Pirate games belong to a category in which there are not many quality projects. Therefore, I decided to prepare for you a text based on the board game Hello, which will send you towards the ocean, where it really boils.
- Number of players: 2 – 4
- Game time: 45 – 75 minutes
- Price: 900 CZK (Fox in a box)
- Age: 12+
Some smuggle contraband into Hello while others fight.
As with the successful board game Pochmurný kraj, Hello works with the idea of asymmetric factions, which in practice means that you will be offered different formats of gameplay with two players and different formats with more players. In total, three factions are sent 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 on to as large a piece of territory as possible, but to bet on one of the warring factions within the framework of favor and, above all, to deliver as many goods as possible to the ports of the island. Of course, competition is trying to prevent you from doing this, so implementing this task is not entirely easy. In addition, it seemed to me that using delivery was not as profitable as using routes on which opponents get points.
For Sharks and Shells, the main way to gain points is by holding territory. However, the forms in which they occupy the territory are different. It probably won’t surprise anyone that the first of the groups is pretty simple, because you probably shouldn’t expect too much creativity from sharks. It has watchtowers, one very strong capital ship, a group of patrols roaming the ocean, and five black dice.
Projectiles require much more attention since they no longer have as much firepower. They start with one ship, four dice, and allies that you work with frequently 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 how to handle. Through them you can open 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 gameplay progresses.
Initially you only have two parts of the map, which expand by “heading” towards their edges and thus get new parts that contain islands, docks and various other different regions. The rapid discovery of new parts of the game world is very important for the third faction of smugglers, who always transport goods to specific destinations. Much of the game’s action is based on dice. Without them you won’t be able to move around because just by placing a cube you can start swimming, fast moving through whirlpools or performing certain faction actions, often associated with clearly defined values.
Chance is a factor, but an acceptable factor due to its presence, as you will also find crew cards that also affect the direction of the group’s movement. So the move is always based on being able to handle all of your dice. The winner of the entire game is the one who manages to score the most points, which means he is no different from his competitors.
Hello capitalizes on the potential of differently functioning factions.
In the market you will find many publishers representing different directions. Fox in the Box is a company that has at its disposal unique games that can impress with visual processing alone. Once you start playing, you can expect a very specific gameplay experience, just like with Hello. This asymmetrical strategy is an excellent solution that maximizes the potential of individual factions. In single player you’ll be treated to a fairly unnegotiable duel, while with more players the overall pace of the game changes again.
Hello is one of the unique strategies that there are not many on the market. On a personal note, after about two dozen games, I have to say that this is a work that tests your ability to work with your chosen gaming faction and its options, which are always quite varied. The replay value itself is high, so you won’t be particularly bored here. Personally, I think the price tag is appropriate, which, due to the processing of components, is not at all high. So if you’re looking for a fun strategy game with a certain amount of randomness, I’d probably not be afraid to pick this game up.
Our thanks to Czech distributor Fox in the Box for providing us with a copy of Ahoy.
Source :Indian TV
