Praising Scythe isn’t anything new; since the board game’s release in 2016, it has sat near the top of Board Game Geek’s charts. And for good reason!
The first time my coworker invited me over to a game night and said we’d be playing a game set in a dystopian Europe in an alternate 1920’s timeline, I was hooked. After our inaugural round was finished, Scythe was firmly ingrained at the top of my personal board game rankings.
Flash forward to the present where my copy of Scythe has been upgraded, polished, and cherished to the point where it’s bursting from the beautiful seams of the Legendary Box. If you discover any bells and/or whistles that I haven’t acquired yet, you can bet your bottom krona that they’ll be on their way to me before the end of the day.
So why Scythe?
Dystopian literature has always been intriguing to me. Between 1984, Brave New World, Fahrenheit 451, and so many more, there’s something to be said about novels that get the wheels turning. Ideas that make us wonder, what if? What if the world was this way? What if the world is already heading there? What can we do to ensure that it doesn’t?
And that’s where Scythe comes onto the scene.
Let’s stop to think about the setting – 1920’s Europe. We have five countries that are trying to survive in the wake of war, surrounded by the remnants caused by war. There is this stark contrast between the living, breathing people and the terrifying machines of industry plodding through their fields. Think of the constant state of terror – even your own farming implements have been refitted with the weapons of war. And all around you, other nations are mobilizing in an attempt to cement their foothold on a continent that feels exhausted beyond repair.
Games that capitalize on their theme and find a way to mentally transport us into the tiny wooden shoes of the meeples through their mechanics…those are the games that jazz me up the most. I don’t necessarily think that Scythe would have the same effect if the theme were something different, like a space colony builder or an orchard-management sim.
In Scythe, the mechanics go hand-in-hand with the theme in an aesthetically orchestral way. There are three main reasons how the game accomplishes this, which I have outlined below.
There are plenty of games where the theme and mechanics have a wonderfully symbiotic relationship, and I’d rank Scythe right up there near the top. From beginning to end, the tension at the table is tastefully palpable.
I could talk at length about the exceptional production quality, usability of the components, and just the general awesomeness of this game, but so many others have already drawn from that well. What I CAN do is recommend that you give this game a shot – whether you’re really into dystopian alternate realities or love a solid engine-building game, Scythe can fill that void for you.
Just don’t be surprised if you end up with a hefty Legendary Box on your gaming shelf within a matter of weeks!