It’s a hard thing to grasp, and more of a feeling than anything when I’m playing. I think there’s more room for that kind of design in a eurogame, but in a combat game that leads to stalled board states which no one likes.

This is interesting, I just had a conversation about this with somebody else after playing ‘My Farm Shop’ – the latest from Rudiger Dorn (Istanbul). I was very surprised (not in a good way) by that game, since it really felt like a game with training wheels. It almost feels like Dorn has a certain idea of what one play of the game should be like and you are trapped in that pre-conceived funnel with no way to really break out. It makes for a nice, clear first couple of plays, but as soon as you figure out your strategic creativity has no place here, it becomes incredibly stale.

That’s fine of course, nobody expects a game to offer a million interesting plays, but it did surprise me since Dorn has so many games under his belt. For a first time [published] designer(s) – like here with Dice Command – I can almost see how you are still a bit hesitant to include any game-breaking or super-swingy elements in the game. I hope they find some more confidence in designing something a bit more ballsy the next time.
But with My Farm Shop, making a game that is so stifling in your creative actions, from an veteran designer – that’s a big miss for me.