The Pursuit of Happiness: Space Werewolves and More
Follow the life of a character, from the mundane to the fantastical, with all of the content for The Pursuit of Happiness.
In honor of the recent solar eclipse, I chose a rather unusual solo game to mark the occasion. It’s been a little while, yet The Pursuit of Happiness was my pick! Why? A smaller promo pack titled Out of This World was the only set of cards I had yet to incorporate, and that was clearly the right decision. Ha! Time to make some memories before totality!
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
Life flows by with a limited amount of time to be used for all sorts of possible happiness. Projects, items, activities, jobs, partners, experiences, and so much more help shape the moments that make up each phase. It might all boil down to happiness… Yet it’s the little things that matter!
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
Game Area
50" x 34"
Low Score
49
Out of This World
For this outing, I played as Emily, who started off with the persuasive trait. I used every expansion possible to really get the full experience across all of the content. So much!
I also added in this smaller expansion for the first time. Previously, I skipped over it since it features silly cards that lean into the unrealistic, sci-fi, or weird realms.
But with a looming eclipse, why not go out of this world?! This was the best decision, and I’ll always use these cards.
Some of the decks have grown to be extremely large, which makes each play so very different. Absolute fun!
A Cheery Play Area
There is no denying that there are a ton of cards and lots of things to keep track of. This photo should give a general look at one of the large decks near the upper left… Whoa!
Despite a lengthy setup time, I get so much joy from looking at this play area. The bright colors are cheery. No matter where I look, there is something to smile about.
That doesn’t make gameplay simple, though! Allocating time tokens, like workers, is a series of decisions.
Never is there enough time to experience it all, but I was determined to give Emily a life full of happiness!
Childhood Memories
I love all of the main expansions, yet I’ve started to enjoy The Pursuit of Happiness: Nostalgia even more. This is an advanced expansion, but it creates a childhood in 8 cards.
These cards feature a strong memory on one side, which can turn into a realization by triggering requirements.
Of the starting cards, it’s very possible to only utilize a few before the end. But even the unused ones form a little more about a character to make them seem more real.
Emily, being a zombie, needed social skills training before taking a job as a background actor… Playing a human?!
Beyond Space and Time
Maybe my shuffling skills needed some help, since I came across a lot of fantastical cards at the start! Emily went to the center of the Earth, eventually befriending a dinosaur.
Her space trip was where she met Lycaon, though… He was clearly there to get closer to the moon, and he aptly bit everyone aboard. Space werewolves now?! Apparently.
Emily touched back down on the planet to plan a trip to Bora Bora. Lycaon liked the moon… She liked the sun.
Finally, her early adulthood saw her presenting at safety seminars, mostly about the dangers of space werewolves.
Having Some Fun with Ridiculous Scenarios
Part of the reason why I never added in these fantastical cards before was to keep gameplay somewhat realistic… Yet I don’t see myself ever removing them! Occasionally, I might replace a card with another one, but having these silly options open to me seems like even more fun. Who knows? Maybe some could be explained away in dream sequences!
Is the game complete for me? It definitely feels that way. Old age might be the one area that feels like it’s on its own. Much like there are now memories to fill in childhood some more, it might be nice to see some elements that make those last few life stages more interesting. It might just mean picking up one of these cards late in life, though!
One thing I absolutely love about the game is how it really doesn’t introduce negatives. Events can sometimes have problems arise, but most may be avoided. This is about enjoying life and seeing all of the fun things that are out there. I haven’t seen all of the cards yet, either, as I keep finding nice surprises in the mix. It remains one of my favorite games!
Earning an Inheritance
Lycaon made an interesting partner, and Emily soon knew she wasn’t to be without him. Grandma Rosie, also a zombie and rather immortal, had her one wish granted.
Jin arrived one day, looking perfectly unassuming and adorable. Little did anyone know that he, too, was a space werewolf, destined for even greater things in the galaxy.
A local blood drive was the perfect way to get involved with the community… But space werewolf blood?
At least the family pulled themselves together to rafty and buy orange clothes, like any self-respecting humans!
Black Friday Bonanza
Emily was feeling pretty happy at this point in her life. She had a loyal partner, a child, an inheritance, and no job to tie her down. Time was mostly spent her own way.
Unfortunately, the savings she accumulated weren’t safe when she succumbed to the pull of Black Friday sales.
Emily ended up with a game console, shoes, a universal remote, Halloween candy, and an augmented reality set. At least the shoes helped her run in the local charity race!
All of the material possessions were a lot to handle, but they weren’t… Out of this world? Ha ha! I was having fun.
Learning to Tidy Up
The massive amount of new purchases triggered an early memory in Emily’s zombified mind. She remembered the days of actually tidying up, and being a minimalist.
Now, the fact is that Emily didn’t get very far in her idea of minimalism. She never actually spent any more time on this, leading me to believe she lived with Grandma Rosie.
Yet when you’re a family of space werewolves, you stick together. Wait… Space werewolf zombies?!
It was an exciting life, but as the years went by, Emily seemed to miss the days when she was merely a zombie.
Second Place
I watched from the sidelines and noticed that Emily really leaned into an early memory of archery to buy herself a bow… Complete with silver-tipped arrows. Emily!!!
Lycaon’s space werewolf tendencies were getting to be a lot. He took up a lot of time, and when Emily got a little older, she didn’t have time for more Black Friday sales.
Despite her expert skills, she only took home second prize in the local archery competition. Lycaon was safe again.
Emily did get that compound bow on sale, though. She just had to hope Lycaon didn’t learn how to use it!
Session Overview
Play Number: 11
Expansion: Many
Solo Mode: Included in the Base Game
Play Details: All Solo-Compatible Modules
Outcome: 74 (Loss)
In the most hilarious sort of ending, Emily completed the trio of solo goals… Yet fell exactly 1 victory point shy of an official victory! I still loved seeing her live out this very silly sort of life. The story came about naturally, and I found myself laughing throughout. This topped the very cloudy conditions I experienced for the eclipse!
%
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)
- Everything is bright and cheery in a way that’s designed to make the experience all about creating happiness.
- A story can take shape from the very beginning to create a memorable lifetime for a solo character.
- The base game itself provides a lot, but all of the expansions and modules add interesting elements to enjoy.
- Managing time and how to spend it feels very thematic and introduces all sorts of interesting decisions.
- Old age might always end in death, yet looking back at the accumulated cards tells the story of a fulfilled life.
- There is a great deal of variety in almost every deck so that each play will be vastly different with a unique story.
– Cons (Negatives)
- Although the play mat keeps almost everything organized, the amount of required table space is enormous.
- Setup is a time-intensive process that can be an enjoyable part of the experience, yet never moves very quickly.
- The play area can get very messy with a lot of cards to keep track of during the later life stages.
- With all of the expansions and modules in play, there are a lot of little rules to understand remember all the time.
Victory Conditions
Complete All Life Goals & Reach the Threshold
- Overall Goal Progress 89%
Goals and Milestones
Score at least 50 long-term happiness.
Score at least 60 long-term happiness.
Score at least 70 long-term happiness.
Score at least 80 long-term happiness.
Win at least 1 game with the base game.
Win at least 1 game with the community expansion.
Win at least 1 game with the experiences expansion.
Win at least 1 game with the nostalgia expansion.
Score at least 90 long-term happiness.
Continue the Conversation
What are your favorite expansions or modules to use in The Pursuit of Happiness? Have you enjoyed some of these outlandish cards? I had a fantastic time, and it’s been ages since I last played! The story is always the best part. So glad I chose this to bring to my table for the day of the eclipse! Best watch out for space werewolves, though… Ha ha!
0 Comments