I like to keep things short and sweet, mainly because I know that I like to read things, get the information that I need, and then make a choice, if that’s what is going on. So, some reviews from me (Marti, The Fluffy Meeple), are going to be called the ~500 Reviews, because they will be about 500 words.

Now, of course, I may need to do some longer reviews to make sure I get everything in there. And also, the 500 words doesn’t start until after this little disclaimer.

And… go!

Game: Mint Works (Kickstarter)
Publisher: Five24 Labs
Designer: Justin Blaske
Main Game Mechanism: Worker Placement
Number of Players: 1 to 4
Game Time: 10 to 20 minutes

Description: The point of the game is to get the most victory points. By putting a certain number of workers on different spots (as indicated by the specific cards), you get the benefit that space gives you. You buy building plans, then build those buildings in order to gain the stars, which are your victory points.

But, be careful! You only start with a certain number of workers and you only get one worker as the default every round. That being said, as you build your engine, you can get more of the workers to utilize. At the end of each round, you clear your mints, count up the stars that you have in front of you at that point in time, and if one of you has reached 7 points, then the game ends. It can also end if you run out of building plans to replenish.

Review: Ever hear of games that are easy to learn, hard to master? Those are some of my favorite games, and Mint Works definitely has that in spades. While it did take my partner and I a try or two to really get the hang of what was going on, we really got into it easily and played several games in a row without issues.

Now, as I mentioned on my favorites blog, I love worker placement games, so it’s really not surprising that a short one caught my attention. A worker placement game that took less than a half an hour when our Waterdeep games take up to 2 (with all expansions)? Heck yes! And it totally delivered.It scratches the itch without making me devote a whole evening to the same game. That, my friends, is the sort of thing that I’m always looking for.

The components are pretty awesome. Not only do the “workers” look like mints, but the cards have some cute art and quirky sayings on them. In short, the game is a lot of fun and we’ve added it to the little filler games that we like to play when we are hanging out and just want to play a couple of short games instead of a long one.

Buy, Try, Deny: Buy it! It’s only $12 and you get a lot more game than that in this little mint tin. And, it’s Dice Tower approved, too!

Have you played Mint Works? What do you think of it?

Game On!
Marti – The Fluffy Meeple