Ever feel like the deck is stacked against you? Ever seek out that feeling? Look no further than Sweet Games’ The Grizzled. With cooperative and hand management mechanics, 2-5 players can expect to feel completely demoralized as they attempt to survive World War I over the 30 minute play time (or roughly .0013% of the actual length of the war). But don’t take my word for it, here’s a note from the designers themselves:
Intention note: At the same level as literature and cinema, games are a cultural media which is undeniably participative. There are no subjects it can’t broach, though some are more delicate than others. That of the life of the Grizzled is one of those. Guided by the deepest respect that the suffering endured by these men has inspired in us, we’ve worked in designing and tweaking this game with this constant concern. In this collective insanity we’ve chosen to focus on the individual, with his preoccupations and his daily fears. The only escape for these men is to use their solidarity, their brotherhood, and their ability to help each other in order to save one another, each and all together. Without ever touching on the warlike aspect, “The Grizzled” offers each player to feel some of the difficulties suffered by the soldiers of the trenches. Thus the tension around the table will often be intense, as will the emotions. The path to victory may seem difficult, but don’t get discouraged – persist and get through the Great War!
After the game players may experience the following:
- The need to double check the definition of “cooperative”
- Sheer terror at the sight of a whistle
- The ability to raise office morale to new peaks with a mid day pep talk
- Conviction that having four neurotic behaviors is terminal
- Acts of Stolen Valor
Vivres de Réserve:
- 2 Tins of boiled beef
- 12 biscuits
- 2 packets of dried soup
- 2 coffee tablets (served in a tin where you should store your cigarettes)
- 2 issues of ration sugar
Music: RDG’s Grizzled Playlist
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