It was kind of surprising to me that it's taken so long for me to write a review for this one. It is, after all, my number one solo game (according to BGG's 2019 version of the People's Choice Top Solo Games, I am the only one who ranks it this high) and I am currently enjoying a foray into the legacy version (and, perhaps, am addicted to it).
"Why, oh wise and enlightened Theo, is this your favourite solo game?" This is probably what you're asking yourself right now. Well, let me tell you.
First of all, what IS Clank!? It is a deckbuilding adventure. Period. Ok, if that's not enough, it's a deckbuilder (a mechanic that has you starting with a weak deck of cards that you build up and customize as the game goes on) that also has you moving around the board (more rare for a deckbuilder). Your mission is to thieve as much loot as possible from a dragon's den (or spider or ape lord or mummy, depending on the expansion) before they kill you. You are also competing against other adventurers, trying to secure the most loot and survive.
As you sneak around the dungeon, you inevitably make some sound - clank - that attracts the dragon (spider, ape lord, mummy, etc.) to you. Whenever you create clank, you place a cube in the clank area. When the dragon attacks, you scoop up everyone's clank into a bag and pull out a number of cubes based on the threat level. If your cube comes out, you take damage. If you take all your damage while in the depths (bottom half of the map) you die and score nothing. If you at least die in the top half of the map, the villagers drag your carcass to the nearest village and revive you and you still score whatever you have acquired. If you make it all the way out of the dungeon, you get a bonus. Most points wins.
TOTAL PLAYS: 20 solo, 5 co-operative
COMPONENTS
First of all, what IS Clank!? It is a deckbuilding adventure. Period. Ok, if that's not enough, it's a deckbuilder (a mechanic that has you starting with a weak deck of cards that you build up and customize as the game goes on) that also has you moving around the board (more rare for a deckbuilder). Your mission is to thieve as much loot as possible from a dragon's den (or spider or ape lord or mummy, depending on the expansion) before they kill you. You are also competing against other adventurers, trying to secure the most loot and survive.
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| So much clank. |
TOTAL PLAYS: 20 solo, 5 co-operative
COMPONENTS
RULES
Maybe it's because I've played a lot of deckbuilders and am used to the mechanic, but I think this is a pretty easy game to pick up. The symbols are all easy to understand (sword for attack, boot for movement, gold for gold) so you rarely have to reference back to the rulebook. Some of the major and minor secrets you don't see very often so you need to check the rules to remind yourself what they mean, but they're all conveniently located on the back of the book. No hurdles here. 5/5
Maybe it's because I've played a lot of deckbuilders and am used to the mechanic, but I think this is a pretty easy game to pick up. The symbols are all easy to understand (sword for attack, boot for movement, gold for gold) so you rarely have to reference back to the rulebook. Some of the major and minor secrets you don't see very often so you need to check the rules to remind yourself what they mean, but they're all conveniently located on the back of the book. No hurdles here. 5/5
GAMEPLAY
I love board games (games where you move around a board) that utilize cards for movement and action. It's why I like Spirit Island so much and why I'm building that very mechanic into my own board game. Deckbuilders are especially my favourite because I love that feeling of (a) customizing your own deck throughout the game to be what you want and (b) going from a weakling to a powerful killing machine. The gameplay is really easy to get into it and feels intuitive. When you're playing against others, it's a good mix of doing your own thing (trying to get your own cards, find your own artifact), while still having a healthy dose of trying to get your opponents eaten by the dragon. We need more games like this. 5/5
I love board games (games where you move around a board) that utilize cards for movement and action. It's why I like Spirit Island so much and why I'm building that very mechanic into my own board game. Deckbuilders are especially my favourite because I love that feeling of (a) customizing your own deck throughout the game to be what you want and (b) going from a weakling to a powerful killing machine. The gameplay is really easy to get into it and feels intuitive. When you're playing against others, it's a good mix of doing your own thing (trying to get your own cards, find your own artifact), while still having a healthy dose of trying to get your opponents eaten by the dragon. We need more games like this. 5/5
REPLAYABILITY
I own (almost) every expansion for this game (not including the space versions), so I have a billion cards and so much variety and replayability. Even without that, though, the base game comes with a lot of replayability. There are two different map sides (one side being more challenging than the other) and many different paths to take through either one. You will never build the same deck twice because the base game comes with 100+ cards you can purchase and the deck is shuffled differently each game. If you happen to download the free app (which you need for solo play), it adds different challenges, objectives, and twists that add even more to the game. The base game has a lot going on, but I can see someone who plays it a lot needing to expand to keep the game fresh. 4/5
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| A reward for completing an objective on the app. |
FUN
This category is worth double the points for a reason. Yes, the components, rules, gameplay, and replayability are all important and contribute to the fun factor of a game. However, when you really boil it down, if you don't have some kind of fun with the game, you're not going to play it. This is where Clank! really shines for me. The art and flavour text are humorous - this game does not take itself too seriously. The cards you can purchase are full of puns and inside jokes about fantasy games. I love it. My favourite part of the game, by far, is that feeling you get (as in most deckbuilders) when you start off with a weak, crappy deck and then you craft it into a thing of power. It is just so satisfying to start the game off barely moving around the board and sneaking past enemies and by the end you can race around and crush any monster in your way. This is balanced by the tension of the dragon trying to eat you. No matter how tough you get, you can't defeat him. You just need to avoid. Who doesn't feel good escaping (or almost escaping) with a pack full of loot? I love this game. When people ask me about it I always say that it's the "best game with the stupidest name." I probably wouldn't have bought it myself solely based on the name. Luckily, a friend bought it for me and I've been in love ever since. 10/10
TOTAL SCORE - 28/30
Ok sure, maybe it's not for everyone. Especially if you're a Euro-gamer (although there ARE a lot of colourful cubes...). But it is a lot of fun and really well made. I will warn you that playing with 3 or 4 players can take quite a while unless everyone is familiar with the rules, but that is rarely how I play this game. I'm either playing it solo or with my game group that knows how to play (although our first game or two was pretty long). I love Clank!
Ok sure, maybe it's not for everyone. Especially if you're a Euro-gamer (although there ARE a lot of colourful cubes...). But it is a lot of fun and really well made. I will warn you that playing with 3 or 4 players can take quite a while unless everyone is familiar with the rules, but that is rarely how I play this game. I'm either playing it solo or with my game group that knows how to play (although our first game or two was pretty long). I love Clank!
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