The Pursuit of Happiness: A Joyful Game of Life Stories

Jun 14, 2023 | Stories | 2 comments

Live a full life through adulthood and old age with all sorts of fun and fulfilling experiences in The Pursuit of Happiness.

One of my most anticipated solo games has been The Pursuit of Happiness. I missed out on the original ages ago, and endured years of delays for the latest project. Yet it finally arrived, and I eagerly tore into the box! It actually made it to my table the day it arrived, which is a rarity for me. Onto a different presentation of a solo game in the form of a story!

Game Overview

Game Name: The Pursuit of Happiness
Publication Year:
2015
Designers:
Adrian Abela and David Chircop
Artist:
Panayiotis Lyris
Publisher: Artipia Games
Solo Mode: Included in the Base Game

A trio of life goals present the requirements for victory as a character goes through life. Happiness and stress affect elements, while important decisions surround elements like projects, items, activities, jobs, and partners. It’s all very thematic, yet also quite a challenge to claim victory!

A Gorgeous and Cheerful Sort of Life in The Pursuit of Happiness
R

First Play

June 13, 2023

Complexity

3

Latest Play

April 12, 2024

Expansions

11

Setup Time

10 Minutes

Lifetime Plays

14

Play Time

1 Hour & 20 Minutes

:

High Score

87

1

Game Area

50" x 34"

;

Low Score

49

A Life-Sized Play Area

Whoa! I didn’t realize I ordered the neoprene playmat, and it turned out to be absolutely enormous. In a recurring pun, I’m going to call it life-sized and smile. Ha ha!

Actually, it encompasses central areas for all of the many expansions. I couldn’t even fit the whole thing in a photo, but roughly half of this photo is for the expansions.

As is my custom, I started off with the base game to get an idea of the rules and see what the new content offered.

I’ll swap over to a story-based post here shortly, yet after all the waiting, the table presence made me so happy!

An Absolutely Life-Sized Area to Play The Pursuit of Happiness

Simple Teen Years

It took me a little time to understand all of the rules. The rulebook was laid out in a rather text-heavy format, so I took extra time to make sure I knew what was going on.

Play begins in the teen phase, which offers limited cards… All for good reason! This forms the basis for a character with a choice of starting projects, items, and activities.

Never fear about all of the icons and choices: This all made sense to me after playing for a short period of time.

The only thing missing was an actual character. I was a little dismayed that it was very nebulous. Ah, but what if…

A Small Assortment of Starting Cards to Start the Teen Phase in The Pursuit of Happiness

Meet Bob the Achiever

A small partner deck offers options during adulthood for dating and long-term relationships. These are double-sided to feature different characters, which is very nice!

I technically took a partner out of the game, but decided to draw a card to act as the central figure of this play.

Meet Bob! He had the achiever trait, which gave him a small boost when starting a project. Such a character!

Actually, this worked out amazingly well for me and gave me someone to get attached to. It might be an unusual way to play, yet I’m glad I tried it out and always will do so!

Giving a Little Personality to a Solo Play with a Partner Card from The Pursuit of Happiness

Life Goals to Strive For

The solo mode defines victory as the accomplishment of a trio of life goals and a minimum of 50 long-term happiness, or victory points. Lots of variety here!

I used these as a sort of general idea behind what Bob might want out of life. With so many options to pursue, these requirements at least formed a foundation.

This meant Bob needed to reach the top level of a job, have a slight focus on activities, and improve his health.

Not the easiest of tasks to begin with, yet I was ready to go so he could pursue happiness and have a nice life!

A Collection of Life Goals Required to Achieve Victory in The Pursuit of Happiness

A Tale of Two Cities: Mechanics and Theme

If ever there was a game that could suffer from focusing too much on the mechanics, this is it. I found myself almost falling into the trap of focusing on maximizing victory points or plotting out ways to make the best decisions. This is what playing so many solo games has trained me to do! Luckily, I was able to distance myself from that path.

Many choices are still very open-ended, and having the life goals provides a framework for how to advance. But as you’ll see in the following story, a lot of Bob’s life was about tying together his experiences. I didn’t choose the “best” project to pursue, but the one that aligned with his goals and current cards. Stories abounded!

I won’t spoil the story here, yet the highlight was being able to come back to things that happened early on in his life. This wasn’t about hoarding extra resources in the hopes of getting extra long-term happiness, but finding a balance between the board game elements and giving this character a great life, focusing on the narrative along the way.

The Teenage Years

Bob’s formative time began when he started to develop his penchant for achievement. It was his roleplaying group that really got him going as he put together adventures.

That experience as a game master made him enjoy all of the behind-the-scenes tasks. Bob didn’t mind not playing a character, for he provided the groundwork for his group!

He also volunteered and managed to put most of his time into it, going so far as founding a national charity.

Yet when it came to grounding himself and enjoying life, Bob turned to his trusty sound system and music.

Having a Great Time Getting Started as a Teen in The Pursuit of Happiness

Into Young Adulthood

Everything took off as soon as Bob left his childhood home! His national charity caught the attention of a gallery owner, where he took a job as an art critic.

That creativity encouraged him to upgrade his sound system. Music was always near and dear to his heart.

But Bob felt that education was missing from his life. He lucked into an excellent career that used his creativity, yet he put the time into attending private school to expand.

Fortunately, that knowledge helped him appear on a game show, where he was the winner and labeled a genius!

An Age of Special Classes and a Genius Game Show Performance in The Pursuit of Happiness

Appreciating Oneself

Bob’s life was filled with his career and projects, although he felt himself getting pulled away from himself. As the years passed by, he took a moment to slow down a bit.

Spiritual growth seemed like an unusual path, yet the promise of improved health was important to consider.

He wasn’t entirely focused on playing life safely, though… Bob had himself an off roading adventure, which was absolutely thrilling! Life was simply so much fun.

This was also a time when Bob invested in himself, appreciating music with the best sound money could buy.

Shifting Into Spirituality and Less Possessions in The Pursuit of Happiness

The SImple Life

Much as Bob knew he wanted to advance in his career, being an art critic was simply all he wanted. He was close to a promotion, yet never went after it.

This middle-aged phase saw him settle into a routine, augmented by continued spiritual growth. He felt so close to enlightenment, and was entirely content.

Naturally, Bob wasn’t all about staying calm! He found the fun in paintball, especially when applied to artwork.

The gallery offered an entirely new way to create or alter famous pieces of art. Everyone was simply delighted!

Growing as a Person and Having a Little Fun with The Pursuit of Happiness

Aging Gracefully

Bob saw the sunset years approaching, but feared little. His enlightenment meant he would likely live longer and experience even more than he ever expected.

Still, he saw no path to being promoted and maintained his position at the gallery. His critiques of the new paintball art were famous and sought after by many!

He treated himself to a weekend at the beach, complete with music and a sudden penchant to learn how to cook.

After all, Bob’s adult life may have come to an end, yet he had plenty of time to keep learning and achieving more.

Making More Decisions and Seeing the World with The Pursuit of Happiness

A Full Life Realized

As the old age stage began, Bob understood just what it was to continue working. He had little time for anything else, but wanted to end his career with a bang.

The gallery was where he had spent his entire life, and being promoted to curator was an absolute dream come true! Bob wasn’t just a person: He was part of the gallery.

With no time to waste, he focused on the simple things, like improving his cooking and watching a play.

These were far from the exciting memories some of his friends boasted of, yet Bob was happy and fulfilled.

Moving Up in the World with a Very Fun Old Age Phase in The Pursuit of Happiness

Coming Full Circle

Spiritual growth certainly aided Bob, and he lived longer than the average person. He also never retired, devoting himself to the gallery as its most beloved curator.

But twilight had arrived, and it wouldn’t be long before his life came to an end. Bob never feared it and didn’t feel that anything was missing from life. Well, maybe one thing…

The next generation of art critics asked no questions when Bob asked for a little help to see a grand festival.

To experience music in-person, rather than on his beloved speakers, was the perfect ending to a life well-lived.

The Final Exciting Moment for a Thematic End to The Pursuit of Happiness

A History of Life

Bob died a very happy man! I kept his completed projects to the side so I could look back at his important moments.

He had plenty of leftover money and creativity in the end, which aligned with how he lived his life. That also helped boost him in the long-term happiness department!

This was a great lesson in how it wasn’t all about playing this as a game, but giving Bob the sort of life he was after.

Did he achieve a lot? Absolutely! I loved looking back at what happened during every life stage to remember. He had plenty of fun and felt like a complete character.

A Few Quick Memories to Remember Bob from The Pursuit of Happiness

Just Short… Or Not?

In a rather agonizing moment, Bob’s final score came out to 49 long-term happiness. Technically, that meant the play was a loss, coming up short by the tiniest margin!

This is an interesting part of the experience because playing to win goes against the spirit of the theme, but there are still overall goals to try to complete.

I still think it’s possible to play for the theme, progress towards these goals, and find a happy medium.

Having the life goals and victory threshold keep the game from being a pure roleplaying experience, at least for me!

A Technical Loss a Single Victory Point Short in The Pursuit of Happiness

Another Quick Play

To understand the flow of gameplay, the rules, and how much variety the base game offers, I reset to play as Erin the haggler! Definitely a different sort of life.

She became CEO very early on and retired quickly, enjoying a wonderful life with her husband, Sean.

An early robot wars competition led her to ride a motorcycle, and she was known to be active in every facet of her life. There was no mistaking anyone for Erin!

This play progressed very differently and was just as fun as the initial storyline with Bob. Simply awesome!

Another Exciting Life to Look at with Erin the Haggler from The Pursuit of Happiness

Session Overview

Play Number: 1 and 2
Solo Mode: Included in the Base Game
Outcome: 49 and 55 (1 Win & 1 Loss)

Erin’s life was mainly about possessions, and she had a grand collection! Note, though, that she wasn’t a material girl: That jewelry never progressed past the fake stuff. Ha! I had a fantastic time exploring the base game with these back-to-back plays. There are many paths to move forward, and it’s awesome to see the life of a character. I didn’t find it difficult to separate out the idea of playing to win, and I can’t wait to add in all of the expansion content!

A Wonderful and Fulfilling Life at the End of The Pursuit of Happiness

%

10 Plays

Affordability

Price & Value

10

Functionality

Challenges & Mechanics

9

Originality

Design & Theme

10

Quality

Components & Rules

8

Reusability

Achievement & Enjoyment

9

Variability

Distinctness & Randomness

10

+ Pros (Positives)

  • There is an interesting story to tell about each character during a play as a life takes shape and advances.
  • Nearly everything is positive or least comical, so even not fulfilling the victory conditions can lead to a lot of fun.
  • Play moves pretty quickly with limited downtime and a focus on making careful decisions to advance the story.
  • An enormous amount of projects, items, and activities create unique ways to build a character’s life.
  • Having a limit on the number of certain cards feels realistic and encourages careful choices without overloading.
  • Many elements are tracked and impact gameplay in ways that are interesting and tie into the theme of life.

– Cons (Negatives)

  • The base game variability is a little low in terms of jobs and partners, as all of them are seen with each play.
  • Not all of the rules are as clear as they could be, and it takes a little extra time to understand each aspect.
  • Although it might be more of an issue only with the playmat, the required table space can be on the larger side.
  • Many options exist for each play, but the mixture of elements might feel a little stale with only the base game.

More The Pursuit of Happiness

Explore related posts about The Pursuit of Happiness!

Victory Conditions

Complete All Life Goals & Reach the Threshold

  • Overall Goal Progress 89% 89%

Goals and Milestones

R

Score at least 50 long-term happiness.

R

Score at least 60 long-term happiness.

R

Score at least 70 long-term happiness.

R

Score at least 80 long-term happiness.

R

Win at least 1 game with the base game.

R

Win at least 1 game with the community expansion.

R

Win at least 1 game with the experiences expansion.

R

Win at least 1 game with the nostalgia expansion.

Q

Score at least 90 long-term happiness.

Continue the Conversation

Have you played The Pursuit of Happiness? What are some of your favorite memories? I was already biased in favor of enjoying this one, but it delivered on my expectations. To say I’m obsessed with it would be accurate! It’s been on my table since it arrived, and I plan to keep playing as I add in every expansion. Still, I will always fondly remember Bob!

2 Comments

  1. Thanks for all your reports on this game.

    Reply
    • You’re very welcome, and thanks for stopping by to read about all of the stories! Absolutely love this game, and the only reason I took it off of my table after 10 plays was to give some other new arrivals a little more time. Definitely one of my favorites from the ones I’ve recently played!

      Reply

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