- Awesome theme. The game itself might be hot garbage, but I want it because its got a horror / sci-fi or fantasy IP that's I'm obsessed with. For example: I just ordered this friggin' thing. *pleasedontsuck*, *pleasedontsuck*, *pleasedontsuck*
- "I'm the best at what I do and what I do is...pretty darned entertaining." A game doesn't hafta re-invent the wheel, but it needs to do what it sets out to do really well. For example, even though I already own a disproportionate number of worker placement games, I still bought Rajas of the Ganges and Champions of Midgard because they're not only gorgeous to look at, they're both really solid games with original angles.
- NKOTB. The new acquisition features an element or mechanic that isn't represented by anything else in my collection.
"The town of Scoville likes it hot! Very hot! That means they love their peppers – but they're too busy eating them to grow the peppers themselves. That's where you come in.
"A round of Scoville consists of a blind auction, which determines player order, a planting phase, a harvesting phase, and a fulfillment phase. Each round, the players plant peppers in the fields. Throughout the game, the available opportunities for crossbreeding increase as more peppers are planted. When harvesting, players move their pawn through the fields, and whenever they move between two planted fields, they harvest peppers. If, for example, they harvest between fields of red and yellow peppers, they crossbreed those and harvest an orange pepper. Harvested peppers are then used to fulfill the town's peppery desires!"
Need a full job description before you begin...um, breeding? Well, click on the following link to read the full rules and start growin' them Guatemalan Insanity Peppers.
Sean wagers five coins while Natalie wagers one and Charlize offers zero. Sean starts first, placing his Turn Order Disc in the first player spot, with Natalie taking second place and Charlize up last. Sean then selects the single Orange Pepper Auction Card while Nat takes the two Blue Peppers and Charlize snaps up the remaining single Red.
In the Planting Phase, Sean plants a Red Pepper next to a Yellow, while Natalie plants a Blue next to a Red and Charlize drops a Yellow next to a Blue.
During the Harvesting Phase, this Turn Order is reversed. Charlize needs an Orange Pepper, so, after starting out on the star space, her Farmer Meeple moves two spaces west, ending up between a Red and a Yellow, which generates precisely what she wants. Natalie's Farmer enters the board, trucks two spaces east and lands between a Blue and Yellow pepper for the Greenie she needs. After casting off from the starting spot, Sean moves his Farmer dude two spaces, ending up between a Red and a Blue, which cross-breeds into a Brown!
Things revert back to the Player Order during Fulfillment. Sean spends a Blue and an Orange Pepper to buy the 3-point "No Mild Left Behind" Recipe Card. Nat opts to pass, while Charlize spends one Red and one Blue Pepper to collect one of the Market Cards, which gives her a prized Purple Pepper and a Veep!
During the bid, Sean proffers five bucks, Natalie bids zero and Charlize reveals two. Sean opts to go first, Charlize stays in the third position and, by default, Nat will be second. This arrangement gives Sean the opportunity to snatch up the Red and Blue Pepper Auction Card, while the gals are stuck with some generic double Yellows.
When it comes to Planting, Sean becomes the first player to plant a Brown Pepper, so he takes the appropriate 4-point Award Plaque. Natalie plants a Blue Pepper next to a Yellow, while Charlize drops a Yellow next to a Red.
Charlize Harvests first, collecting an Orange Pepper. Nat's Farmer ends up between a Yellow and a Blue to earn a Green and Sean comes to a halt in a similar spot for his own Greenie.
Everyone passes during the subsequent Fulfillment phase.
Now broke, Sean bids zero, while Nat offers three and Charlize offers four. The new Auction Cards are pretty underwhelming, so Charlize picks the last spot, Natalie ends up first and Sean is now stuck in the middle (♫♪♪"With yeeeeewwww!"♫♪♪). Nat drafts the Red Pepper Auction Card and her two rivals both end up with double Yellows.
GAME PLAY-THROUGH
Blue...Sean
Red...Natalie
Green..Charlize
ROUND ONE
Sean wagers five coins while Natalie wagers one and Charlize offers zero. Sean starts first, placing his Turn Order Disc in the first player spot, with Natalie taking second place and Charlize up last. Sean then selects the single Orange Pepper Auction Card while Nat takes the two Blue Peppers and Charlize snaps up the remaining single Red.
In the Planting Phase, Sean plants a Red Pepper next to a Yellow, while Natalie plants a Blue next to a Red and Charlize drops a Yellow next to a Blue.
During the Harvesting Phase, this Turn Order is reversed. Charlize needs an Orange Pepper, so, after starting out on the star space, her Farmer Meeple moves two spaces west, ending up between a Red and a Yellow, which generates precisely what she wants. Natalie's Farmer enters the board, trucks two spaces east and lands between a Blue and Yellow pepper for the Greenie she needs. After casting off from the starting spot, Sean moves his Farmer dude two spaces, ending up between a Red and a Blue, which cross-breeds into a Brown!
Things revert back to the Player Order during Fulfillment. Sean spends a Blue and an Orange Pepper to buy the 3-point "No Mild Left Behind" Recipe Card. Nat opts to pass, while Charlize spends one Red and one Blue Pepper to collect one of the Market Cards, which gives her a prized Purple Pepper and a Veep!
ROUND TWO
During the bid, Sean proffers five bucks, Natalie bids zero and Charlize reveals two. Sean opts to go first, Charlize stays in the third position and, by default, Nat will be second. This arrangement gives Sean the opportunity to snatch up the Red and Blue Pepper Auction Card, while the gals are stuck with some generic double Yellows.
When it comes to Planting, Sean becomes the first player to plant a Brown Pepper, so he takes the appropriate 4-point Award Plaque. Natalie plants a Blue Pepper next to a Yellow, while Charlize drops a Yellow next to a Red.
Charlize Harvests first, collecting an Orange Pepper. Nat's Farmer ends up between a Yellow and a Blue to earn a Green and Sean comes to a halt in a similar spot for his own Greenie.
Everyone passes during the subsequent Fulfillment phase.
ROUND THREE
Now broke, Sean bids zero, while Nat offers three and Charlize offers four. The new Auction Cards are pretty underwhelming, so Charlize picks the last spot, Natalie ends up first and Sean is now stuck in the middle (♫♪♪"With yeeeeewwww!"♫♪♪). Nat drafts the Red Pepper Auction Card and her two rivals both end up with double Yellows.
Natalie then spikes a Blue Pepper into the turf next to another Blue. Sean plants a Red next to a Red while Charlize embeds an Orange close to a Red. As the first player to plant an Orange Pepper, Charlize scores the two-Victory Point Award Plaque!
Charlize is also the first to Harvest, moving between Red and Yellow for an Orange and then between Red and Orange for a Brown Pepper. Sean matches Red and Blue for Purple, passes between two Reds for, um...two Reds and then settles between a Yellow and a Red or an Orange. Natalie maneuvers between two Blue Peppers for a double Blue payout and then spends her "Double Back Once" Bonus Action tile (!) to generate a Green from a Yellow / Blue combo and then comes to rest in a similar spot for yet another Green!
Fulfillment is a lot busier this time out! Nat returns a Yellow and Red Pepper back to supply to buy one of the Market Cards, which gives her a Victory Point and a free Orange Pepper. Sean pays a Purple, a Blue and an Orange to complete the "Fair to Middlin'" Recipe Card for 5 Victory Points! Charlize invests a Red and Orange Pepper to get a Market Card which gives her a windfall of one Brown Pepper, three dollarinos and a Veep!
Both Nat and Charlize wager two coins while Blue reveals an empty hand. Natalie decides to go first, followed by Charlize and then Sean. Natalie helps herself to the single Blue Pepper Auction Card, leaving her opponents with single Reds.
Nat Plants first. Surprisingly, she uses her "Plant One Extra Pepper" Bonus Action Tile to seed both an Orange and a Green. As the second player to plant an Orange and / or Green Pepper, she nabs the remaining Award Plaque. Charlize also decides to drop the same Bonus Action Tile, placing an Orange next to one of its kin and a Purple next to a Brown and an Orange! Immune to this outbreak of madness, Sean conservatively plants a Red Pepper next to another Red and a Blue.
During the Harvest Phase, Sean dispatches his Farmer between two Red Peppers (picking up two Red), shuffles betwixt a Blue and Red for a Purple and then finally comes to rest amidst a Blue and Orange for a Brownie. Charlize sashays between a Purple and Orange for one White (!) and then between two Orange Peppers for a rare Black (!!!). Natalie gets a Green from a Yellow / Blue combo, a Brown from a fusion of Orange and Blue and finally produces a White from Orange and Green!
Next up: Fulfillment! Natalie acts first, spending two Green, two Blue and one White Pepper to polish off the "J‘s Juicy Morsel Chili" Recipe Card for 10 Victory Points. Charlize then cashes in Yellow, Brown and Black Peppers to complete the "Baby Steps" Recipe for 8 Victory Points. Not to be outdone, Sean trades in a Green, a Purple and one Red to table the 5-point "Two Alarm, Tops" Recipe! He also decides to sell one Red back to supply for two cash, since there's a total of four Red Peppers planted on the board.
Sean drops his "Plant One Extra Pepper" Bonus Action Tile and places a pair of Purple Peppers (try saying that five times real quick) on the board, one next to a Green and a Blue and another beside a lone Blue. Nat embeds a Blue Pepper next to a Purple and an Orange, while Charlize buries an Orange next to a Green.
Harvesting begins with Charlize shifting between a Yellow and Orange for a Brownie, dispatching her Farmer between Orange and Green for a White and then shufflin' between a Green and a Purple for another Downtown Julie Brown. Natalie crosses Red and Yellow for an Orange, a Red and Orange for a Brown and then comes to rest in the middle of Purple and Orange for a White. After scoring double Blues, Sean gets his first Black from two Purples but then discovers that he can’t move any further. D'oh!
Charlize is also the first to Harvest, moving between Red and Yellow for an Orange and then between Red and Orange for a Brown Pepper. Sean matches Red and Blue for Purple, passes between two Reds for, um...two Reds and then settles between a Yellow and a Red or an Orange. Natalie maneuvers between two Blue Peppers for a double Blue payout and then spends her "Double Back Once" Bonus Action tile (!) to generate a Green from a Yellow / Blue combo and then comes to rest in a similar spot for yet another Green!
Fulfillment is a lot busier this time out! Nat returns a Yellow and Red Pepper back to supply to buy one of the Market Cards, which gives her a Victory Point and a free Orange Pepper. Sean pays a Purple, a Blue and an Orange to complete the "Fair to Middlin'" Recipe Card for 5 Victory Points! Charlize invests a Red and Orange Pepper to get a Market Card which gives her a windfall of one Brown Pepper, three dollarinos and a Veep!
ROUND FOUR
Both Nat and Charlize wager two coins while Blue reveals an empty hand. Natalie decides to go first, followed by Charlize and then Sean. Natalie helps herself to the single Blue Pepper Auction Card, leaving her opponents with single Reds.
Nat Plants first. Surprisingly, she uses her "Plant One Extra Pepper" Bonus Action Tile to seed both an Orange and a Green. As the second player to plant an Orange and / or Green Pepper, she nabs the remaining Award Plaque. Charlize also decides to drop the same Bonus Action Tile, placing an Orange next to one of its kin and a Purple next to a Brown and an Orange! Immune to this outbreak of madness, Sean conservatively plants a Red Pepper next to another Red and a Blue.
During the Harvest Phase, Sean dispatches his Farmer between two Red Peppers (picking up two Red), shuffles betwixt a Blue and Red for a Purple and then finally comes to rest amidst a Blue and Orange for a Brownie. Charlize sashays between a Purple and Orange for one White (!) and then between two Orange Peppers for a rare Black (!!!). Natalie gets a Green from a Yellow / Blue combo, a Brown from a fusion of Orange and Blue and finally produces a White from Orange and Green!
Next up: Fulfillment! Natalie acts first, spending two Green, two Blue and one White Pepper to polish off the "J‘s Juicy Morsel Chili" Recipe Card for 10 Victory Points. Charlize then cashes in Yellow, Brown and Black Peppers to complete the "Baby Steps" Recipe for 8 Victory Points. Not to be outdone, Sean trades in a Green, a Purple and one Red to table the 5-point "Two Alarm, Tops" Recipe! He also decides to sell one Red back to supply for two cash, since there's a total of four Red Peppers planted on the board.
ROUND FIVE
During the Bidding, Sean bets nothing, Nat reveals two and Charlize bets zero. Natalie decides to go first and Charlize stays in second place, leaving Sean bringing up the rear. When it comes to selecting Auction Cards, Natalie snatches up the Yellow and Blue, Charlize takes the lone Blue and Sean ends up with a single Yellow.
Out of the gate, Nat opts to plant a single Yellow Pepper between an Orange and a Red. Charlize decides to drop a Red Pepper next to a Yellow and a Green. Sean then plays his "Plant an Extra Pepper" Bonus Action Tile to plant a Brown Pepper next to another Brown and a Yeller. Since he’s the second player to plant a Brown Pepper, he gets the remaining Award Plaque!
Blue Harvests first, positioning Farmer Meeple between a Yellow and a Blue for a Green, then passing between two Blue (for double of the matching color) before cutting one space north. Unfortunately, this leaves him stranded next to a sad, lone Pepper, which don't generate jack shit. Next up, Charlize trucks between a Purple and an Orange for a rare White, squeezes a Brown (?) out of a Red and Orange and then stops betwixt a Red and Yellow for an Orange. Nat the Brat then navigates past a Yellow and an Orange for one Brown and then reaps two Purples from a pair of Red / Blue hybrids.
During Fulfillment, Red spends one Blue Pepper to get a Market Card for three Coins and an equal number of Victory Points. He also sells one Yellow Pepper for two Coins, since there’s four of 'em on the board. Charlize follows suit, selling one Yellow for two and then Sean pawns off two of the same, garnering four dollah, dollah billz, y'all.
Out of the gate, Nat opts to plant a single Yellow Pepper between an Orange and a Red. Charlize decides to drop a Red Pepper next to a Yellow and a Green. Sean then plays his "Plant an Extra Pepper" Bonus Action Tile to plant a Brown Pepper next to another Brown and a Yeller. Since he’s the second player to plant a Brown Pepper, he gets the remaining Award Plaque!
Blue Harvests first, positioning Farmer Meeple between a Yellow and a Blue for a Green, then passing between two Blue (for double of the matching color) before cutting one space north. Unfortunately, this leaves him stranded next to a sad, lone Pepper, which don't generate jack shit. Next up, Charlize trucks between a Purple and an Orange for a rare White, squeezes a Brown (?) out of a Red and Orange and then stops betwixt a Red and Yellow for an Orange. Nat the Brat then navigates past a Yellow and an Orange for one Brown and then reaps two Purples from a pair of Red / Blue hybrids.
During Fulfillment, Red spends one Blue Pepper to get a Market Card for three Coins and an equal number of Victory Points. He also sells one Yellow Pepper for two Coins, since there’s four of 'em on the board. Charlize follows suit, selling one Yellow for two and then Sean pawns off two of the same, garnering four dollah, dollah billz, y'all.
ROUND 6
During betting, Charlize wagers three, Natalie offers up two and Sean reveals thin air. Charlize decides to take the third slot, while Nat selects first player and Sean is smack dab in the middle. Nat then hops on the Green Pepper Auction Card, Sean takes the Yellow / Red combo and Charlize ends up with double Red.
Planting is next, so Natalie jams a Purple in the ground next to a Yellow, Sean buries a Red next to a Yellow and a Blue and Charlize seeds a Green opposite two Yellows and a Red.
Charlize kicks off the Harvest Phase by collecting a Brown from a Yellow / Green combo, generating double Reds and then settling down between Red and Blue for Purple. Next up, Sean gets Blue x 2, slides by a Red and a Blue for a Purple and then spend his "Double Back Once" Bonus Action Tile to earn a Green from a Yellow and Blue mix. After Natalie scores double Reds, she grows a Brown from Green and Yellow and finishes up with a bouncing baby Yellow birthed from Red and Orange.
Natalie then launches into the Fulfillment Phase by spending a veritable rainbow of Brown, Green, Orange, Purple, Red, Yellow and Blue Peppers for the "Dude, Where’s My Tongue?" Recipe Card. Next up, Sean sells three Peppers for a Market Card which gives him two Purples, two monies and a Victory Point. Not to be outdone, Charlize cashes in a White, Brown, Purple and Blue for the "Uncle Zeke's Five-Alarm Belly Warmer" Recipe Card. She then swaps three Red Peppers for a Market Card that gives her two Orange Peppers, two space bucks and a Veep!
After bidding shakes out, Charlize decides to take the third player slot, Sean nabs first and Nat goes second. The Auction Cards are divvied up thusly: Sean -Red and Blue, Natalie - Blue and Charlize - Yellow.
Planting is next, so Natalie jams a Purple in the ground next to a Yellow, Sean buries a Red next to a Yellow and a Blue and Charlize seeds a Green opposite two Yellows and a Red.
Charlize kicks off the Harvest Phase by collecting a Brown from a Yellow / Green combo, generating double Reds and then settling down between Red and Blue for Purple. Next up, Sean gets Blue x 2, slides by a Red and a Blue for a Purple and then spend his "Double Back Once" Bonus Action Tile to earn a Green from a Yellow and Blue mix. After Natalie scores double Reds, she grows a Brown from Green and Yellow and finishes up with a bouncing baby Yellow birthed from Red and Orange.
Natalie then launches into the Fulfillment Phase by spending a veritable rainbow of Brown, Green, Orange, Purple, Red, Yellow and Blue Peppers for the "Dude, Where’s My Tongue?" Recipe Card. Next up, Sean sells three Peppers for a Market Card which gives him two Purples, two monies and a Victory Point. Not to be outdone, Charlize cashes in a White, Brown, Purple and Blue for the "Uncle Zeke's Five-Alarm Belly Warmer" Recipe Card. She then swaps three Red Peppers for a Market Card that gives her two Orange Peppers, two space bucks and a Veep!
ROUND 7
After bidding shakes out, Charlize decides to take the third player slot, Sean nabs first and Nat goes second. The Auction Cards are divvied up thusly: Sean -Red and Blue, Natalie - Blue and Charlize - Yellow.
Sean drops his "Plant One Extra Pepper" Bonus Action Tile and places a pair of Purple Peppers (try saying that five times real quick) on the board, one next to a Green and a Blue and another beside a lone Blue. Nat embeds a Blue Pepper next to a Purple and an Orange, while Charlize buries an Orange next to a Green.
Harvesting begins with Charlize shifting between a Yellow and Orange for a Brownie, dispatching her Farmer between Orange and Green for a White and then shufflin' between a Green and a Purple for another Downtown Julie Brown. Natalie crosses Red and Yellow for an Orange, a Red and Orange for a Brown and then comes to rest in the middle of Purple and Orange for a White. After scoring double Blues, Sean gets his first Black from two Purples but then discovers that he can’t move any further. D'oh!
Fulfillment sees Sean selling two Blue Peppers for some cold, hard cash. Red opts to pass but Charlize spends two Red, two Brown and two White to pay for the "Belfort Blast Furnace" Recipe Card. She then sells one Orange Pepper for two money.
During the Auction, Sean bets three, Natalie wagers three and Charlize proffers one Coin. Blue decides to go first, Nat goes last and Charlize is left with second. Sean adds the two Blue Peppers to his pool, Charlize takes the Yellow and Blue Auction Card and Natalie ends up with the single Blue Pepper.
Sean is the first to plant a Black Pepper, so he collects the appropriate six point Award Plaque. Charlize slam dunks a Blue next to a Red and a Yellow, while Nat drops a White Pepper next to a Brown. This is also a first, so she wrangles the matching five-points Award Plaque.
Natalie gets a-Farmin'....moving her Meeple up one space between a Brown and a Red. Unfortunately this yields a hot, steamin' basket of jack squat...but she bounces back by netting a pair of Browns by travellin' down the ol' Hershey Highway. Wait, that doesn't sound right. Um, you might wanna ignore that last part. Charlize then gets her own Brown action (?) by positioning between Orange and Blue, then collects a Green from a Blue and Yellow and then finishes her turn with a Purple from Red and Blue. As for Sean, his avatar nabs him a Purple from Purple and Black, a White from Green and Purple and a Brown via Orange and Blue.
Sean exchanges a Green Pepper for a Market Card worth five money and then trades in three Blue Peppers for six more Coins. Charlize scores another Recipe Card, "The Buck Stops Here", using a White, Green, Orange and Purple. Finally, Nat turns in five Brown Peppers for the "Appalachian Gems Rustic Heat" Recipe Card.
Now that the players are down to only two Recipe Cards, the Afternoon Phase of the game is skipped. One more round will be played and the game will end after the Fulfillment Phase of that round!
Both Charlize and Sean reveal two bucks while Natalie contributes all three of her remaining Coins to win the Auction. She decides to go first, with Sean opting for third and Charlize in the middle. Nat then helps herself to the Purple Auction card, Charlize picks up a Red n' Yellow dual pack and Sean is left with the single Red.
Natalie jams dat newly acquired Purple boi in tha durt between another Purple and a White. Green decides to bridge a Red between an Orange, Yellow and a Blue and then Sean drops a White-hot pep next to a Black and a Purple.
Sean begins the final Harvesting Phase by moving his Farmer between a Blue and a Purple for Brown, then matching two Purples for a Black and finally marrying a Black and a White for an 11'th hour Ghost! Charlize splices a Yellow and Red together for an Orange, then collects a Brown from Red and Orange and then halts between a Purple and an Orange for a White. Natalie then snaps up another White by splicing a White and Brown together, smooshes two Purples together for a Black and then finally settles in between some Purple and Blue peppaz for another Brown.
During the last Fulfillment Phase, Nat invests a Blue and Orange Pepper to collect one of the two last remaining Market Cards, claiming one Brown Pepper, three cash monies and a Victory Point. Charlize pawns three Yellow Peppers at two Coins apiece for a total of six. Sean then sells a whopping four Red Peppers and, since there are total of seven Reds planted, the grand total is 12 points
ROUND 8
During the Auction, Sean bets three, Natalie wagers three and Charlize proffers one Coin. Blue decides to go first, Nat goes last and Charlize is left with second. Sean adds the two Blue Peppers to his pool, Charlize takes the Yellow and Blue Auction Card and Natalie ends up with the single Blue Pepper.
Sean is the first to plant a Black Pepper, so he collects the appropriate six point Award Plaque. Charlize slam dunks a Blue next to a Red and a Yellow, while Nat drops a White Pepper next to a Brown. This is also a first, so she wrangles the matching five-points Award Plaque.
Natalie gets a-Farmin'....moving her Meeple up one space between a Brown and a Red. Unfortunately this yields a hot, steamin' basket of jack squat...but she bounces back by netting a pair of Browns by travellin' down the ol' Hershey Highway. Wait, that doesn't sound right. Um, you might wanna ignore that last part. Charlize then gets her own Brown action (?) by positioning between Orange and Blue, then collects a Green from a Blue and Yellow and then finishes her turn with a Purple from Red and Blue. As for Sean, his avatar nabs him a Purple from Purple and Black, a White from Green and Purple and a Brown via Orange and Blue.
Sean exchanges a Green Pepper for a Market Card worth five money and then trades in three Blue Peppers for six more Coins. Charlize scores another Recipe Card, "The Buck Stops Here", using a White, Green, Orange and Purple. Finally, Nat turns in five Brown Peppers for the "Appalachian Gems Rustic Heat" Recipe Card.
Now that the players are down to only two Recipe Cards, the Afternoon Phase of the game is skipped. One more round will be played and the game will end after the Fulfillment Phase of that round!
FINAL ROUND
Both Charlize and Sean reveal two bucks while Natalie contributes all three of her remaining Coins to win the Auction. She decides to go first, with Sean opting for third and Charlize in the middle. Nat then helps herself to the Purple Auction card, Charlize picks up a Red n' Yellow dual pack and Sean is left with the single Red.
Natalie jams dat newly acquired Purple boi in tha durt between another Purple and a White. Green decides to bridge a Red between an Orange, Yellow and a Blue and then Sean drops a White-hot pep next to a Black and a Purple.
Sean begins the final Harvesting Phase by moving his Farmer between a Blue and a Purple for Brown, then matching two Purples for a Black and finally marrying a Black and a White for an 11'th hour Ghost! Charlize splices a Yellow and Red together for an Orange, then collects a Brown from Red and Orange and then halts between a Purple and an Orange for a White. Natalie then snaps up another White by splicing a White and Brown together, smooshes two Purples together for a Black and then finally settles in between some Purple and Blue peppaz for another Brown.
During the last Fulfillment Phase, Nat invests a Blue and Orange Pepper to collect one of the two last remaining Market Cards, claiming one Brown Pepper, three cash monies and a Victory Point. Charlize pawns three Yellow Peppers at two Coins apiece for a total of six. Sean then sells a whopping four Red Peppers and, since there are total of seven Reds planted, the grand total is 12 points
FINAL SCORING
MARKET CARD POINTS
Sean: 1 Natalie: 3 Charlize: 3
POINTS FROM RECIPE CARDS
Sean: 13 Natalie: 37 points Charlize: 44 points
POINTS FROM AWARD PLAQUES
Sean: 13 Natalie: 7 Charlize: 2
UNPLAYED BONUS ACTION TILES
Sean: 4 Natalie: 4 Charlize: 8
MONEY
Sean: 10 Natalie: 1 Charlize: 4
TOTAL POINTS
Sean: 1 + 13 + 13 + 4 +10 = 41
Natalie: 3 + 37 + 7 + 4 +1 = 52
Charlize: 3 + 44 + 2 +8 +4 = 61
WINNER: CHARLIZE (GREEN)
***
REVIEW
THE GOOD
- At its heart, Scoville isn't a complicated game. You bid on turn order, plant a pepper to set up a future play, move your figure to get what you need and then sell stuff for money and / or Victory Points. An expansive rule set doesn't give the game its depth, it's just the challenge of parsing out how to best accomplish your goals.
- Speaking of goals: there's a nice variety of them to go after. Notwithstanding the Recipe Cards, which come in a variety of different complexities and matching reward tiers, you can also get a lot of mileage out of being the first to plant a Ghost Pepper or sell a stockpile of valuable stuff. Even the Market Cards can be leveraged to get something valuable out of something that's virtually worthless.
- Not only does the Auction Phase dole out some potentially awesome free peppers, it also lets players get creative RE: the timing of key actions. Is your ideal pepper combo already on the board within walking distance...but its in the middle of a mosh pit? Then pick third place to move your Farmer first! Is your Farmer off in some deserted corner of the field with no rival jobbers around? Then plant your peppers first, knowing that you'll be free to take a tranquil stroll and Fulfill those Recipes at your leisure!
- With three players, it isn't particularly competitive but, as you might imagine, it gets petty cut-throat with a full compliment of six.
- No other game in my library involves mixing primary colors to make secondary colors. If anything, visual artists and painters will love this game!
- Also, what other game has a plethora of pepper pieces...and a recessed board to plant them in?
THE BAD
- You may wanna cherry pick the people you play Scoville with since it's the Kobayashi Maru of analysis paralysis games.
THE UGLY
- Okay, so the game's art design is a tad grade school art class. By the same (wooden pepper) token, I'd argue that the look of the game is thematically in lock step with its inherent goofiness.
***
For being deceptively simple, surprisingly think-y and wholly original, I hereby award Scoville the top prize in the (now apparently annual) YAFGB Gamey™ Awards! Six pips outta six, yo!
***
Until next time, keep safe and game on!
