Fort by Leder Games
Price: ~$30.00
Players: 2 to 4
Playtime: 20-40 minutes
Perfect for: Families and groups simple-to-learn, complex-to-master card drafting, and set collection games.
Fort is a game of having the. Best. Stuff. Ever! Pizza, toys, friends—these are the important things in life, and as the little adventurous youngster you are, it’s your ultimate goal to collect the items that make you the coolest kid in the neighborhood!
To begin Fort, two to four players collect a character board which will help them keep track of acquired resources (pizza and toys), and how upgraded their fort is (as well as serving as a handy turn summary guide). Players receive two best friend cards, along with 8 additional kid cards from a larger shuffled deck. These cards will be played in strategic combinations over the course of rounds so players acquire new resources and enhance their fort—the latter of which contributes to both capacity and victory points.
On a turn, a player chooses cards from their hand which will dictate 1) the action(s) they are taking and 2) the magnitude of that action. This is determined by the suit of the card, of which there are four plus a wild. For example, a card may indicate that for every shovel (one of the suits) played, that individual gains a pizza. This can be increased with multiple shovel cards (with some caveats and stipulations). However, for many actions, players can copy the effect, meaning that it is incredibly important for others to watch their opponents carefully. As gameplay proceeds, the deck-building element of Fort comes into play as new kid cards are played, received, stolen, and even permanently removed from the table. The moment any player either a) reaches 25 victory points, or b) fully upgrades their fort, gameplay ends and the person with the most VP wins.
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What works in Fort is the complexity level associated with the engine and deck-building mechanics, coupled with highly engaging gameplay. Don’t let the kid-focused theme fool you—at the core is a relational system that astute players with an inclination for planning and efficiency can leverage. It’s easy to envision after the first couple of playthroughs to get accustomed to the symbols and available actions (more on that below), players could begin executing intricate strategies to achieve optimal points.
Players who prefer games with minimal iconography and basic rulesets within their card games may not enjoy Fort as much as others. The symbols can at first very overwhelming and the actions have several specific circumstances associated with using them. Simply put, there are a lot of minor things to keep track of but fortunately for Fort, the player guides and rulebook are quite clear and easy to follow. Finally, the aggression level of Fort is a bit-player dependent—there is certainly the option to go into attack mode by attempting to thwart and sabotage opponents if one so desired. There’s nothing wrong with this approach, it just might be helpful to know that it exists.
Fort is a fantastic card-based game with a surprising amount of depth and replay value. The elaborate nature offers seasoned gamers the opportunity to feel like a cunning kid again as they via for neighborhood domination…and the coveted sculpted macaroni trophy.
Recommended if you like: Gorus Maximus, Clank!
Final Grade: A
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