A Solid Rating of “No Disassemble!” for Raising Robots
Assemble a cast of charming robots with fantastic, detailed art as a young inventor attending classes in Raising Robots.
The more I play Raising Robots, the more I enjoy it! I finished up a solo campaign with an inventor, and decided to do it all again with another character. Although the rule is to swap out young inventors during a campaign, I’m making this up as I go and loving it! My next challenge would be to learn a new ability and discover some more robots to build!
Game Overview
Game Name: Raising Robots
Publication Year: 2023
Designers: Brett Sobol & Seth Van Orden
Artists: Viktoriya Fajardo & Howard McWilliam
Publisher: Nauvoo Games
Solo Mode: Included in the Base Game
Over the course of 8 rounds, different phases trigger with variable power levels. Figuring out how to make the most of these actions is paramount, as is assembling a bunch of awesome robots with cool abilities! Upgrades also add more to the mix for a fun, challenging experience.
First Play
February 14, 2024
Complexity
4
Latest Play
February 17, 2024
Expansions
1
Setup Time
10 Minutes
Lifetime Plays
6
Play Time
45 Minutes
High Score
122
Game Area
26" x 22"
Low Score
80
A Delightful Tableau
Initially, I thought the area to the left might feel crowded, while the robots would get lost in the mix. Visually, it might look busy, yet the details all stand out at a glance.
My only real issue at this point is the level to which these player boards have warped… They’re not dual-layered, but some of them are over half an inch in the air. Calm down!
All of the important information is pretty easy to spot at a glance, and activating a row involves going left to right.
I also can’t say how much delight I get when drawing cards. So many details to appreciate! Look at Hazmat… Ha!
Variable Phases
One of the key elements of gameplay are the phases, and how much power is applied to them. But hold on… Only a pair of these may be chosen and assigned to set cards.
The solo opponent simulates other players by having a random assortment of phases, where cubes may be added.
Each cube typically adds 1 power to that phase, yet there are cards that define these cubes as equal to 2 power.
I keep glossing over visual examples, but this is such a key area of gameplay that’s awesome! You can never do everything, and have to use a little deduction at times.
Getting Accustomed
During this solo campaign, I played as Katherine. She had a huge bonus when it came to her classes, where she could advance a tier right before final scoring. So cool!
I thought Ada’s ability to choose 3 phases each round would be overpowered, but this session gave me a chance to appreciate these asymmetric abilities. Awesome!
Inventors help add lots of variety, in addition to the classes and robots. Nothing repetitive here.
My strategies kept changing, too, and I found myself finding some neat timing mechanisms for upgrades.
Excellent Grades
Not surprisingly, Katherine earned her straight A grades in the second play! It was still a challenge, though, and I probably could have done better with additional scoring.
Extra credit was still needed, though. Without both of those bonuses, she was in the not-so-great C tier.
I’ll also note that classes certainly award tons of points and encourage learning, but it’s possible to get high scores without earning perfect grades across the board.
Unlocking more upgrades proved to be a great strategy, too, and I was excited about all of the bonuses!
Making Time for Solo Games: Less Can Be More
When I had a lot of free time, I remember the weeks when I managed to learn and play 1-2 new solo games each day. Such fun! Yet that hasn’t been the case for awhile, and I’ve been working hard this year. It’s also the first stretch of time when I’m feeling healthy and not coming down with a cold every week, so that’s been pretty amazing!
Yet I’ve found that I still need to make some time to enjoy my games without any pressure. That often translates into learning and playing something new maybe once every week… Or less. Keeping a single game out on my table has been great for exploring it more and ensuring that the limited time I have isn’t spent on reading a new rulebook and setup.
I love the process of getting a new game to the table, but sometimes, that’s just a lot! What works for me isn’t going to make sense for everyone, and I’ll note that I was initially a little anxious about this one. It’s certainly more complex, but it ended up being a very positive experience. So glad I had a chance to finally set aside some time to dig in!
The Greatest Details
Artwork is always going to be subjective, yet even if this style isn’t for everyone, the attention to detail is so cool!
Every robot has a clear theme that ties into the name, and the individual components all match up. Check out Java here, whose purpose is entirely obvious. Necessary. Ha!
This is a case where the art truly sets the game apart. If I didn’t see the robots but heard the premise, I would likely picture something modern without too much personality.
I know this won’t be a solo game for everyone, yet if you’re looking for some excellent art, take a close look!
Over-Recycling
As I gained confidence with this solo campaign, I went a little too far with the final play in terms of pushing my luck and trying to do too much at the same time.
My recycle row was excellent for batteries, but Jazz was never upgraded… This cost me a card, which I foolishly activated too much. Not enough robots to assemble!
My final score was still decent, but nowhere near what I hoped for. Still plenty more to learn about the strategies.
The important thing is that even seeing some of the same robots brought out some new ideas for me to try out.
Session Overview
Play Number: 4-6
Solo Mode: Included in the Base Game
Outcome: 85, 112, 87 (3 Losses)
Pretty good outing for Katherine! The solo campaign scoring tiers mean I have a long way to go towards the best outcomes, yet that’s awesome. I also discovered some more of the greatest robots. Keys just felt all too timely with a recent commercial: “Touchdown Tommy on them keys!” Ha ha! Although I’m definitely focusing on the art as a major part of the game, gameplay is interesting and challenging to the point that I continue to love this one!
%
1 Play
Affordability
Price & Value
10
Functionality
Challenges & Mechanics
10
Originality
Design & Theme
6
Quality
Components & Rules
8
Reusability
Achievement & Enjoyment
10
Variability
Distinctness & Randomness
8
+ Pros (Positives)
- Choosing phases to activate is filled with strategic layers, especially with the way other phases might be activated.
- For how much appears to be going on in the tableau, the iconography is easy to learn and find during play.
- Each inventor brings something vastly new to the experience, so that mastering one play style isn’t everything.
- The artwork is absolutely delightful with colorful robots assembled from related objects that tie into their names.
- It’s easy to follow the sequence of play with the order and arrows on the player board, plus a tracking meeple.
- Playing as a young inventor brings the theme to life about learning and applying knowledge to building robots.
– Cons (Negatives)
- Despite not being dual-layered, the cardboard player mats are all substantially warped directly out of the box.
- Some parts of the rulebook would have been excellent on summary cards or sheets for easier reference during play.
- There is some luck involved in finding the robots and classes that work together, but there are ways to draw more.
- It takes a little time to get used to the upgrade tokens, as there isn’t a reference for what’s hidden under them.
Victory Conditions
Score 120+ Points
- Overall Goal Progress 33%
Goals and Milestones
Earn straight A grades in all classes in at least 1 game.
Place an upgrade token on every robot in at least 1 game.
Score at least 120 points.
Score at least 130 points.
Win at least 1 game as each base game inventor. (2 / 14)
Continue the Conversation
Have you reached any of the highest scoring tiers in Raising Robots? Do any of the robots remind you of anything else you enjoy? I’m only taking this one off my table to give a little more attention to other games, but it is absolutely wonderful in every way with more content to discover. This is definitely a “No disassemble!” part of my collection!
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