All aboard!
To preface I am not a heavy Euro game fan and prefer lighter games with odd ball themes. I had heard of Le Havre for years as I entered the hobby but never had the chance to play. Well it was more of a "doesn't look like my type of game" so I'll pass. Recently though Le Havre was on sale for 99 cents on iOS...so I took a chance.
Good offer:
Le Havre is a game about building, resources, feeding people and watching your boat bring goods to the harbor. Thematically it fits in very well with many games in the Euro game genre. As a "non Euro game fan" (let's face it we all like a little bit of everything) I was really blown away by what this game delivers! The game play is deliciously simple and there is always a positive option to take while playing.
You will either collect a pile of resources or activate a card action. Seems very simple but is extremely dynamic especially as the game gets to the mid rounds. I believe this game is lost and won in the middle rounds of the game. There are some solid strategies that have been found but depending on how the other players play you could be sitting in deep water for a while ha ha.
iPhone/iPad:
I've only played the app version but have played about 30 times now switching up between short/regular games and solo/multi player games. The app is very intuitive for a game with an ever changing dynamic. It took me a few games to get a good grasp of what cards do and all that but luckily the app has an answer for everything.
First there is a take back button that allows you to take back an action you just took. Took me a few games to remember that I needed a brick to build an iron ship so it was very handy (unlike you Star Realms ha ha). Another aspect is that every card has a full explanation to read! No need to reference a rule set or remember every rule, it's fool proof. The last user friendly part to mention is that the app even offers up advice/strategy. This makes for a low barrier of entry for new players.
The game can be a little confusing at first as the first few rounds are more or less developing what type of game it will be. Also for anyone with eye sight issues the app can be difficult to operate given the small space allocated on the device. After a few games though it's easy to adapt and plays very smoothly.
Loans:
There really isn't too many negative things I can say about Le Havre. It's the type of game that even if you lose you can still walk away feeling positive because of the building aspect and number of good choices available each turn. It can be challenging to new players and if you're getting beat by a mile you'll know about half way through making sitting there a painful experience. I suggest playing with players of the same level of experience or going it solo first. The short game is also good for getting a grasp of the game without getting too beat up.
If you are the experienced player I would suggest if teaching new players that you explore other strategies as that will both challenge you an give new player a chance to enjoy a more even game play experience.
Overall:
I really enjoy Le Havre! It's so engaging and the dynamic yet positive game play is addictive. I would definitely suggest trying the game first! It can be a little bit of a rough time navigating your first play but once you "get it" Le Havre is a fascinating experience.
9/10 (this is for the app version alone)
To preface I am not a heavy Euro game fan and prefer lighter games with odd ball themes. I had heard of Le Havre for years as I entered the hobby but never had the chance to play. Well it was more of a "doesn't look like my type of game" so I'll pass. Recently though Le Havre was on sale for 99 cents on iOS...so I took a chance.
Good offer:
Le Havre is a game about building, resources, feeding people and watching your boat bring goods to the harbor. Thematically it fits in very well with many games in the Euro game genre. As a "non Euro game fan" (let's face it we all like a little bit of everything) I was really blown away by what this game delivers! The game play is deliciously simple and there is always a positive option to take while playing.
You will either collect a pile of resources or activate a card action. Seems very simple but is extremely dynamic especially as the game gets to the mid rounds. I believe this game is lost and won in the middle rounds of the game. There are some solid strategies that have been found but depending on how the other players play you could be sitting in deep water for a while ha ha.
iPhone/iPad:
I've only played the app version but have played about 30 times now switching up between short/regular games and solo/multi player games. The app is very intuitive for a game with an ever changing dynamic. It took me a few games to get a good grasp of what cards do and all that but luckily the app has an answer for everything.
First there is a take back button that allows you to take back an action you just took. Took me a few games to remember that I needed a brick to build an iron ship so it was very handy (unlike you Star Realms ha ha). Another aspect is that every card has a full explanation to read! No need to reference a rule set or remember every rule, it's fool proof. The last user friendly part to mention is that the app even offers up advice/strategy. This makes for a low barrier of entry for new players.
The game can be a little confusing at first as the first few rounds are more or less developing what type of game it will be. Also for anyone with eye sight issues the app can be difficult to operate given the small space allocated on the device. After a few games though it's easy to adapt and plays very smoothly.
Loans:
There really isn't too many negative things I can say about Le Havre. It's the type of game that even if you lose you can still walk away feeling positive because of the building aspect and number of good choices available each turn. It can be challenging to new players and if you're getting beat by a mile you'll know about half way through making sitting there a painful experience. I suggest playing with players of the same level of experience or going it solo first. The short game is also good for getting a grasp of the game without getting too beat up.
If you are the experienced player I would suggest if teaching new players that you explore other strategies as that will both challenge you an give new player a chance to enjoy a more even game play experience.
Overall:
I really enjoy Le Havre! It's so engaging and the dynamic yet positive game play is addictive. I would definitely suggest trying the game first! It can be a little bit of a rough time navigating your first play but once you "get it" Le Havre is a fascinating experience.
9/10 (this is for the app version alone)