"51st State" a First Play Review

This is a first play review (FPR) of 51st State Published by Portal (second edition US release published by Toy Vault. This review will contain the details of the game from Theme, Components, Rules and overall play. There will be a follow up review after playing the game with varying group sizes and multiple tests.

Theme: 51st State is a Science Fiction themed game of Post-Apocalyptic survival, working to build a new civilization.

FPR: This theme is medium; you would not be able to easily make a different theme fit in this game. It is possible but the cards, the strategy and tactics as well as the play really work well under this theme. The artwork really complements the theme and makes the game very enjoyable. I find more and more that the art work and theme play a big part in my desire to purchase games. I want high quality artwork and components with a fun theme that is not pasted on.

Components: The game components are playing cards, and cardboard counters (Oh and the back of the box, which is used for final scoring :) ).

FPR: As I stated before the artwork and components are great. The cards are similar to strength as regular playing cards, which will help the game to last longer. Text and icons are very easy to see due to excellent choices with contrasting colors. This is good as the game has heavy iconography (icons used for words or phrases).  The text on the cards is an easy to read font with good contrast between black and white for the majority of the text. An excellent take on the apocalyptic theme within the artwork, the world really does look like it is trying to rebuild itself. There are even some cards that have the classic gas masks. Like I mentioned before the artwork helps to make the theme really stand out.

Rules: The rules for the most part very clear and easy to read. The book has an OK layout, and the text is easy to read with good contrast. Interesting to note is that the rule book is color coded by background. Tan to represent components and setup, Green to represent play and flow of the game, Blue to represent the actions that can be performed during play and White to represent description and the index, which mainly covers the iconography and finer details of the cards. 

FPR:  Ahh, the rule book, if a game publisher ever produces the golden rule book (one that leaves no questions asked, is easy to read and understand) the editor of the rule book will be a millionaire, be able to lead us to world peace and solve world hunger on the side. That being said the layout of the rule book although well thought out did not work well for me. The separate sections made it easy to read and follow the flow, and made it easy for me to reference while playing the first game. This is a major plus as it is no fun to try and read the rules while trying to play the game.

The big flaw for me is disjointed rules that are a big part of the game. Scoring was the hardest part for me to figure out, and sadly one of the simplest parts of the game. Why did I have a hard time? First let me say, in reading the rules a second time after playing the game and reading some FAQs on Board game geek (FAQs) the scoring is very obvious. However to answer the question the scoring is in three separate parts of the rule book. First it is in the green section under phase 4 count victory points, second it is on the same page as phase 4 (page 4) at the bottom of the page in a solid green section and lastly it is on page 7 as an example of how to score.

When I read through a rule book I tend to not reference other page sections in the middle of my reading as it causes more confusion. And even after reading the rule book the three parts were hard for me to follow. Now in hindsight I completely see the flow of these three sections and it works really well. Currently I feel silly for not understanding the scoring the first time. The understanding I have now though is not what I had before and that is a flaw in the rules layout. And the scoring is not the only part that is disjointed. So if you had a hard time like I did the first time. After reading the rules give it a few moments, read the rules again, and maybe play through mock game by yourself. Also the FAQ on board game geek answer a lot of questions so check those out too.

Overall Play:  

Theme: Medium

Depth: Medium (a very tactical game)

Strategy: Medium Heavy

Luck: Moderate

Playtime: 45 minutes up to 90 minutes depending on group size and experience

Setup: Easy 5 to 10 minutes (if you are meticulous)

Clean up: Easy 5 to 10 minutes (depending on how you organize items in the box)

Quantity of components: Small amount (See components for details)

My ranking: Really liked it (4.5 out of 5) or (9 out of 10)

IN 51st state you represent a faction trying to gain power in the new world. Using the advantages of your faction you try to earn the most power (represented by victory points) so that you can be the new leader. During the game you will draft (select cards from a pool of cards) cards that represent potential locations you can use to earn victory points. Then you will attempt to make deals with the inhabitants of the location, conquer the inhabitants and receive spoils or incorporate a location into your faction. Using your locations, spoils or deals in the right way at the right time will earn you more victory points and potentially the game. 

FPR: 51st state plays smoothly, and the mechanics work well together to create a great game. The phases play well and there is enough going on to keep you engaged even when it is not your turn. The game is a little on the solitaire side of games as the interaction is minimal. However that is what most racing games are like. Although you may not be racing around the track or across a map you are racing to create the best and most powerful faction. The person who does this the fastest will be the winner of the game, and thus a race. 

A few parts of the game really stand out for me. The use of a single card in three different ways is not a new concept but is well executed in this game. With the dynamic of choosing how to use the location cards (since there are three options) really pushes you as you can't keep and use every location like you would want to. I like how this game scores points, although confusing to me at first it really works well for the game. And keeps you engaged with what your opponent is doing as you will want to know their score ever turn. I also love the ability to perform as many actions as you want and can. Usually I always feel limited in what I can do in a game. Not by my setup but by how many actions I have. Games like Agricola or Dominion come to mind. Most games use the limitation of actions to create the strategy in the game and 51st state does this as well. The difference is that in 51st state your actions are only limited by what you have in your hand and how you choose to use it. Again this is not a new concept but a great reprieve from the more common limitation found in the majority of games.

This game is hard to teach and there is a learning curve for the game, but the play is simple enough that after playing once or twice you should have the basics down. I highly recommend visiting board game geek and checking out the FAQ to make this easier for you. I hope to create a teaching guide for this game and previous games I have reviewed (which is only one). Until then hopefully someone else can provide you an answer.