Game Overview

Game Name: March of the Ants
Publication Year: 2015
Designer: Tim Eisner and Ryan Swisher
Artist: Tim Eisner, Ryan Swisher, and Peter Wocken
Solo Mode: Included in the Base Game

I soon found out that there was a fair amount of variety with just the base game components. So many options!

The expansions seem to add a lot to the solo experience, and I’m planning on covering those in the near future. This should give me a solid basis for comparison, though.

Trouble in the Spring

Everything started off pretty terribly. As seen above, a lone ant was the only one to survive early spring. The centipedes were relentless, and I knew I was in trouble.

As the next season advanced, things went from bad to worse. More centipedes showed up, destroying almost everything in their path. Bad, bad invaders!

Yet again, a lone ant made it through. I was completely starved for resources, though. The colony was weak.

I think I knew I was going to lose at this point, but since play time is so quick, I wanted to try a few more things.

Disaster in Autumn

There really wasn’t any doubt as to what would happen! My little colony floundered and disappeared. However, it fell due to the silliest reason. Get ready for it…

I forgot to save up any food. Without any larvae, either, all of the ants starved to death. Oh, my. I’m amazing. Ha ha!

At the same time, the centipedes won early on. I got rather unlucky with how they continuously showed up. With so few ants, any battles were almost guaranteed losses.

Still, I learned some potential strategies and took a few lessons with me. Namely, don’t let the ants starve!

A Sad Sort of Outcome

I forgot to update the color of my scoring marker to match the black ants. It should be pretty obvious which one of these belonged to me, though! What a loss.

There are times when it feels annoying and frustrating to lose by a large margin. In the past, this might have made me feel a little bad. Nowadays, it’s an opportunity!

As my time with board games continues on, winning is less important. I still like to win, but there’s more to it.

Finding enjoyment and fun in a solo board game is much more important. And if that means a loss, so be it!

Another Antsy Attempt

I went back to the drawing board with my next play. I switched to the bright blue ants because… Realism? Ha! I love blue, so the decision was easy.

It was very difficult to get anything going. Bark was a hotly contested spot, particularly with the ongoing victory point. Naturally, centipedes just kept spawning there.

In some ways, it’s desirable to have some of the centipedes congregate in the Great Tunnel. Why?

This keeps them from rampaging and creating contested hexes. I needed all the resources I could possibly get!

Turning the Tide

My blue ants went charging right back into the tunnels as I reset everything for another attempt. The centipedes had to go down, and I had some ideas in mind.

This time, I guided my little workers into battle. With an aggressive strategy, the centipedes didn’t stick around!

Little by little, the seasons passed and I found that we were definitely in the lead. With plenty of resource production, too, I felt pretty confident.

And then it happened: A proper victory! Even with the looming enemy, the little ants celebrated with me.

The Swarming Tactic

Is this photo necessary? No. Is it an actual depiction of gameplay? Not at all. Is it amazing in every way? YES. Ha!

In fact, my final play of this session resulted in an overwhelming victory. As the ants took over various locations, the centipedes were pushed back.

What fun! Victory often adds on a little something extra, but I genuinely felt myself cheering on my tiny ants.

Although aggressive strategies seem to work, there are a lot of other considerations. I had to keep an eye on my resources. As I learned before, don’t let the ants starve!

Session Overview

Play Number: 2-5
Solo Mode: Included in the Base Game
Play Details: Normal Difficulty Level
Required Play Space: 34″ x 24″
Setup Time: 5 Minutes
Play Time: 20 Minutes per Play
Outcome: 4-14, 11-16, 17-10, and 26-10 (2 Wins, 2 Losses)

Things started off rather poorly, yet it all turned around in the end. Even though I won quite handily, it wasn’t the easiest achievement. There is still a lot more to learn!

Affordability

Price & Value

8

Functionality

Challenges & Mechanics

9

Originality

Design & Theme

9

Quality

Components & Rules

10