{"id":305290,"date":"2024-09-05T08:00:11","date_gmt":"2024-09-05T13:00:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.meeplemountain.com\/?post_type=reviews&#038;p=305290"},"modified":"2024-09-04T22:19:28","modified_gmt":"2024-09-05T03:19:28","slug":"rock-hard-1977","status":"publish","type":"reviews","link":"https:\/\/www.meeplemountain.com\/reviews\/rock-hard-1977\/","title":{"rendered":"Rock Hard: 1977 Game Review"},"content":{"rendered":"    <div class=\"amzn-ad amzn-enhanced-links-small\">\n        <div>\n            <div class=\"amzn-product\">\n                <span class=\"amzn-product-image-container\">\n                    <div class=\"amzn-product-image-holder\">\n                        <img decoding=\"async\" class=\"amzn-product-image lazyload\" data-src=\"https:\/\/m.media-amazon.com\/images\/I\/51zVc7TSqKL._SL300_.jpg\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==\"><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"amzn-product-image\" src=\"https:\/\/m.media-amazon.com\/images\/I\/51zVc7TSqKL._SL300_.jpg\"><\/noscript>\n                    <\/div>\n                <\/span>\n                <div class=\"amzn-product-title-container\">\n                    <a rel=\"sponsored\" class=\"amzn-product-title\" href=\"https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/dp\/B0D2PDF34N?tag=meeplmount-20&linkCode=ogi&th=1&psc=1\" target=\"_blank\">\n                        <span class=\"amzn-product-title-text\" title=\"Devir Rock Hard: 1977 \u2013 Strategy Board Game for 2-5 Players, Ages 14+ \u2013 Become a Rock Star in This 70s-Themed Music Career Game with Worker Placement Mechanics \u2013 90 Minute Playtime\">Devir Rock Hard: 1977 \u2013 Strategy Board Game for 2-5 Players, Ages 14+ \u2013 Become a Rock Star in This 70s-Themed Music Career Game with Worker Placement Mechanics \u2013 90 Minute Playtime<\/span>\n                    <\/a>\n                    <div class=\"amzn-product-price\">\n                        <span class=\"amzn-product-offer-price\">$49.99<\/span>\n                                                    <span class=\"amzn-sprite amzn-product-prime\"><\/span>\n                                            <\/div>\n                <\/div>\n                <div class=\"amzn-product-buy-now-link-box\">\n                    <a rel=\"sponsored\" href=\"https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/dp\/B0D2PDF34N?tag=meeplmount-20&linkCode=ogi&th=1&psc=1\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"amzn-product-buy-now-link\">\n                        Buy Now\n                    <\/a>\n                <\/div>\n            <\/div>\n        <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n\n<p><i>Rock Hard: 1977<\/i> (2024, Devir) is one of the best times I\u2019ve had at a table this year, despite a design that I, along with six different people who joined me for my review plays, collectively described as \u201cmeh.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>In fact, I think the best way to approach this game is the way I scored it\u2014<i>Rock Hard: 1977<\/i> is a game where your goal is to lean into the theme and have maximum fun laughing at the chaos. If you play it as a strategy gamer trying to win, a dozen or more flaws will surface faster than you can say \u201cspace cadet.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>If you follow the tabletop industry even casually, you\u2019ve already heard of <i>Rock Hard: 1977<\/i>. Gosh, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2024\/08\/03\/arts\/music\/jackie-fox-runaways-rock-hard-1977-game.html?searchResultPosition=1\">no less than the New York Times<\/a> has already heard of <i>Rock Hard: 1977<\/i> and rocker-turned-Jeopardy! contestant-turned game designer Jackie Fox, so I\u2019m going to waste no time talking about how the game plays or what it is about. (I will point you to <a href=\"https:\/\/boardgamegeek.com\/blogpost\/162603\/designer-diary-rock-hard-1977\">Jackie\u2019s fantastic designer diary on BGG<\/a> as a way to dig into the background of the game\u2019s journey.)<\/p>\n<p>Instead, I\u2019m going to spend my time here trying to convince you why you should or should not play this game based on your playgroup. That\u2019s because <i>Rock Hard: 1977<\/i> fell into two camps for my two review plays: the right group, and the wrong one. (While I would normally play a game 3-4 times before writing a review, my second play crystalised everything I thought about the game and I am locked in on how I feel. I love it when that happens.)<\/p>\n<p>First, let\u2019s talk about the production\u2026which, for fifty bucks, might be the greatest value proposition in our nation\u2019s great history!!<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-305295 lazyload\" data-src=\"https:\/\/www.meeplemountain.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/Rock-Hard-2-1024x768.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1024\" height=\"768\" data-wp-pid=\"305295\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/Rock-Hard-2-74x55.jpg?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 74w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/Rock-Hard-2-111x83.jpg?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 111w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/Rock-Hard-2-300x225.jpg?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 300w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/Rock-Hard-2.jpg?size=528x396&amp;lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 528w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/Rock-Hard-2-600x450.jpg?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 600w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/Rock-Hard-2-768x576.jpg?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 768w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/Rock-Hard-2-990x743.jpg?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 990w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/Rock-Hard-2-1024x768.jpg?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 1024w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/Rock-Hard-2-1200x900.jpg?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 1200w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/Rock-Hard-2-1320x990.jpg?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 1320w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/Rock-Hard-2.jpg?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 1500w\" 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=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-305295\" src=\"https:\/\/www.meeplemountain.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/Rock-Hard-2-1024x768.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1024\" height=\"768\" data-wp-pid=\"305295\" srcset=\"https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/Rock-Hard-2-74x55.jpg?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 74w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/Rock-Hard-2-111x83.jpg?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 111w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/Rock-Hard-2-300x225.jpg?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 300w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/Rock-Hard-2.jpg?size=528x396&amp;lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 528w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/Rock-Hard-2-600x450.jpg?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 600w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/Rock-Hard-2-768x576.jpg?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 768w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/Rock-Hard-2-990x743.jpg?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 990w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/Rock-Hard-2-1024x768.jpg?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 1024w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/Rock-Hard-2-1200x900.jpg?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 1200w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/Rock-Hard-2-1320x990.jpg?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 1320w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/Rock-Hard-2.jpg?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 1500w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/noscript><\/p>\n<h1>Wait\u2026AND There Are Acrylic Standees?<\/h1>\n<p>Everything I had heard about the production of <i>Rock Hard: 1977<\/i> turned out to be true.<\/p>\n<p>I almost can\u2019t believe the price: $50 gets me possibly the best player boards of the year, with stat tracking that does a cute job of letting me track my artist\u2019s reputation, songs, and \u201cchops\u201d with a slider cube, and a place for my well-drawn artist board to fit snugly below the knobs. (I\u2019m already having visions of what I want out of a sequel themed around hip-hop, like \u201cFresh Jams 1986\u201d, with player boards that look like the decks a DJ might spin on.)<\/p>\n<p>But the player board is just one of many great highlights of this production. The player aids mostly nail it, although I wished they would have listed end-game scoring conditions. The rulebook is good, a bit luxurious for a game that can be taught in 15 minutes, with plenty of ways to bring in a gamer that does not play a lot of games. The only glaring omission to the rulebook is a card and power appendix, which would have helped with edge cases (sometimes, player powers, manager powers, and cards in the Hang Out deck break other game rules in ways that created questions during my plays).<\/p>\n<p>The demo tape and record deal tokens are perfect for their respective tasks. The game\u2019s candy (drug) tokens are some of my favorite cardboard chits of the year. The iconography here is so intuitive that I found myself surprised when other players had questions that had been answered earlier in each game (it\u2019s all about <a href=\"https:\/\/www.meeplemountain.com\/articles\/its-not-the-teach-its-the-reteach\/\">the re-teach<\/a>). <i>Rock Hard: 1977<\/i> is one of the few icon-heavy games this year that did not force me to check the rulebook or the player aid for icon-related guidance. (And, even if I did, most icons are explained on the back of the player aid.)<\/p>\n<p>The main board looked really busy when I first laid it out to do a dummy-hand walkthrough of the game\u2019s actions, but I was quickly able to spot all the things that matter\u2014which spaces are piece-limited versus open to all players, the breakdown of each day\u2019s three phases, and which spaces were gated by requirements listed in blue. It was small, but so intuitive: even though rewards (black) and costs (red) are denoted by color, the rewards are listed with a dollar icon first and then a number, whereas costs are reversed, with a number followed by a dollar icon.<\/p>\n<p>Speaking of cash\u2026<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_305293\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-305293\" style=\"width: 768px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-large wp-image-305293 lazyload\" data-src=\"https:\/\/www.meeplemountain.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/Rock-Hard-4-768x1024.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"768\" height=\"1024\" data-wp-pid=\"305293\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/Rock-Hard-4-225x300.jpg?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 225w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/Rock-Hard-4.jpg?size=528x704&amp;lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 528w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/Rock-Hard-4-600x800.jpg?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 600w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/Rock-Hard-4-768x1024.jpg?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 768w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/Rock-Hard-4-990x1320.jpg?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 990w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/Rock-Hard-4.jpg?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 1125w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 768px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 768\/1024;\" \/><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-large wp-image-305293\" src=\"https:\/\/www.meeplemountain.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/Rock-Hard-4-768x1024.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"768\" height=\"1024\" data-wp-pid=\"305293\" srcset=\"https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/Rock-Hard-4-225x300.jpg?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 225w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/Rock-Hard-4.jpg?size=528x704&amp;lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 528w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/Rock-Hard-4-600x800.jpg?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 600w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/Rock-Hard-4-768x1024.jpg?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 768w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/Rock-Hard-4-990x1320.jpg?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 990w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/Rock-Hard-4.jpg?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 1125w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px\" \/><\/noscript><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-305293\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Glorious!<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h2>This is the Greatest In-Game Money Ever Made<\/h2>\n<p>The paper money provided for <i>Rock Hard: 1977<\/i> is the single greatest tabletop currency component ever made, period. I won\u2019t go so far as to say \u201cby a wide margin\u201d, but the temptation is there.<\/p>\n<p>If you have perused some of my other content, you know that I use poker chips for the majority of games that require money. It\u2019s faster for the banker to distribute funds\u2014that\u2019s the main reason for using chips anyway\u2014but the chips feel good in the hands and help stave off boredom as I watch other players labor through their turns.<\/p>\n<p>But around the time that <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=ozyormgIsnU\"><i>Magnate: The First City<\/i><\/a> came along a couple years ago and re-introduced me to what quality paper money could look like (right down to having a wallet that helped keep player money secret), I started to at least listen to the argument that quality paper money could work in board games. Usually, the argument gets flushed because an <a href=\"https:\/\/www.meeplemountain.com\/articles\/18xx-a-beginners-journey\/\">18xx<\/a> game or something older like <a href=\"https:\/\/www.meeplemountain.com\/articles\/back-in-the-day-the-game-of-life\/\"><i>The Game of Life<\/i><\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.meeplemountain.com\/articles\/back-in-the-day-pay-day\/\"><i>Pay Day<\/i><\/a>, or <a href=\"https:\/\/www.meeplemountain.com\/articles\/in-defence-of-monopoly-why-a-toxic-attitude-is-bad-for-the-hobby\/\"><i>Monopoly<\/i><\/a> gets tabled and I have flashbacks to my childhood when paper money would rip simply by having another player stare at it.<\/p>\n<p><i>Rock Hard: 1977<\/i> makes all those problems go away.<\/p>\n<p>The bills are incredible. First, they correct the most common mistake that other companies try to get away with: the bills are the actual length of a regular American currency note. So, the game\u2019s bills pass the eye test, to the point that multiple players suggested bringing the <i>Rock Hard: 1977<\/i> money to a club, or a grocery store, or a place that still accepts cash (a shrinking community, for many reasons) to see if they could get away with tricking a shopkeep into thinking that the board game money is real.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-305296 lazyload\" data-src=\"https:\/\/www.meeplemountain.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/Rock-Hard-1-1024x768.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1024\" height=\"768\" data-wp-pid=\"305296\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/Rock-Hard-1-74x55.jpg?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 74w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/Rock-Hard-1-111x83.jpg?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 111w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/Rock-Hard-1-300x225.jpg?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 300w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/Rock-Hard-1.jpg?size=528x396&amp;lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 528w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/Rock-Hard-1-600x450.jpg?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 600w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/Rock-Hard-1-768x576.jpg?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 768w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/Rock-Hard-1-990x743.jpg?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 990w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/Rock-Hard-1-1024x768.jpg?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 1024w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/Rock-Hard-1-1200x900-cropped.jpg?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 1200w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/Rock-Hard-1-1320x990.jpg?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 1320w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/Rock-Hard-1-1200x900-cropped.jpg?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 1500w\" 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=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-305296\" src=\"https:\/\/www.meeplemountain.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/Rock-Hard-1-1024x768.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1024\" height=\"768\" data-wp-pid=\"305296\" srcset=\"https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/Rock-Hard-1-74x55.jpg?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 74w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/Rock-Hard-1-111x83.jpg?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 111w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/Rock-Hard-1-300x225.jpg?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 300w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/Rock-Hard-1.jpg?size=528x396&amp;lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 528w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/Rock-Hard-1-600x450.jpg?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 600w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/Rock-Hard-1-768x576.jpg?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 768w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/Rock-Hard-1-990x743.jpg?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 990w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/Rock-Hard-1-1024x768.jpg?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 1024w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/Rock-Hard-1-1200x900-cropped.jpg?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 1200w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/Rock-Hard-1-1320x990.jpg?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 1320w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/Rock-Hard-1-1200x900-cropped.jpg?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 1500w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/noscript><\/p>\n<p>The stain of the bills, the discoloration, is so good with the money here. I love that many of the bills appear to be written on, or smudged, or stamped, or otherwise abused, like every dollar I had in my pocket when I was a kid. I love the textured feel of the bills too, like they have been handled a bit before being shipped with the game.<\/p>\n<p>The money of <i>Rock Hard: 1977<\/i> is so good that I\u2019m almost angry Devir didn\u2019t take one final step: I wish the bills were wrinkled. Maybe the right way to say it is \u201ccrinkled.\u201d I wanted this money to be rumpled, like I had it stuffed in my pocket instead of placed cleanly in a wallet. (Let\u2019s go further: shouldn\u2019t the game feature rock-themed wallets for each player to store their cash?)<\/p>\n<p>Unless something more miraculous happens between now and the end of 2024, the money components in <i>Rock Hard: 1977<\/i> are going to cruise into my Best Component award for 2024. It\u2019s almost worth the price of the game to own a copy of these bills for yourself, and I will definitely be using this cash for any other game I have that features a small pool of American money ($1s, $5s, $10s) for its components.<\/p>\n<p>I\u2019ve spent a lot of time talking about the production of <i>Rock Hard: 1977<\/i> because it somewhat badly outshines the quality of the design. I hate to admit that, but across my two plays, I found myself questioning a lot of the decisions that went into the original design as well as any development that got us to the finished product on my table.<\/p>\n<p>This is the rare case where that didn\u2019t matter as much to me, because I had so much fun playing the game. That leads us to our final thoughts: who is this game for, and who is it definitely not for?<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-305292 lazyload\" data-src=\"https:\/\/www.meeplemountain.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/Rock-Hard-5-1024x768.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1024\" height=\"768\" data-wp-pid=\"305292\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/Rock-Hard-5-74x55.jpg?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 74w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/Rock-Hard-5-111x83.jpg?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 111w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/Rock-Hard-5-300x225.jpg?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 300w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/Rock-Hard-5.jpg?size=528x396&amp;lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 528w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/Rock-Hard-5-600x450.jpg?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 600w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/Rock-Hard-5-768x576.jpg?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 768w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/Rock-Hard-5-990x743.jpg?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 990w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/Rock-Hard-5-1024x768.jpg?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 1024w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/Rock-Hard-5-1200x900.jpg?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 1200w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/Rock-Hard-5-1320x990.jpg?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 1320w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/Rock-Hard-5.jpg?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 1500w\" 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=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-305292\" src=\"https:\/\/www.meeplemountain.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/Rock-Hard-5-1024x768.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1024\" height=\"768\" data-wp-pid=\"305292\" srcset=\"https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/Rock-Hard-5-74x55.jpg?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 74w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/Rock-Hard-5-111x83.jpg?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 111w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/Rock-Hard-5-300x225.jpg?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 300w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/Rock-Hard-5.jpg?size=528x396&amp;lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 528w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/Rock-Hard-5-600x450.jpg?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 600w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/Rock-Hard-5-768x576.jpg?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 768w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/Rock-Hard-5-990x743.jpg?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 990w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/Rock-Hard-5-1024x768.jpg?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 1024w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/Rock-Hard-5-1200x900.jpg?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 1200w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/Rock-Hard-5-1320x990.jpg?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 1320w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/Rock-Hard-5.jpg?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 1500w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/noscript><\/p>\n<h2>The Wrong Audience<\/h2>\n<p>My first play of <i>Rock Hard: 1977<\/i> was with two of the guys in my Chicago-area strategy gaming group.<\/p>\n<p>Almost from the beginning, some of the game\u2019s design cracks appeared. <i>Rock Hard: 1977<\/i> is a worker placement game (accommodating 2-5 players) with some of the standards of benchmark Eurogame design: public milestones, personal goals (some secret, some open), limited chances to take the best actions, worker placement spots that are strictly better than others at the same action locations, and a chance to burn part of your round to ensure you go first in the next round. In some ways, this is a by-the-numbers exercise in modern tabletop experiences.<\/p>\n<p>One of the game\u2019s public milestones seems almost broken, and it appeared during this first play: a player could earn points simply by quitting their job. Quitting a job is a free action that can be done on a player\u2019s turn, and mainly means that a player has to find other ways to earn money by playing shows or donating blood for a buck.<\/p>\n<p>It was hilarious to watch the hard-core strategy gamers talk about this: as the first player in the first round, should I just quit my job on the first turn of the game to ensure I lock up those points? In a game where the end-game is triggered when a player crosses the 50-point threshold, five points is pretty huge. In the spirit of fairness (turn order is determined by calling out who last sang in the shower, another funny moment), no one did it on their first turn\u2026but by the third round, someone quit just to score the points.<\/p>\n<p>This was just one of many elements that help steer <i>Rock Hard: 1977<\/i> into a more \u201cAmeritrash\u201d style of design, which doesn\u2019t work for players who want to deterministically work towards building a winning strategy.<\/p>\n<p>Some jobs require a die roll to determine wages. In this first game as a hotel porter, I rolled a five or a six each time I went to work, ensuring I made $3 instead of $1-2 each round. Money is pretty tight in <i>Rock Hard: 1977<\/i> early on, so I had a massive advantage simply by rolling a six-sided die.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-305294 lazyload\" data-src=\"https:\/\/www.meeplemountain.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/Rock-Hard-3-1024x768.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1024\" height=\"768\" data-wp-pid=\"305294\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/Rock-Hard-3-74x55.jpg?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 74w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/Rock-Hard-3-111x83.jpg?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 111w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/Rock-Hard-3-300x225.jpg?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 300w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/Rock-Hard-3.jpg?size=528x396&amp;lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 528w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/Rock-Hard-3-600x450.jpg?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 600w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/Rock-Hard-3-768x576.jpg?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 768w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/Rock-Hard-3-990x743.jpg?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 990w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/Rock-Hard-3-1024x768.jpg?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 1024w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/Rock-Hard-3-1200x900.jpg?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 1200w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/Rock-Hard-3-1320x990.jpg?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 1320w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/Rock-Hard-3.jpg?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 1500w\" 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=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-305294\" src=\"https:\/\/www.meeplemountain.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/Rock-Hard-3-1024x768.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1024\" height=\"768\" data-wp-pid=\"305294\" srcset=\"https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/Rock-Hard-3-74x55.jpg?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 74w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/Rock-Hard-3-111x83.jpg?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 111w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/Rock-Hard-3-300x225.jpg?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 300w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/Rock-Hard-3.jpg?size=528x396&amp;lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 528w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/Rock-Hard-3-600x450.jpg?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 600w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/Rock-Hard-3-768x576.jpg?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 768w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/Rock-Hard-3-990x743.jpg?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 990w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/Rock-Hard-3-1024x768.jpg?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 1024w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/Rock-Hard-3-1200x900.jpg?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 1200w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/Rock-Hard-3-1320x990.jpg?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 1320w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/Rock-Hard-3.jpg?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 1500w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/noscript><\/p>\n<p>The game has a \u201cRandom Gig\u201d each round that can be played by all players. In one of my games, a card granted every player a chance to permanently boost one of their \u201cbase stats\u201d (rep, songs, chops) all the way to the max score of 11\u2026for FREE. This was funnier because in that game, I spent the previous two rounds trying to build up my songs stat to play at the largest venue in the game, Carter Stadium.<\/p>\n<p>If only I had known that I could just, you know, do that for free later.<\/p>\n<p>Taking extra actions comes down to a card draw from the Sugar Rush deck. Some of the Hang Out cards are strictly better than other cards. Some of the Personal Goals are just easier than others, and those are again dealt out as a random card draw, for the same number of points as other goals. Turn order is essentially meaningless in a lower player count version of the game.\u00a0 I won these games mainly because I committed to going last every round, ensuring I would score two points for taking a worker placement spot that was numbered as the last one available. Each time I did this, I was surprised that I didn\u2019t even take a hit when searching for worker placement spots to take meaningful actions.<\/p>\n<p>You get the idea. There\u2019s a lot of things here that turn <i>Rock Hard: 1977<\/i> into a literal roll-of-the-dice, and that left the strategy gamers in a tough place.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe production was a 10\/10 for me, but the game play was much less,\u201d one of the strategy gamers said later. \u201cThe mechanics themselves were pretty \u2018meh\u2019 to me.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>In that first game, we didn\u2019t read that much of the flavor text on the cards. We laughed from time to time at the names of the Random Gigs and loved it every time someone tapped their Manager power to boost an action. The theme was there, but we didn\u2019t lean into it as hard as we could.<\/p>\n<p>If your group is made up mostly of strategy gamers, I would pass on <i>Rock Hard: 1977<\/i> unless you also play games with, say, your partner, someone who loves the music theme and is comfortable with a large amount of luck that determines the outcome. I\u2019ve won my two plays, and I\u2019m not sure I should say that I played better or made better decisions than the others at the table. It didn\u2019t feel that way.<\/p>\n<p>My second play was with my review crew, a mix of newer gamers and seasoned veterans. One guy goes to as many shows each month as I do. Another is a guitar player. All were looking forward to a casual night thanks to a lower rules overhead than some of the other games I get to the table.<\/p>\n<p>That\u2019s where the magic of <i>Rock Hard: 1977<\/i> reared its beautiful head.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-305291 lazyload\" data-src=\"https:\/\/www.meeplemountain.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/Rock-Hard-6-1024x768.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1024\" height=\"768\" data-wp-pid=\"305291\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/Rock-Hard-6-74x55.jpg?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 74w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/Rock-Hard-6-111x83.jpg?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 111w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/Rock-Hard-6-300x225.jpg?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 300w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/Rock-Hard-6.jpg?size=528x396&amp;lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 528w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/Rock-Hard-6-600x450.jpg?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 600w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/Rock-Hard-6-768x576.jpg?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 768w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/Rock-Hard-6-990x743.jpg?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 990w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/Rock-Hard-6-1024x768.jpg?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 1024w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/Rock-Hard-6-1200x900.jpg?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 1200w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/Rock-Hard-6-1320x990.jpg?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 1320w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/Rock-Hard-6.jpg?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 1500w\" 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=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-305291\" src=\"https:\/\/www.meeplemountain.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/Rock-Hard-6-1024x768.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1024\" height=\"768\" data-wp-pid=\"305291\" srcset=\"https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/Rock-Hard-6-74x55.jpg?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 74w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/Rock-Hard-6-111x83.jpg?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 111w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/Rock-Hard-6-300x225.jpg?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 300w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/Rock-Hard-6.jpg?size=528x396&amp;lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 528w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/Rock-Hard-6-600x450.jpg?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 600w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/Rock-Hard-6-768x576.jpg?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 768w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/Rock-Hard-6-990x743.jpg?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 990w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/Rock-Hard-6-1024x768.jpg?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 1024w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/Rock-Hard-6-1200x900.jpg?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 1200w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/Rock-Hard-6-1320x990.jpg?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 1320w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/Rock-Hard-6.jpg?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 1500w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/noscript><\/p>\n<h2>The Right Group<\/h2>\n<p>\u201cI\u2019m not sure which job I should pick\u2014truck driver or car salesman. Car salesman sounds seedier\u2026let\u2019s pick that one.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cMy craving level is already at 5\u2026I\u2019m going to use another candy token. Let\u2019s get crazy!!\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI get three bucks and only have to take a one-point hit to my reputation? Yeah, put my marker at that bar mitzvah after all.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>These lines, and more, were some of the dozens of times I laughed during the second play of <i>Rock Hard: 1977<\/i>. I embraced the chaos, and that is the only way to fly to make the game a smash.<\/p>\n<p>Every time someone drew a new Hang Out card, they read the flavor text. Everyone made fun of the player who didn\u2019t make his demo tape until September (the game\u2019s rounds are tied to a month of the year). We leaned into the drug theme. We made inappropriate remarks from time to time\u2026in character, of course. (Remember, it was the 1970s.) I had a personal goal to donate blood three times, so I made a joke every time I went to the blood bank.<\/p>\n<p>When I had to pay for my third crew member, I waved my pile of dollar bills at the other players while making a show of licking my thumb to peel bills out of my hand, like I was Scarface or something. When another player played a gig at the Panda Palace, he joked about finding fame and fortune after playing at \u201cTJs\u201d, the gig locale that looks like a local bar on the game board, for so many months prior to that turn. One player took great pride in skipping work as an executive assistant for the third time, guaranteeing that he was free from the shackles of corporate work.<\/p>\n<p>If you play this game with a group that has time (to the tune of two-and-a-half-hours, an eternity for a game that should have been done in 90 minutes or less), loves the theme, appreciates a spectacular amount of \u201cswinginess\u201d, consumes a can or two of Schlitz and has the desire to let a game make memories, <i>Rock Hard: 1977<\/i> is a fantastic time at the table. Mechanically, it is not doing anything an experienced gamer hasn\u2019t seen before.<\/p>\n<p>But you\u2019ve never seen it in a package this sexy, this lush, or this loud.<\/p>\n<p>As an event game, <i>Rock Hard: 1977<\/i> checks every box. It\u2019s a good-looking toy in a box delivered by one of the most consistent publishers in tabletop. While I\u2019m not confident we will be talking about this in a year or two, it was such a pleasure to sit at the table and embrace its attempts at thematic storytelling.<\/p>\n<p>If you have the right group, give <i>Rock Hard: 1977<\/i> a look. Just take it easy on the drugs, OK?<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The hottest game at Gen Con 2024 was Rock Hard: 1977. Find out what Justin thinks about the theme-heavy, worker placement game in his review!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":69,"featured_media":305298,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"MSN_Categories":"Uncategorized","MSN_Publish_Option":true,"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":[6089],"class_list":["post-305290","reviews","type-reviews","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-music-board-games","designers-jackie-fox","mechanisms-end-game-bonuses","mechanisms-events","mechanisms-set-collection","mechanisms-variable-player-powers","mechanisms-worker-placement","publishers-devir","artists-jennifer-giner","release_year-8432"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v23.8 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Rock Hard: 1977 Game Review &#8212; Meeple Mountain<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"The hottest game at Gen Con 2024 was Rock Hard: 1977. 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