse!
The formula is likely familiar to anyone who has played either Orchard: A 9 Card Solitaire Game or Grove: A 9 Card Solitaire Game. Yet there are definite differences!
Split squares need to be taken into account with the dice, as they allow for some freedom but aren’t ideal to end up with on the top of the cards. Dice placement is thoughtful.
And then there are the mice, led by the one and only Edwood Mouse! Negative victory points, but so cute!
I couldn’t quite escape his presence with my initial plays, although I wasn’t that upset. Look at that guilty little face!
Overlapping Cards
Such fun! I got caught up a little bit more than with the other games in the trilogy, although this wasn’t really a negative. This just felt like I had to plan a lot better.
The split squares were a trap at times, and I had to accept a mouse visitor here… But it wasn’t good ol’ Edwood, so I at least avoided a lot of lost victory points!
My scores weren’t anything particularly great and I knew I had to learn a little more in order to score well. Very cool!
I went in thinking I might have problems visually parsing the busy artwork, yet it all came together without issue.
Getting Better
Despite my scores remaining pretty static, I still made some better moves and saw how I might improve!
I flipped over a die to reach the maximum value of 15 for my first time, which was pretty great. Thematically, there was Edwood Mouse nearby, prepared to steal. Ha ha!
There was more to think about with the way dice didn’t always increase, and might be worth negative victory points with the split squares on top. Yet I did alright!
The recipes weren’t even touched, but I know I’ll want to try them out at some point for another way to play.
A World Without Mice
A-ha! It wasn’t easy to achieve and I didn’t score anywhere beyond mediocre, yet I avoided the mice! Not that they weren’t welcome… But I had food to gather!
It’s hard to pick a favorite in this trilogy, and I need to dedicate some time to playing them all in quick succession soon enough. Each one is different enough, though.
And the charming elements are hard to not smile at… Pesky worms, squirrels, and mice. All absolutely adorable!
All I need to do is find some better ways to get ahead, yet I feel like I’m the right path. Just don’t follow me, Edwood!
The Trilogy Effect: A Curse or a Perfect Ending?
It seems like a trio of games is often where many series end, and trilogies certainly work very well! Looking at my collection, it’s interesting to consider these a little more, though. Is the third game destined for greatness? Or is it the last, risky effort to make the best version? There is no correct answer, and I often pick a favorite in a trilogy.
In this case, I enjoy each game for being just a little different. Likely, it’s too soon to really choose a favorite… But I now know what I need to play in rapid succession one of these days! That should be a fun comparison, coming soon.
A trilogy also runs the risk of making the first or second games sometimes feel obsolete to someone new to the series. Common knowledge would point to the final installment as the most refined and streamlined. But that’s also not always the case. Sometimes, games stray too far from their original designs and feel convoluted. Or, they’re all great!
Session Overview
Play Number: 1-4
Solo Mode: Designed for Solo (Included in the Base Game)
Play Details: Standard Mode
Outcome: 32, 34, 38, 37 (4 Losses)
In spite of my rather uninspired scores, I was still met with the lovely pun-filled scoring tier table! Not exactly anything grand, yet I had a few laughs, and that was all I needed. This one surprised me in a pleasant way, as it’s definitely slightly more complex, but I was able to figure out what was going on with relative ease. Now, to just plan better and make sure the mice don’t rob my tiny harvest!
%
1 Play
Affordability
Price & Value
8
Functionality
Challenges & Mechanics
10
Originality
Design & Theme
5
Quality
Components & Rules
10
Reusability
Achievement & Enjoyment
7
Variability
Distinctness & Randomness
4
+ Pros (Positives)
- Edwood Mouse is about the cutest “villain” to ever be found in a board game, and he’s worth the negative scoring.
- Gameplay is simple to understand with straightforward rules that allow each play to move by quickly.
- Decisions feel meaningful and take a little time to choose the optimal placement for each card.
- The scoring tiers offer up some laughs, while scoring well takes some experience and careful planning.
- A split deck during setup makes it simple to play back-to-back to work on various strategies to win.
- Unique colors and patterns make it easy to see the type of each square, including the split versions, from afar.
– Cons (Negatives)
- Planning out the split squares takes some extra work and a little more focus than a short puzzle typically requires.
- The mice can be very punishing and it isn’t always easy to figure out how to place a card to avoid them.
- As nice as it is, the circular dice pattern for the 10-value isn’t as easy to visually understand during the first plays.
- Removing dice to tick them up as a card is overlapped can be tricky with the way some dice don’t change.
Victory Conditions
Score 45+ Points or Reach the Victory Threshold
- Overall Goal Progress 0%
Goals and Milestones
Score at least 40 points in the standard mode.
Continue the Conversation
Have you played Forage: A 9 Card Solitaire Game? Watch out for Edwood Mouse! Ha ha! Do you have a favorite game in the trilogy? I’ve enjoyed each one for being a slightly different game, and this one is no exception. There’s a lot more to explore as I try to improve my scores and move onto the recipe challenge eventually. Very fun little game!
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