Tuesday, June 19, 2012

#34: Lost Valley (Mark's 100 - 2012)

Lost Valley

Mark's Ranking
  • 2012: 34th
  • 2010: 20th
  • 2005: did not appear
  • rank: 538
  • rating: 6.91
Print Status
  • OOP
Why It's On The List
  • A very cool exploration/gold mining game with mean & tricky heart - if you can't accept that stuff you build will be used by others to mess you over, you don't need to be playing this game..
Tips & Tricks:
    • You can not do everything - although it is legal to own both a canoe & a horse - and there's a tipping point in the game where spending gold is actually spending away your chance at winning. One of the important skills is figuring out when you just need to ride out the strategy you've chosen, even if the terrain isn't particularly friendly.
    • As much as I want it to work for 3 players, I think about half of our three player games end up with the player who goes "solo" (doesn't travel the same side of the river as the other players) ends up winning - it's easier not to fight. The only way to avoid this is to either (a) cooperate w/the guy on the same side of the river as you to race each other, or (b) only play with four players.
    • Watch the timer - a player with a substantial enough lead in gold & a decent mode of transportation is highly motivated to find the source of the river & start that timer rolling.
    Extras
    • There are some great player aids up on the Geek - and it's probably required for you to download & read the extensive FAQ..

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