Today Kage, Hector, Eddie and I sat down and played a couple of games. The first of those games was Scary Tales. Don’t let the name fool you, for it isn’t a kids game, as it’s meant for 13+. The game itself has a simple enough premise- your character (in this starter game you have Red Riding Hood or Pinocchio to choose from) must be the first to have 7 points in relics at the start of your turn. The real trick is that some relics only have modifier points, meaning that you must already have a scoring card without a plus of that same relic colour in order to get the points. The relics are in a fortune deck and you end your turn after you’ve drawn one, though there are other cards that might shift things around in the game such as giving a player the fairy card, which gives you an extra fourth die.
You battle by rolling three dice with various sides to match the number of icons on the relic card on top of your opponents pile to try to steal it, while using power cards to potentially aid in your attempted theft. Some power cards give you a number of icons to use, and others can give you abilities such as putting a different relic card on top of your opponent’s deck. There are three types of power cards: ones that need to be played before you roll, ones that are played after you roll, and ones that are considered effects, such as the one that allows you to shift your opponent’s relic card order. The actual game is simple enough, pretty much a bash ’em game that isn’t too complicated or hard.
The components of this are simple but effective. The six sided dice are decent, but nothing spectacular. I felt like the images of things you are supposed to collect for the relics are a bit weird. The artwork for the characters is pretty nifty, and it definitely works in a take that game.
Overall, I’d say this is a pretty simple game that most people would be able to understand and play in short order. It’s quick and not too hard, which makes it a decent filler game.
Kage’s Notes: This is a Reiner Knizia game, anyone familiar with his other work will find little surprise here. Simple but tight rules, mainly about probability management, theme has nothing to do with game mechanics, being good at rapid number crunching will give you an advantage.
I think it has a place as a filler, but it’s a lot more luck based and less balanced then Knizia’s usual faire. The game also to a large degree plays itself, your actions each turn are pre-set, the only thing you can do is adjust the probabilities. That said, for the low investment in both dollars and time, it makes for a decent and quick way for players to pass time while waiting for a meatier game.
Designer: Reiner Knizia
Price: $18
Players: 2-X (expansions increase player count)
2 player Scaling: It becomes a pure take that slugfest, but works fine.
Playtime: 7 Minutes per player
Estimated Lifespan: 5+ games
Estimated Average Play Frequency: Whenever a quick filler is needed
Complexity: 1
Components: 4
Bang for Buck: 5
Value for Time: 5
Fun Factor: 2.5
Overall: 3.5
Cardboard for 2 
Leave a comment