near and far board game review
Alright, alright, let’s talk about this here game, “Near and Far.” My grandkids got it, and they keep pesterin’ me to play, so I figured I’d tell ya what I think. Don’t expect no fancy words, though, I’m just gonna tell it like it is.
First off, this game’s got a whole bunch of stuff. Little wooden people, cards, maps… Lordy, it’s a mess sometimes! But the kids seem to like it, so I guess that’s somethin’. It’s one of them adventure games, you know? Like them stories you see on the TV, but you get to make the choices. That’s kinda neat, I guess.
So, you start by pickin’ a character, a little fella or a lady, and each one’s got their own special thing they can do. Like, one of ’em’s good at fightin’, another one’s good at talkin’ to people. You gotta think about what you wanna do in the game, you see? Then you go traipsin’ around these maps, lookin’ for treasure and doin’ quests.
The maps, they’re all different. Some are all snowy and cold, others are all jungly and hot. And you gotta move your little person around, followin’ the paths and visitin’ different places. Each place has somethin’ different goin’ on. Sometimes you gotta fight monsters – the kids love that part, all the roarin’ and pretend stabbin’. Sometimes you gotta talk to people, try to convince ’em to help ya out. And sometimes, you just gotta dig for treasure. Who don’t like findin’ treasure, right?
- Maps are pretty.
- Lots of little pieces.
- Can be long to play.
Now, the story part, that’s where it gets interesting. Whenever you do somethin’ in the game, like visit a new place or talk to someone, you gotta read from this here book. It’s like one of them “choose your own adventure” books, remember those? You read a bit, then it gives you choices, and what you choose changes what happens in the game. That’s pretty clever, I gotta say. Keeps things different every time you play, see?
But, I ain’t gonna lie, sometimes it takes a long, long time to play this game. Them kids, they get all caught up in the story, and they wanna do everything, see everything. And sometimes, I just wanna sit down and watch my stories on the TV, you know? But, I guess that’s what makes it a good game, it keeps them busy. So, if you got young’uns, be prepared to spend a whole afternoon playin’ this thing.
Another thing, there’s a lot of readin’. Like I said, there’s that big book with all the stories, and then there’s cards with words on ’em, and rules to read… My eyes get tired sometimes, you know? But the grandkids, they help me out with the readin’, which is nice. It’s good for them, I suppose. Learning and all that. Better than starin’ at them phones all day.
So, is “Near and Far” a good game? Well, I dunno. It ain’t like them simple games I used to play, like checkers or cards. This one’s got a lot more goin’ on. But the kids love it, and that’s what matters, right? They get all excited about the stories, and they work together, and they laugh a lot. And, well, that makes an old lady like me happy. So yeah, I reckon it’s a good game, even if it does take forever to play.
If you like them games where you can make your own story, and you don’t mind a bit of readin’, then you might like “Near and Far.” Just make sure you got plenty of time, and maybe a good cup of coffee, cause you’re gonna be sittin’ there for a while. And for goodness sake, keep all them little pieces organized or you’ll be huntin’ for them all day! That’s just a bother if you ask me.
Tags: [board game, adventure game, storytelling, family game, near and far, review]
