Radlands is rad

You have probably heard about ☣️ Radlands already, but if you haven’t... You definitely need to hear me out! 

This a 1v1 duel game by Roxley Games set in a Mad-Max-esque post-apocalyptic world with gorgeous cyberpunk aesthetics (or synthwave? Experts, please correct me. 😅) with a striking color palette full of saturated colors. 

Radlands plays like a trading card game, but it’s much better because the game is just a small single box! 🥳 No collecting, no deck construction, you just shuffle a shared deck of cards and can start playing in seconds - but the strategy and tactics associated to TCGs is there! 😊

Games start by drafting 3 camp ⛺ cards. The goal of the game is to destroy the 3 enemy camps, so defend these as best you can! Each camp has a special ability you can use during the game, so each game gets a unique flavor depending on what camps you chose - there are some fun synergies to be made, especially if you add the Cults of Chrome expansion which extends the camp deck.

The rules themselves are super streamlined. 👉Each turn you get 3 water to spend, which is the resource of Radlands. You can play new cards, putting them into columns above your camps to defend them, or use abilities of existing cards. There are also events that go to an event queue, which is pushed forward each turn, activating effects when they reach “0”. You most often have a lot more to do than 3 water-worth of actions, so turns are filled with possibilities. 😁 Cards are also multi-use, as you can discard them for the depicted discard-effect, which further enhances the fun choices.

You draw a single card each turn, and additional card draw is very valuable (and rare), so efficient play is a must.

At first the game might seem a bit simple, or random due to the card draw. However, I think the more you play the deeper it gets. It really is an elegant design. 

It also helps if you learn what cards there are in the game after a few games, so you can be better prepared for the different situations. I also love the 3 and 4 cost cards which basically cost you an entire turn, but have almost game-breaking abilities. Super satisfying when you pull them off. 😍