Stonemaier Games | Libertalia: Winds of Galecrest | Board Game | Ages 14+ | 1-6 Players | 45-60 Minutes Playing Time

Product Information

The solo mode that is featured in Libertalia: Winds of Galecrest shares similar DNA with previous titles designed by the creative team at the Automa Factory in that it features a dual based card system that stipulates what action the two solo opponents will perform on their respective turn.

The slightly darker pirate cover has been replaced with a much brighter and heroic style, with the gritty characters replaced with anthropomorphic animals. Another note about Automa is that it likes money and will gain a boatload of money throughout the game. I cannot foresee a day where I will get bored of playing Libertalia: Gales of Windcrest, it really is that good.Since all players will hold the same group of cards, ties will occur regularly, and these are broken by the game’s reputation track. I provided them with what I was looking to do, and they designed the box I needed, 3D printed it, and I purchased it. As a publisher of such massively popular games as Wingspan, Viticulture and Scythe there is always an air of expectation around any of their releases. At two, I found that I needed more clarification around what happens to certain cards with the fixed pseudo-third-player overlay and they weren’t necessarily in the rule book.

Hutter and Morten Monrad Pedersen have managed to design a solo mode that oftentimes can match the core multiplayer experience is commendable and I tip my hat to both authors. Alongside any dusk abilities, players will choose a loot token from the matching day on the board too, activating any associated actions with these. Gone are the cardboard chits to represent the loot, now replaced with chunky Azul like tiles that are deeply satisfying and the scoring dials, while fiddly to assemble, is lovely to have on the board.With two players, there’s a dummy rank 20 card that punishes low play by stealing a loot token if both players have cards that rank below it. Each player will have leftovers when they add six fresh cards, and they likely aren’t the same leftovers you have. But will that mess with your other plans of what you could gain from playing a different card first? It’s an exciting mix of simplicity and complicated decision-making that makes the game fun during the action selection phase.