Hello, Board Game Review | Zing

Pirate games are a category in which there are not many quality projects. That is why I decided to prepare a text for you based on the board game Hello, which will send you towards the ocean, where it really boils.

• Number of players: 2 – 4
• Play time: 45 – 75 minutes
• Price: 900 CZK (Fox in a box)
• Age: 12+

Some are involved in smuggling, while others fight in Hello.

Like the successful board game Pochmurný kraj, Hello works with the idea of ​​asymmetrical factions, which in practice means that you will be offered one format of gameplay for two players and another for more players. In total, three factions head to the sea, of which only two sides are offered during the duel, and the clash is primarily about who will be able to control and hold the largest volume of the ocean.

But as soon as a third player enters the game, the dynamics change a little, because smugglers appear on the scene, whose goal is not to hold as much territory as possible, but to bet on one of the warring factions within the framework of favor and, above all, to deliver as much goods as possible to the ports of the island. Of course, the competition is trying to prevent you from doing this, so it is not entirely easy to implement this task. In addition, using delivery seemed to me not as profitable as routes on which opponents get points.

For the Sharks and Shells, the main way to score points is by holding territory. However, the forms in which they take up territory are different. It will probably come as no surprise that the first of the groups is fairly simple, as you probably wouldn’t expect the Sharks to be too creative. It has watchtowers, one very strong capital ship, a group of patrols roaming the ocean, and five black dice.

Shells require much more attention, as they do not have such combat power. They start with one ship, four dice and allies, which you often work with during the game. You use them to expand across the islands, as well as in battles, because unlike sharks, shells have cards that you need to learn to use. Through them, you will be able to unlock a couple of new ships, as well as use them directly in battles or expand your influence on the game map, which expands as the game progresses.

At first, you only have two parts of the map, which expand by “going” to their edges and gaining new parts, which contain islands, docks and various other regions. Quickly opening up new parts of the game world is very important for the third faction of smugglers, who always transport goods to specific destinations. Most of the actions in the game are based on the dice. Without them, you cannot move, because by simply placing a cube, you can start swimming, quickly move through whirlpools or perform certain faction actions, often associated with clearly defined values.

Chance is a decisive but acceptable factor due to its presence, as you will also find crew cards that also affect the direction of the group. Thus, the move is always based on the ability to process all your dice. The winner of the entire game is the one who manages to get the most points, which means he is not different from the competitors.

Hello benefits from the potential of differently functioning factions.

There are many publishers on the market that represent different directions. Fox in the Box is a company that has special games that can attract people with their visual treatment. Once you start playing, you can expect a very specific gameplay, as is the case with Hello. This asymmetrical strategy is a great solution that makes the most of the potential of individual factions. In a single game, you will find a rather non-negotiable duel, and with more players, the overall pace of the game changes again.

Hello is one of those unique strategies that are not so many on the market. I have to say to myself after about two dozen games that this is a work that tests your ability to work with your chosen game faction and its options, which are always quite varied. The replayability itself is high, so you will not be bored here. Personally, I think the price tag is also appropriate, which is not at all high due to the reworked components. So if you are looking for an interesting strategy with a certain amount of randomness, I probably will not be afraid to choose this game.

We would like to thank Czech distributor Fox in the Box for providing us with a copy of Ahoy.