Roll-and-write games are one of the more popular styles of board games in the recent past and there seems to be a continued influx of them on the market. Today we are going to looking at a new one and see how it fits into the mechanic and if it is worth adding to your collection.
Rolling Realms is designed by Jamey Stagmeier and is published by Stonemaier Games. It plays 1-6 players at 30 minutes ages 14+. Art is by Miles Bensky and Marius Peterscu.
Overview
In Rolling Realms players will compete to earn stars that play out over 3 rounds. This game is a roll-and-write where players roll dice, generate resources and score stars.
Gameplay
Rolling Realms plays 1-6 players and each player takes a set of 11 cards that each feature a different realm. Each player started with a dry-erase marker, eraser, score pad and resource card tracker to go with their realm cards. There are two large dice that each player will roll on their turn.
The game is played over 3 rounds with 9 turns for each round. Players begin with having someone randomly pick three realms from their hand of 11 and then all players match it by picking out the same 3 cards. These realms will be the ones for the round.
Clockwise around the table players will roll both dice and everyone will record the answer on their card. Now the fun begins! Players will select one die for one realm and the other die for one of the other two realms. As you follow the rules for that realm you may unlock resources like pumpkins, hearts and coins. You may also unlock stars which are victory points. The other resources will allow you to add or subtract dice numbers, add extra dice where you can based on the current roll of each die and maybe even copy a current die used.
After nine turns in the round players will score all of the stars gained from their three cards and add them to the score card. Each extra resource left is scored as one tenth of a point. The game will continue for another turn with three new random cards and nine rounds for it. This goes for three turns and then at the end of that time you score up all the totals from each round and the winner is the person with the most points.
Impressions
Rolling Realms is the newest in a line of solid games from Stonemaier Games. I have found almost all of them to be very enjoyable and deep in their gameplay. This time it is a little different in that the game is solid however the gameplay is much quicker and easier than it has been in the past. The setup and execution is quick and something that most people will catch on to very quickly.
I appreciate that Jamey found a way to solve a problem he had with friends and make a fun game that could be played with others easily via Zoom or other online resources. The idea took off so well that he moved it into a published game and this is the product we have today! It is an interesting experiment in creation and implementation and this is the game we have as a result.
Overall this game is a great entry into the Roll and Write genre and one that will be sticking around in my collection. It plays quick and smooth with any number of players and I expect it will be a staple for us in our home. I hope you all get a chance to check this one out and see how it plays with your family and friends!
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