I’m an ideal marketer’s mark. I am sure they see me coming from a mile away. I am an easy sell. Because of this, I occasionally buy games on hype or marketing alone. Sometimes that includes backing games on Kickstarter without really following the campaign. In the case of Endeavor, this is an even more ridiculous and inexcusable action.
Endeavor was originally published by Z-Man Games in 2009. It rates a 7.4 on BGG with 8600+ ratings. Burnt Island Games and Grand Gamer’s Guild did more than enough work in marketing and on the campaign for me to know what I was getting myself in to with this revamp. I had all the opportunities in the world to be an educated gamer. I could have explored all the info on the original game. I could have explored the KS campaign. I could have read the rulebook, interacted with the BGG forum, or even used my favorite search engine to learn about the game in advance. I willfully chose ignorance. That’s a hard admission to make, but it’s true. I didn’t even bother reading the rulebook until the game was delivered. This game looked great and I am occasionally a sucker for a good sales pitch. Fortunately for me, this worked out in my favor.
Endeavor is an area control/tableau building/action selection kind of game set in the 15-1800s. Using trade (shipping) and industry (occupation) actions as the primary ways to claim territory on the board, players collect attribute bonuses, extra actions for later in the game, and/or area control end-game scoring. Attacking is costly, but it is an option to claim a previously claimed location on the board. Players build a tableau of actions and must manage advancing 4 attribute tracks to improve their ability to 1) build higher level buildings in their action tableau, 2) collect worker discs to use on actions, 3) pay workers to re-open actions once they’re used, and 4) hold cards which give bonuses to the player. The attribute tracks are the primary points for end-game scoring, and can be increased with bonus cards or by picking up bonus discs from the board.
Endeavor: Age of Sail takes the decade-old Endeavor game and turns it up to 11. The board is divided into different geographical regions (Europe, North America, Asia, etc). As these regions open up, new ways to use actions become available (for example, opening both India and North America would trigger the Saltpeter Stockpiles Exploit, providing additional attacking options). These “Exploits” are what make Age of Sail really sing for me. They make the actions (from buildings or tokens) have more utility and open up different strategies for additional end-game scoring. At the end of 7 turns, final scoring is completed, and a winner determined. That sounds so anticlimactic, but I don’t believe the game plays to an anticlimactic finish. This game builds with tension right up to the end. Even first time players have commented to me regarding this effect.
The components for the deluxe Kickstarter version are just amazing. Wooden discs replace cardboard chits for the area control and attribute upgrade portions of the game, and plastic components replace cardboard and wooden components for many of the Exploit portions of the game – there’s a PDF that describes all of the specific changes available for those who are really curious. The components don’t offer as much tactile satisfaction as some other games, but that is probably because they are handled less. The game looks beautiful on the table, and the upgraded components certainly contribute to that.
I love that the game spirals up from one or two actions on the first turn to possibly double digits on the last turn. It accelerates right up to the edge of players really having an incredible engine going and then it’s over. If there were more turns, the choices made on earlier turns would be less compelling, because players would have more opportunity to change gears and cover more bases. As it is, the game feels tight and it feels like every decision matters without having the problem of one misstep early costing a player any chance of winning the game. While it’s possible to lose some other games turn 1 before a player knows what they’re doing, this game seems to avoid that by giving sufficient value to each of the actions that are available in early buildings. I love that players can plan for a certain strategy early but other players have the opportunity to change how effective that strategy can be with the tactics they choose to use. The games I’ve played have been varied before we even get to talking about the Exploits, which open the game up even more.
My biggest, and maybe only, complaint about the game is that it can be daunting to keep up with what the other players are building and how their attribute tracks are advancing in 4 and 5 player games. Not because of the amount of information to consume, but because it’s all stored on player boards and the information is spread so wide across the table that tracking it can be a real challenge. I think in general, the game does a good job of encouraging players to focus on what they’re trying to accomplish individually, but players prone to try to assimilate all of the available information can drag the game out unnecessarily. What I have tried to do to combat this is provide players with some benchmarks based on turns; for example, I have instructed players that it’s generally a good idea to try to be able to have both the ship and occupy actions available during the 3rd or 4th turns and that it’s a good idea to be able to attack at least 2-3 times per game (more in higher player counts), and that usually means building an attack building in the 5th or 6th round of the game. This has seemed to provide a little bit of structure to new players’ approach to the game without dictating any direct strategy during the game.
I think this is a great game that anyone with any remote interest should give a chance. On more than one occasion, I have taught E:AoS and had players want to play again right away. As players become more comfortable, play time can really accelerate, with probably the exception of the Exploits – they’re so varied and unique that players will probably require a refresher on at least one or two of the Exploits for any individual play.
Endeavor: Age of Sail was an impulse buy (KS backing), but I am so happy I followed that impulse. The level of production and communication has given me confidence in future projects by both Grand Gamer’s Guild and Burnt Island Games. I have friends who will back anything that a certain company produces. I’m not quite to the “Insta-back” level for any company, but my threshold for both of these companies has been lowered in perpetuity thanks to my experience with this game. Speaking of backing projects, Burnt Island Games has a project on KS right now – In the Hall of the Mountain King. I’m backer #13 and I’ll probably not get around to reading the rulebook until the game is delivered, but I’m pretty sure I’ll enjoy the game anyway.
Cheers!
Just got my copy this weekend! Can’t wait to play!