Players: 1-100
Ages: 8+
Game Time: 20 minutes
Having previously reviewed Zuuli by Unfringed.co (and scoring it a well deserved 6/6) we at DOALG were thrilled to play a preview of their newest creation. This is a strategic tunnel building game that gamers of all ages will enjoy (and veteran Tetris players will excel at). Molehill Meadows puts players into the role of Mika the mole who loves to dig tunnels and collect worms. Players must each create a tunnel network and compete to score the most points at the end.
At Airecon we met designer Chris Priscott from Unfringed.co and had the great pleasure of learning this game from the source; and were lucky enough to receive a demo copy to fully test out. This game is very much sweet and simple in every way, including the charming artwork, components and gameplay.
The components comprise of a rulebook, 33 standard size cards, and a pad of game maps. The demo versions of all of these are of a reasonable quality, and the artwork on all elements of the game is family friendly and cute.
In Molehill Meadows there is no minimum or maximum player count, the only limitation here is the number of game sheets (100 provided in the pad) and how many people you can fit around your table. To set up, each player takes a game map and grabs their favourite pen/pencil. The tunnel shape cards are shuffled and two set aside (without looking) to make the shapes in game a little less predictable. Bonus objectives are also shuffled and two drawn to be used in the current game.
With setup complete, the game starts by one at a time drawing the first three tunnel shape cards, which each player draws into their game map as stones (fully shaded); these are impassable objects for the rest of the game. Throughout the game, all players act simultaneously. Each round, a new tunnel card is drawn and then sketched into the game map by each player. There are a few rules regarding placement of tunnels, but these are easy to learn. There are a number of points scoring and obtainable abilities built into the game, which for the most part require tunnels to traverse particular types of map feature and will contribute to scoring at the end of the game.
Overall, this is a very laid-back competitive game that has minimal player interaction. This is not necessarily a bad thing but could cause some players to feel uninspired. Molehill Meadows is a charming game of pattern recognition and spatial awareness, perfect for relaxed family level gaming. Personally, I have enjoyed playing this game and rate it highly within its category. There is still plenty of room to expand this game (during crowdfunding or after) with additional objectives, maps and tunnel shapes to really enhance the replayability.
My only concern is this is a game that relies on the use of a game pad. While these are great for party-esque games, they can however place a limit on the replayability as they will run out eventually. Many companies will sell new pads, but if they go out of print then that's it. Therefore, if this or any such game becomes your favourite I recommend scanning them for printing or laminating and using drywipe markers.
There are some additional non-gameplay related points worth mentioning, though. First is that the game will be produced plastic free, even the wrapping will be 100% biodegradable. Secondly, all produced in Europe. Thirdly, all the artwork has been produced by an actual person, the obviously talented Clemency Bunn and Rob Ingle - no AI outsourcing here.
So, if this game sounds like a match for your gaming table, then check out the Gamefound campaign - https://gamefound.com/en/projects/unfringed/molehillmeadows. This will be a pretty short window folks only running from April 16th to April 25th 2024. However, there are some benefits to funding the campaign. Backers can look forward to saving a few pennies and acquiring a limited-edition promo. However, if you miss the campaign, you may still be able to snag a promo by tracking down Unfringed.co at this year's UK Games Expo in Birmingham from Friday 31st May to Sunday 2 June 2024 (https://www.ukgamesexpo.co.uk/) while stocks last.
While this game does not quite hit the same high bar set by Zuuli, it is still very much worthy of solid praise, scoring a respectable 5/6 on the DOALG dice rating.
Sam-Wise
Like the sound of the game and want to get your hands on a copy? Hurry - the Gamefound campaign runs only from April 16th to April 25th 2024 https://gamefound.com/en/projects/unfringed/molehillmeadows