Evenfall Review

boardgamequest.com:

We review Evenfall, a card-driven, engine-building game set in a fantasy world. Published by Dip games, Brandon gives you the rundown on the ins and outs of this euro game.

How does one become an all-powerful witch? In Evenfall, this is determined by the players who can manipulate their tableau the best, allowing them to gain precious points through crafty card play and securing benefits through battle. First-time designer Stefano Di Silvio brings a new hand management and multi-use card game with illustration from artist Martin Mottet. The game is receiving a lot of buzz from high-profile board game content creators. Have they joined the coven of their own free will, or is the proverbial veil stopping them from seeing the truth hidden in the shadows?

Evenfall plays from one to four players in about thirty minutes per player. It uses cards to power its actions and has a minor worker placement element included as well. It is ultimately a strategy game with a fantasy veneer. It is played over three rounds, and during each round players take actions from a selection of choices. Round length is indeterminate and continues until all players have passed.

Players begin with starting resources and a hand of cards consisting of specialists and rituals. Specialists provide powerful effects if added to a player’s tableau or may also be added to the council for boosting scoring opportunities. Rituals can only be added to places of power that are gained from visiting regions seeded with these cards. Places of power also provide resource generation with a once-per-round harvest action that adds new items to the inventory for each place of power in a player’s outer circle.

The outer and inner circles are a key concept of the game. Each player’s tableau features an upper and lower section. When players gain a new place of power, it is added to the outer circle. Players can then add rituals to these places of power which may add new worker placement spots, immediate actions, as