As much as I can respect the sheer mechanical graft at their core, I am often put off by the unrelenting seriousness of the likes of Brass Birmingham or Ticket to Ride. I prefer my industrialism with a side of whimsy, and it looks as though the folks at Skellig Games agree, at least as far as their latest board game project, Steam and Cheese, is concerned.
As described on the preview page for its upcoming crowdfunder, Steam and Cheese is a dice placement and resource management game where you take on the role of a mouse magnate aiming to dominate the cheese market. The game itself takes place in a cutesy alternative history where mice became the dominant species. Instead of oil barons and weapons manufacturers, this rodentine reality is full of cheese moguls and bewhiskered industrialists.
Over the course of a round, you’ll be activating machines, managing your resources, and trying to wind up with as little wasted cheese or spoiled milk as possible – all while trying to prevent your opponents from doing the same. You’ll use a tightly designed dice system to dictate which production machines you activate, while sending your adorable assistants to gather additional resources by zeppelin.
The crowdfunder itself is set to launch on September 15. What’s more, Skellig Games seems confident in the quality of the product. Not only has the developer promised that a copy of the rulebook will be available for free for prospective backers to scrutinize, but there will also be a mod for virtual tabletop platform Tabletop Simulator which will allow players to try out Steam and Cheese for themselves.
Though I’ve not yet had a chance to play Steam and Cheese for myself, the numerous expository videos on the campaign preview page render me cautiously optimistic for the title’s future. Should Steam and Cheese deliver, it may well find itself on our comprehensive list of the very best board games.
Do you prefer serious titles, or are you a whimsy-enjoyer? Tell us why on the Wargamer Discord.
Source: Wargamer
