Learning and Playing Through Maquis History with Resist!
Explore the history of the Spanish Maquis and the challenge of planning missions from the shadows in Resist!
One of the most egregiously abandoned solo games in my collection has been Resist! It arrived, and I didn’t even get to the step of opening it up. Such is the struggle of too many new arrivals and not enough time. This one has always interested me, both for its gameplay and history. At long last, I brought this to my table to step back into the 1930s!
Game Overview
Game Name: Resist!
Publication Year: 2022
Designers: T. Benjamin, R. Tankersley, & D. Thompson
Artist: Albert Monteys
Publisher: Salt & Pepper Games
Solo Mode: Designed for Solo (Included in the Base Game)
Maquis must be committed to missions, where they can either remain hidden or be revealed. The resistance takes time, though, and it’s a challenge to figure out how to move ahead while keeping characters for future missions. It’s a very clever system with plenty of tough decisions.
First Play
December 4, 2023
Complexity
2
Latest Play
December 5, 2023
Expansions
0
Setup Time
5 Minutes
Lifetime Plays
4
Play Time
20 Minutes
High Score
18
Game Area
34" x 26"
Low Score
9
Evaluating Missions
The heart of gameplay involves committing characters to missions, and trying to get through as many as possible.
Actually, the ending is another important decision point. Since maquis are discarded when revealed for their more powerful abilities, the group begins to dwindle.
There comes a point when the resistance can be ended to settle for a partial victory, rather than risking a loss.
I actually liked this quite a lot! It may seem like an unusual choice to make in ending a solo game, yet it reflects a very realistic historical standpoint and adds strategic planning.
Choosing the Maquis
Setup involves splitting the deck of characters between those who are available, and those who will most likely not be seen during any of the missions.
This process can be completely randomized, yet I enjoyed the system of drawing 2 cards at a time to decide!
I had a little control over who would go on these missions, allowing me to focus on certain abilities or go for a diverse group of individuals with their own specialties.
Character portraits and names add a lot to making these feel like actual people, too. Watch out for the spies!
Partial Success
My first few plays saw me act a little cautiously, which often meant enemies weren’t all cleared out. I lost more maquis, yet didn’t reveal a lot of them early on.
With spies entering the draw deck and threatening a loss, I ended a little early simply to earn some victory points!
It was interesting to look back at who remained hidden and contributed to a lot of missions, although no one was a throwaway. Everyone was crucial to the missions.
However, I was nowhere close to earning a respectable victory! That came with the completion of all 10 missions.
Finding the Synergies
Learning the rules was pretty straightforward, but there were a lot of nuances to pick up on with the characters.
Some actually worked very well together, although that often depended on the right timing. Everyone had a purpose, too, and even the dreaded spies could be used!
Committing characters to defeat enemies or the mission wasn’t all that straightforward, either. Often, it was more important to finish the objective. Some enemies retaliated.
I enjoyed the different mixture of defend, defeat, and survive abilities, too. Much more to consider each round!
Taking a Moment to Look Back at History
Although this one doesn’t give me as much of an emotional jolt as Freedom: The Underground Railroad, they both exist in that realm of board games that have a more serious underpinning to them. This is a group of games in my collection that isn’t really about any fun factor, but understanding the source material and difficult decisions made in history.
I’m now spending a little more time reading about this time period and the different events that took place over around 20 years. Love the games that shed a spotlight on history! At the same time, I can appreciate how a game isn’t going to convey everything. Still, board games can be the catalyst to learn more and get interested in historical literature.
Session Overview
Play Number: 1-4
Solo Mode: Designed for Solo (Included in the Base Game)
Play Details: Standalone Mode
Outcome: 13, 9, 11, 18 (4 Losses)
I saw some improvement in my choices! Alas, the best I could do was complete 7 of 10 missions. The scenarios are usually touted as the recommended way to play, and I look forward to trying those out in the future! Historical settings like this help teach a bit more about events that might not be as prominent nowadays, and I appreciated how well the theme and gameplay worked together.
%
1 Play
Affordability
Price & Value
8
Functionality
Challenges & Mechanics
10
Originality
Design & Theme
7
Quality
Components & Rules
9
Reusability
Achievement & Enjoyment
8
Variability
Distinctness & Randomness
7
+ Pros (Positives)
- Each character is important and offers a choice between their hidden or revealed fight values and abilities.
- Clearing a mission usually involves some surviving enemies, and the consequences must be weighed carefully.
- Gameplay moves quickly and smoothly with clear steps and sequences laid out on a handy summary card.
- A standalone mode allows for a random set of missions, yet there are also scenarios to focus on mastering.
- The optional setup step of choosing characters offers a nice way to have some control over the decisions.
- Winning is difficult to accomplish, but choosing to end early is thematic and interesting to have a partial victory.
– Cons (Negatives)
- There are some typos and punctuation issues that stand out, along with an error on the hidden value of Adolfo.
- Gameplay is interesting, but some success is often driven by getting a little lucky with the enemy cards.
- Ending the resistance early is a neat choice, yet often comes with the realization that not much was accomplished.
- Some of the later rounds can run themselves when almost the same group of characters is drawn multiple times.
Victory Conditions
Complete All of the Missions
- Overall Goal Progress 67%
Goals and Milestones
Score 10 points.
Score 15 points.
Score 20 points.
Continue the Conversation
What do you enjoy about Resist! and the system it utilizes? Have you completed the scenarios, or even the campaign? I enjoyed playing these random, standalone sets of missions, but it will be interesting to explore more of what the game offers! It’s an enlightening look at the choices facing a small group, particularly one that shouldn’t be lost to time.
0 Comments