Septima

Septima (2023) Designer: Robin Hegedús Publisher: Mindclash Games / @mindclash_games Main Mechanics: Simultaneous Action Selection; Grid Movement; Resource Management; Variable Player Powers Septima is a competitive BG where players take on the role of clan leaders. To become the successor of the High Witch, they must gain Wisdom by collecting herbs; preparing potions; healing the townspeople; mastering charms; and rescuing other witches from trials. The game is played in four seasons, consisting of 5 rounds each. Every round, players must select an action to activate. In the end, whoever has the most Wisdom is the winner. In my humble opinion, Septima is not as accessible and intuitive as advertised on BGG. It is a Medium Heavy with a relatively long setup, reasonable downtime and many minor rules that seek to guarantee variability at the cost of simplicity/fluidity (hunter movement protocol; collection of resources according to the phases of the moon; sending angry citizens from the city to a room and then into a bag, etc.). I'm not convinced this was a good tradeoff for a game of this complexity rate. Furthermore, it is counterintuitive to actively seek less efficient actions when there is a fixed number of moves (20). However, the efficiency generated by bonuses through matching actions comes at such a high cost that, in the end, I have the impression that the main puzzle of the game is this: seeking the greatest possible efficiency by avoiding matching, except in two or three critical moments of the game, where the tradeoff is much more than satisfactory. I intend to test this game a couple more times (low player count; solo), but, despite the beautiful production and table presence, given that I've had a very different experience than expected.

Septima (2023) Designer: Robin Hegedús Publisher: Mindclash Games / @mindclash_games Main Mechanics: Simultaneous Action Selection; Grid Movement; Resource Management; Variable Player Powers Septima is a competitive BG where players take on the role of clan leaders. To become the successor of the High Witch, they must gain Wisdom by collecting herbs; preparing potions; healing the townspeople; mastering charms; and rescuing other witches from trials. The game is played in four seasons, consisting of 5 rounds each. Every round, players must select an action to activate. In the end, whoever has the most Wisdom is the winner. In my humble opinion, Septima is not as accessible and intuitive as advertised on BGG. It is a Medium Heavy with a relatively long setup, reasonable downtime and many minor rules that seek to guarantee variability at the cost of simplicity/fluidity (hunter movement protocol; collection of resources according to the phases of the moon; sending angry citizens from the city to a room and then into a bag, etc.). I'm not convinced this was a good tradeoff for a game of this complexity rate. Furthermore, it is counterintuitive to actively seek less efficient actions when there is a fixed number of moves (20). However, the efficiency generated by bonuses through matching actions comes at such a high cost that, in the end, I have the impression that the main puzzle of the game is this: seeking the greatest possible efficiency by avoiding matching, except in two or three critical moments of the game, where the tradeoff is much more than satisfactory. I intend to test this game a couple more times (low player count; solo), but, despite the beautiful production and table presence, given that I've had a very different experience than expected.

Wow! we loved the theme, components and the mechanic behind this game. If you are looking for something new to try, maybe this is the right for you. More about this game and other BG content -> Santos Reviews https://www.youtube.com/@santosresena

Wow! we loved the theme, components and the mechanic behind this game. If you are looking for something new to try, maybe this is the right for you. More about this game and other BG content -> Santos Reviews https://www.youtube.com/@santosresena

Septima is a beautifully designed game about witches quietly trying not to arrouse the suspicion of the local Witch Hunters! The gorgeous game board has a small villiage surrounded by a forest where you gather ingredients to work your magic. Oh Yes, there will be witch trials! But if you are able to heal enough villagers, you can taint the jury by planting friendly villagers in the angry crowd. This game is good for guys and girls. It's a complicated Euro style game, but it's got three sets of rules, Basic, Advanced and Solo. It can be challenging or really challenging, you can adjust how heavy you want to make it.