{"id":242515,"date":"2022-01-26T08:00:54","date_gmt":"2022-01-26T14:00:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.meeplemountain.com\/?post_type=reviews&#038;p=242515"},"modified":"2024-03-20T17:19:57","modified_gmt":"2024-03-20T22:19:57","slug":"radlands","status":"publish","type":"reviews","link":"https:\/\/www.meeplemountain.com\/reviews\/radlands\/","title":{"rendered":"Radlands Board Game Review"},"content":{"rendered":"    <!-- error code: BA -->\n\n<p>How often do you get to experience the thrill of discovering a great game? It\u2019s an incredible feeling when you do, whether the game is a new release or a classic, but there\u2019s something especially electrifying about finding one that\u2019s hot off the presses. \u201cI get to tell people about this,\u201d you realize. \u201cI get to <i>proselytize<\/i>.\u201d It doesn\u2019t happen often. Even at the frankly absurd rate that I, a reviewer of prodigious output, play new games, it doesn\u2019t happen often. I have reviewed around fifteen new releases in six months for Meeple Mountain, and I haven\u2019t played a single one that I thought was great.<\/p>\n<p>Enter <i>Radlands<\/i>, the new two-player release from first-time designer Daniel Piechnick\u2014a former member of the Magic: The Gathering stable\u2014and publisher Roxley. It is, as you may have surmised, great.<\/p>\n<h2>Well, Don\u2019t Waste Your Time Waiting<\/h2>\n<figure id=\"attachment_242516\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-242516\" style=\"width: 1024px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-242516 size-large lazyload\" data-src=\"https:\/\/www.meeplemountain.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/IMG_4404-1024x768.jpeg\" alt=\"The components for Radlands laid out on a table.\" width=\"1024\" height=\"768\" data-wp-pid=\"242516\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/IMG_4404-74x55.jpeg?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 74w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/IMG_4404-111x83.jpeg?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 111w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/IMG_4404-215x161.jpeg?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 215w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/IMG_4404-300x225.jpeg?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 300w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/IMG_4404.jpeg?size=528x396&amp;lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 528w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/IMG_4404-600x450.jpeg?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 600w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/IMG_4404-768x576.jpeg?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 768w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/IMG_4404-990x743.jpeg?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 990w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/IMG_4404-1024x768.jpeg?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 1024w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/IMG_4404-1200x900-cropped.jpeg?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 1200w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/IMG_4404-1320x990.jpeg?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 1320w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/IMG_4404-1536x1152.jpeg?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 1536w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/IMG_4404-1200x900-cropped.jpeg?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 1920w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 1024px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 1024\/768;\" \/><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-242516 size-large\" src=\"https:\/\/www.meeplemountain.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/IMG_4404-1024x768.jpeg\" alt=\"The components for Radlands laid out on a table.\" width=\"1024\" height=\"768\" data-wp-pid=\"242516\" srcset=\"https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/IMG_4404-74x55.jpeg?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 74w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/IMG_4404-111x83.jpeg?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 111w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/IMG_4404-215x161.jpeg?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 215w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/IMG_4404-300x225.jpeg?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 300w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/IMG_4404.jpeg?size=528x396&amp;lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 528w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/IMG_4404-600x450.jpeg?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 600w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/IMG_4404-768x576.jpeg?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 768w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/IMG_4404-990x743.jpeg?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 990w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/IMG_4404-1024x768.jpeg?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 1024w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/IMG_4404-1200x900-cropped.jpeg?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 1200w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/IMG_4404-1320x990.jpeg?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 1320w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/IMG_4404-1536x1152.jpeg?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 1536w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/IMG_4404-1200x900-cropped.jpeg?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/noscript><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-242516\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">The colors don&#8217;t come across in this photo, but they&#8217;re really something.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>The moment the game hits the table, you can\u2019t help but notice the striking design work from Lina CossetteI, Damien Mammoliti, and Manny Trembly. The card backs in the main deck feature an anonymous Punk in heavy shadow over a bright pink background. We\u2019ve evolved past the Age of Beige in board games, but it\u2019s rare to see color used so boldly. The deck is always greeted by an \u201cooh\u201d from first time players, and that\u2019s before they see all the illustrations on the other side. <i>Radlands<\/i> takes place in a vibrant post-apocalyptic world that splits the difference between <i>Mad Max<\/i> and <i>Tank Girl<\/i>, and looks every bit as fun as that sounds.<\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s quick to explain. Turns are straightforward, the goal of destroying the other player\u2019s Camps is easy to understand, and the iconography has a low overhead. Players take turns using limited water reserves to pay for cards and abilities until there\u2019s a winner, which usually takes a snappy 20\u201330 minutes. The deck consists of People and Event cards that can either be Played for a cost or Junked\u2014discarded\u2014for free, activating a quick and cheap action. Given how strapped for funds you are on every turn, a lot of the tactical juice comes from deciding how to use the limited cards you have. Strategy, the longer-term questions, comes from the Camps.<\/p>\n<h2>Workin\u2019 in the Fields That\u2019ll Get Your Back Burned<\/h2>\n<figure id=\"attachment_242517\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-242517\" style=\"width: 1024px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-242517 size-large lazyload\" data-src=\"https:\/\/www.meeplemountain.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/IMG_4405-1024x768.jpeg\" alt=\"A disorderly pile of camps.\" width=\"1024\" height=\"768\" data-wp-pid=\"242517\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/IMG_4405-74x55.jpeg?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 74w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/IMG_4405-111x83.jpeg?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 111w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/IMG_4405-215x161.jpeg?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 215w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/IMG_4405-300x225.jpeg?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 300w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/IMG_4405.jpeg?size=528x396&amp;lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 528w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/IMG_4405-600x450.jpeg?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 600w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/IMG_4405-768x576.jpeg?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 768w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/IMG_4405-990x743.jpeg?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 990w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/IMG_4405-1024x768.jpeg?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 1024w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/IMG_4405-1200x900.jpeg?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 1200w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/IMG_4405-1320x990.jpeg?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 1320w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/IMG_4405-1536x1152.jpeg?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 1536w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/IMG_4405.jpeg?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 1920w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 1024px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 1024\/768;\" \/><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-242517 size-large\" src=\"https:\/\/www.meeplemountain.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/IMG_4405-1024x768.jpeg\" alt=\"A disorderly pile of camps.\" width=\"1024\" height=\"768\" data-wp-pid=\"242517\" srcset=\"https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/IMG_4405-74x55.jpeg?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 74w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/IMG_4405-111x83.jpeg?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 111w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/IMG_4405-215x161.jpeg?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 215w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/IMG_4405-300x225.jpeg?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 300w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/IMG_4405.jpeg?size=528x396&amp;lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 528w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/IMG_4405-600x450.jpeg?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 600w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/IMG_4405-768x576.jpeg?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 768w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/IMG_4405-990x743.jpeg?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 990w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/IMG_4405-1024x768.jpeg?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 1024w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/IMG_4405-1200x900.jpeg?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 1200w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/IMG_4405-1320x990.jpeg?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 1320w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/IMG_4405-1536x1152.jpeg?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 1536w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/IMG_4405.jpeg?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/noscript><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-242517\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">After taking this picture, I spent five or six minutes discovering new camps and thinking about how fun they would be to play.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p><i>Radlands<\/i> comes with 34 Camp cards. Each player chooses three from a hand of six during setup. Some seem powerful to the point of breaking the game, while others barely seem useful at all, but it\u2019s all about how they interact. In an elegant bit of balancing, the number of cards in your starting hand is determined by the Camps you choose: the more powerful and aggressive your Camps are, the fewer cards you draw at the beginning of the game. Cards are a lean economy in this game\u2014everything is a lean economy in this game\u2014and choosing three bruisers may leave you hurting in the long run, since your opponent can sprint out ahead of you in the early game with all those Junk actions.<\/p>\n<h2>Workin\u2019 \u2018Neath the Wheel Till You Get Your Facts Learned<\/h2>\n<p>Let me tell you about the night I fell in love with <i>Radlands<\/i>. My roommate and I were playing a game in which I had the Mercenary Camp, an incredibly powerful card. I opened the game by using it to destroy one of his camps, and things only went downhill from there. The whole game took less than ten minutes, and there was little opportunity for Frank to turn the tide.<\/p>\n<p>Worried that this might have indicated a balance issue, we decided to try again with the same setup. Once again, largely relying on the Mercenary Camp, I handily emerged victorious. Frank was able to delay the inevitable for much longer, but there was never a point where the outcome felt contested. This seemed like a real problem. It was my first game not using the introductory setup suggested by the manual, and we were immediately running into what seemed like an inevitable loss for one of the players.<\/p>\n<p>I suggested we try one more time, trading setups so Frank was playing with my Camps, including the Mercenary Camp, and I was playing with his Camps. With some intentional and measured changes to how I was playing, the advantage afforded by the Mercenary Camp was easily managed, and I won the game handily.<\/p>\n<p>The responsiveness of the design, the way I was forced\/able to prioritize certain tactics long enough for the early advantage of that Camp to be negated, really impressed me, in a way I haven\u2019t been impressed by a game in a while. <i>Radlands<\/i> rewards experience and thoughtful plays, even if it doesn\u2019t involve much turn-to-turn strategy. The thrill of repeated plays is two-fold: you get the joy of discovering new Camp combos during setup and the satisfaction of figuring out how to play against whatever your opponent has.<\/p>\n<h2>[Guitar &amp; Saxophone Solos]<\/h2>\n<figure id=\"attachment_242518\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-242518\" style=\"width: 1024px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-242518 size-large lazyload\" data-src=\"https:\/\/www.meeplemountain.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/IMG_4406-1024x768.jpeg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1024\" height=\"768\" data-wp-pid=\"242518\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/IMG_4406-74x55.jpeg?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 74w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/IMG_4406-111x83.jpeg?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 111w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/IMG_4406-215x161.jpeg?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 215w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/IMG_4406-300x225.jpeg?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 300w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/IMG_4406.jpeg?size=528x396&amp;lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 528w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/IMG_4406-600x450.jpeg?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 600w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/IMG_4406-768x576.jpeg?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 768w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/IMG_4406-990x743.jpeg?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 990w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/IMG_4406-1024x768.jpeg?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 1024w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/IMG_4406-1200x900-cropped.jpeg?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 1200w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/IMG_4406-1320x990.jpeg?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 1320w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/IMG_4406-1536x1152.jpeg?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 1536w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/IMG_4406-1200x900-cropped.jpeg?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 1920w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 1024px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 1024\/768;\" \/><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-242518 size-large\" src=\"https:\/\/www.meeplemountain.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/IMG_4406-1024x768.jpeg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1024\" height=\"768\" data-wp-pid=\"242518\" srcset=\"https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/IMG_4406-74x55.jpeg?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 74w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/IMG_4406-111x83.jpeg?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 111w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/IMG_4406-215x161.jpeg?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 215w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/IMG_4406-300x225.jpeg?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 300w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/IMG_4406.jpeg?size=528x396&amp;lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 528w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/IMG_4406-600x450.jpeg?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 600w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/IMG_4406-768x576.jpeg?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 768w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/IMG_4406-990x743.jpeg?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 990w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/IMG_4406-1024x768.jpeg?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 1024w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/IMG_4406-1200x900-cropped.jpeg?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 1200w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/IMG_4406-1320x990.jpeg?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 1320w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/IMG_4406-1536x1152.jpeg?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 1536w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/IMG_4406-1200x900-cropped.jpeg?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/noscript><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-242518\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">An example of a full player setup with three camps, three people cards, and three punks.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>If you don\u2019t like card games, where luck will always be a factor, you may want to take a pass. A recent match where I had a really exciting combination of Camps never took off because I kept drawing Event cards when I needed People. <i>Radlands<\/i> does reward good choices, but like many card games it reflects skill in aggregate rather than in the result of an individual match. It can be swingy, with just the right or wrong card draw changing the direction of momentum.<\/p>\n<p>The good news here is that the game plays so quickly, you\u2019re unlikely to play only one match. That three-match evening I talked about earlier lasted a total of about 80 minutes. If you find yourself wondering about choices you made, or if your Camps were stymied by poor draws, you can set it back up in ten seconds and give it another go.<\/p>\n<p>I also want to be clear that <i>Radlands<\/i> is not a game of massive combos. You\u2019re much too strapped for resources for that. Rather, it is a game of tough choices, of chewed fingernails and white knuckles. It\u2019s a game where you have to get in what hits you can when the opportunity presents itself. I thought a lot about <a href=\"https:\/\/www.meeplemountain.com\/reviews\/mindbug\/\"><i>Mindbug<\/i><\/a> while I was playing. The designs have much in common, but there is an element of control to <i>Radlands<\/i> that is missing from the coked out <i>Mindbug<\/i>. You have enough information here to make meaningful choices rather than being limited to best guesses.<\/p>\n<h2>Let the Broken Hearts Stand as the Price You Gotta Pay<\/h2>\n<p>Before wrapping up, it\u2019s worth taking a moment to address <i>Radland<\/i>\u2019s different editions. My review copy is the standard retail edition that will be available in stores. The deluxe version, which sells for $40 on Roxley\u2019s website, upgrades the water tokens from chunky cardboard to chunkier plastic discs, and ups the print quality of the cards. $40 is a hefty price tag for a game this size, but I imagine the standard retail edition will sell for around $25-30, and I would say the increase in component quality is worth that extra cost if you can afford it. I can attest that after only eight plays, my water tokens are already starting to look a bit worse for wear.<\/p>\n<p>The super deluxe edition, which retails through Roxley for $60 and for obscene markups on the secondary market\u2014folks, it\u2019s available to buy, it\u2019s not a Kickstarter exclusive, don\u2019t pay $120 for it\u2014nests the deluxe edition box inside a larger box that includes two neoprene mats. As a resident of New York City, the idea of turning a game that\u2019s slightly larger than my cellphone into a box that\u2019s larger than my laptop feels wrong. You don\u2019t need the mats to play the game, snazzy though they are, and I wouldn\u2019t recommend splurging for the super deluxe edition unless space and money aren\u2019t issues.<\/p>\n<p>Regardless of the edition you choose, <i>Radlands<\/i> is an excellent game. It has high replayability thanks to the variety of Camps, it\u2019s short and punchy, it has evocative art, and the rules are streamlined while rewarding repeated plays. It\u2019s the kind of game where, an hour after a match finishes, you\u2019ll find yourself thinking, \u201cOh, maybe if I\u2019d done this instead of that\u2026\u201d I love a good post-mortem, much as I love <i>Radlands<\/i>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>In this review of Radlands, Andrew Lynch has a head-on collision smashin\u2019 in his guts.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":73,"featured_media":242496,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"MSN_Categories":"Uncategorized","MSN_Publish_Option":false,"MSN_Is_Local_News":false,"MSN_Is_AIAC_Included":"Empty","MSN_Location":"[]","MSN_Add_Feature_Img_On_Top_Of_Post":false,"MSN_Has_Custom_Author":false,"MSN_Custom_Author":"","MSN_Has_Custom_Canonical_Url":false,"MSN_Custom_Canonical_Url":"","footnotes":""},"tags":[],"coauthors":[6354],"class_list":["post-242515","reviews","type-reviews","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-card-games","category-fighting-board-games","category-science-fiction-board-games","category-two-player-board-games","designers-daniel-piechnick","mechanisms-action-points","mechanisms-hand-management","mechanisms-take-that","publishers-roxley","artists-damien-mammoliti","artists-lina-cossette","artists-manny-trembley","release_year-2622"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v23.8 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Radlands Board Game Review &#8212; Meeple Mountain<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"In this review of Radlands, Andrew Lynch has a head-on collision smashin\u2019 in his guts.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.meeplemountain.com\/reviews\/radlands\/\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.meeplemountain.com\/reviews\/radlands\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/www.meeplemountain.com\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Board Game Reviews\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/www.meeplemountain.com\/reviews\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":3,\"name\":\"Radlands Board Game Review\"}]}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Radlands Board Game Review &#8212; Meeple Mountain","description":"In this review of Radlands, Andrew Lynch has a head-on collision smashin\u2019 in his guts.","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/www.meeplemountain.com\/reviews\/radlands\/","schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/www.meeplemountain.com\/reviews\/radlands\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/www.meeplemountain.com\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Board Game Reviews","item":"https:\/\/www.meeplemountain.com\/reviews\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"name":"Radlands Board Game Review"}]}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.meeplemountain.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/reviews\/242515"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.meeplemountain.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/reviews"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.meeplemountain.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/reviews"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.meeplemountain.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/73"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.meeplemountain.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=242515"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.meeplemountain.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/reviews\/242515\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.meeplemountain.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/242496"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.meeplemountain.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=242515"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.meeplemountain.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=242515"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.meeplemountain.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/coauthors?post=242515"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}