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As autumn arrives, the forest transforms into a vibrant tapestry of colors. Animals busily prepare for the winter ahead, and the damp, earthy scent hints at the perfect conditions for mushrooms to flourish. This enchanting scene sets the stage for Fall, a board game where you and a friend create a stunning ecosystem together.
👥 2 players, ages 10+
⌛ Playing time: 30 minutes
📝 Designer: Giampaolo Razzino
🎨 Artwork: Mirko Properzi
🏢 Publisher: Happy Meeple Games (Dutch/French version)
Welcome to Fall
At the start of the game, each player gets three goal cards. These cards outline which flowers will earn you points and how many foxes, robins, and hoopoes you need to score.
Each round, four leaf tiles and fauna/fungi token combinations are revealed. Using a snake draft, both players pick two tiles. On your turn, you choose a combination and place the tile in the ecosystem, matching one of the colors on the tile with the adjacent tiles. You can also build on top of other tiles; if you do, the color needs to match the tile underneath.
Many tiles have flower pieces. Combining three tiles with the same colored flower can earn points at the end of the game. Building on top of other tiles can help complete a flower and removes the previously placed fauna token, helping you fulfill your other goal cards.
After building the forest, you can place one of your reserved fauna/fungi tokens on a tile that can host that type of animal or mushroom. Each round, one type is prohibited and can’t be placed, so you need to plan ahead. When planting a mushroom, you place your own colored mushroom token on top to claim points at the end of the game.
After 12 rounds, the game ends, and you tally your scores. Points are awarded based on the three goal cards you received at the beginning. You score points for completed flowers in the specified colors, combinations of foxes, and the ratios of both types of birds in the forest. You also earn points for your mushrooms based on the height of the leaf pile underneath.
The Essentials
Fall is a game for 2 players, ages 10 and up, that takes about half an hour to play. Designed by Giampaolo Razzino, it will be released later this year by Happy Meeple Games in a Dutch/French version. The game is colorful and pretty, with beautiful artwork by Mirko Properzi that really captures the essence of fall. The components are well-made and feel nice to handle.
In Fall, you and your opponent build and create an ecosystem together, but you’re not actually cooperating. Each player tries to manipulate the game to score points based on their own goal cards. You both build the same ecosystem, forming a single tableau that you’ll each score individually. The goal cards are different for each player and can be completely opposite, making it a fun challenge to achieve your goals while disrupting your opponent’s plans. Near the end of the game, you might build on top of other tiles to remove fauna tokens or demolish flowers that don’t match your goals, possibly messing up your opponent’s strategy.
Balancing Act
The game is very strategic. You need to balance which combination to take and when to place tiles on top of others. There’s a bit of luck involved too. The tiles are randomly stacked at the start of the game, and tokens are drawn from a bag. Because of this, the possible combinations are random, and you may need to adjust your plans and approach the game tactically.
Each game is different because there are many goal cards and you build the ecosystem from scratch every time. You’ll need various combinations of animals and flowers in the forest, and the tiles and tokens are displayed randomly, making each game a new experience.
Comparisons to Other Games
Fall reminds me a lot of Cascadia because of the way both games use tiles and tokens in their mechanics. The difference is that in Cascadia, each player builds their own ecosystem and scores points based on public goals. In Fall, player interaction is higher since both players score points based on the same configuration of tiles and tokens, but their goals are secret and unique. The game also has vibes similar to Harmonies and Akropolis, which are some of our most played games recently, so it’s no wonder Fall resonates well with us.
Why We Love Fall
We are big fans of puzzle games like Cascadia and Calico, so a two-player game with similar mechanics immediately caught our interest. What stands out to us is the interaction between players, as we unknowingly interfere with each other’s goals. If you enjoy puzzle games that keep you thinking on your feet, this is one you’ll want to check out.
If this sounds interesting to you, note that Happy Meeple Games has started pre-orders on their website for the Dutch/French version, with possible pickup at big fairs like Spiel, Spellenspektakel, and Vichy. You can find more information and place your pre-order here: https://www.happymeeplegames.com/fall/.
📝 Disclaimer: We had the chance to try out the game thanks to the publisher of the Dutch/French version, Happy Meeple Games. Note that this wasn’t the final version and some changes can still be made to the game.
