Entering the World of Gùgōng and Clever Action Mechanics
Exchange gifts, gain influence, and find unique paths to earn an audience with the Longqing Emperor in Gùgōng.
Not all of my unplayed solo games are entirely unplayed, as several have seen some appearances in the multiplayer world! Yet I was still very interested in Gùgōng. There is no forgetting the enormous map and intricate mechanics. Although I had some familiarity with the rules, this was to be a brand new solo experience for me. Onward to the table!
Game Overview
Game Name: Gùgōng
Publication Year: 2018
Designer: Andreas Steding
Artist: Andreas Resch
Publishers: Game Brewer and Tasty Minstrel Games
Solo Mode: Included in the Base Game
Gifts come in the form of numbered cards, which must be exchanged during play. As cards swap places, actions may be taken in specific locations to gain influence and find ways to ultimately earn an audience with the emperor. Choices are never easy and often have multi-turn impacts!
First Play
February 3, 2022
Complexity
4
Latest Play
February 4, 2022
Expansions
0
Setup Time
5 Minutes
Lifetime Plays
4
Play Time
40 Minutes
High Score
57
Game Area
42" x 32"
Low Score
50
All in the Details
I don’t necessarily need amazing artwork to love a game, but I always enjoy admiring the little details on such an elaborate board! And elaborate it is… So massive!
Yet it’s not overly busy with extra space purely for art. The river flows with specific spots and plenty of details.
I found this meandering waterfall and looked closely to see even more. Such a lovely bridge! And people out and about, adding more to the lively atmosphere.
Huge play areas can feel overwhelming, but I was happy to see how this board actually contained almost everything.
Important Decisions
The main regions indicate the 7 general actions. However, this isn’t simply about deciding what to do. On the contrary! It’s about which cards to exchange.
In other words, the numbered cards at each action space are exchanged. Typically, this gift exchange should always trade a higher-value card for a lower-value card.
The placed card is then given up, yet it may provide a bonus action in addition to the associated space’s action.
So clever! There are a lot of considerations with every chosen card, and these constantly change every round.
Floating Downstream
Hello there! A Calico Critter stopped by to demonstrate the fun of floating down the river… Although tipping over is definitely something to avoid at all costs. Ha ha!
The river is an interesting area where better rewards may be found further downstream. Float along too long, though, and a ship might get swept away.
With the selection of decrees, or unique bonuses, I focused a lot on moving my ships and getting the better rewards.
Despite my confidence, I could tell I was starting to flounder. And I was warned ahead of time, too. Ha!
Treacherous Jade
As expected, my first play was a little rough. I needed some time to understand how the solo opponent acted, but this wasn’t anything overly complicated. Just new.
I neglected one commodity: Jade. A small collection isn’t worth much, but the solo opponent focused on it. That was a pretty fancy 17 victory points in the end. Goodness!
Not that I became an expert, but it often pays to diversify rather than focusing too much on a single action.
Since I needed to reach the top of a track to even have a chance at winning, I paid far too much attention to it.
Off to See the Emperor
There wasn’t a point to reaching the top of this track as quickly as possible. I still earned an extra victory point each time I would advance… But it wasn’t worth it.
I saw where I fell short. Besides, the solo opponent didn’t even need to reach a top spot in order to be eligible for victory. And only 2 victory points separated us.
So many lessons learned! It was a lot to take in and I felt like the complexity was a little higher for me. I liked it!
Back to the beginning! In order to focus on my strategy, I left some elements, like decrees, exactly as they were.
Learning Both the Rules and the Strategies
New games are always fun to get to the table! Yet the learning process doesn’t stop with the rulebook. Understanding how everything works and the optimal strategies takes time. When I learn a solo game, the most important initial goal is to get the rules right. Or at least… Mostly right. Ha! We all make some mistakes, but that foundation is key.
Working on the right strategy takes a lot of time, though, and isn’t something that will be perfected in the first few plays. At the same time, learning games are still beneficial to test out combinations to figure out what works. And, of course, what doesn’t work. It takes time! Some games might even take 10-20+ plays for the nuances to sink in.
Whenever possible, I try to keep some elements static during the first few plays. In this case, I could have randomized the decrees and assigned the solo opponent a different favored spot. Instead, I left those the same not to make it repetitive, but to give myself a chance to explore the actions and figure out how the moving parts worked together.
Decrees and Defeat
The enormous collection of jade was what rocketed the solo opponent right on past me. Not even close with that taken into account! Alright… Jade. Got it and noted.
I actually might have won had I done more with the decrees. Indeed, there were 8 victory points right there had I utilized my servants a little better. Very close!
Even at this rather easy difficulty level, I liked the challenge. A victory was possible with some adjustments.
Also, I forgot how much I enjoy solo games where I can take a moment to see where I could have pulled ahead.
An Obvious Hint
I’ll just come out and admit it. I played several more times and completely ignored… Jade. After noting that it was the one area where I fell behind, I just left it out. Again. Ha ha!
This prompted my game table to be overrun by a small herd of deer who didn’t have to say a word. They just looked at me and held it up. All. The. Jade. Fine. FINE!
Ha! Actually, the solo opponent’s focus on the jade action meant that it repeatedly earned 17 victory points.
I had to pivot again to make sure I didn’t leave this out, lest the Calico Critters questioned my every move!
A Belated Celebration
After losing by a handful of victory points over and over, things finally came together. I still didn’t collect a lot of jade, yet it was not completely abandoned this time!
I had to hold my breath as I calculated the solo opponent’s usual 17 victory points from the jade. But… I won!
This one felt even tougher, though, for I was routinely behind and had some turns when very little happened.
Still, I was in it for the long-run victory points. I was greeted with a small celebration dance next to the board. Someone was happy I finally took their advice on the jade!
Session Overview
Play Number: 1-4
Solo Mode: Included in the Base Game
Play Details: Easy Difficulty Level
Outcome: 50-57, 56-59, 54-57, 57-54 (1 Win & 3 Losses)
I didn’t do a particularly great job at blocking the solo opponent, but I made it very difficult to pick up the top decrees. 18 victory points came from this pair… Enough to erase all the gains from the jade! This was a thrilling victory since it all felt so close. I enjoyed working through the different actions and having my plans ruined more than once by the solo opponent. Lots of fun decisions!
%
1 Play
Affordability
Price & Value
9
Functionality
Challenges & Mechanics
8
Originality
Design & Theme
7
Quality
Components & Rules
10
Reusability
Achievement & Enjoyment
9
Variability
Distinctness & Randomness
9
+ Pros (Positives)
- Each card choice involves a lot of decision points, often leading to interesting turns and action chains.
- The complexity isn’t overwhelming since working through optimal choices often leads to satisfying moments.
- Despite being enormous, the board features amazing artwork and clear areas for components or actions.
- There are a lot of different ways to earn victory points, some of which might not be as obvious from the start.
- Various difficulty levels can be used to easily adjust the solo opponent, which helps tailor the challenge.
- Randomized setup provides all sorts of variability and changes in strategies to keep gameplay exciting.
– Cons (Negatives)
- The solo opponent has specific rules and exceptions that can take some time to understand without the rulebook.
- Although the board is beautiful and functional, it requires a lot of reaching to get to the dice and travel area.
- Sorting through the cards can be a little time-consuming since the different deck symbols are tiny and similar.
- There are plenty of opportunities for analysis paralysis, and some turns can result in nothing actually happening.
Victory Conditions
Score the Most Points
- Overall Goal Progress 100%
Goals and Milestones
Score at least 55 points.
Win at least 1 game at the easy difficulty level.
Continue the Conversation
What do you like about Gùgōng? Are there any other solo games it reminds you of? I went in with a slightly favorable opinion, owing to a handful of multiplayer experiences. It held up well, though! This had me constantly thinking about my options and how what I did during a round might affect my future options. Very clever and enjoyable!
I love Gugong, and I might like it better Solo than multi-player, I can’t tell. That darn AI is so tough when they get the right ‘favorite’ space – like Jade collection. They can really rack up some points that you can’t counter very well. It’s an excellently-designed AI though who is hard to predict (and therefore, counter).
So many excellent points! I struggled with the solo opponent focusing on the jade, but managing to pull off the eventual victory was a lot of fun. There were times when it picked up the action card I needed, thereby ruining my plans. Lots of fun trying to work through it, though! Thanks for sharing why you enjoy it so much!