Designer: AJ Porfirio
Many games have a solitaire mode, for people who have no friends. Few board games, though, are shipped ONLY with a solitaire mode. Most gamers tend to include Friday on their list (which is a fine little deckbuilder), but I actually prefer this one, because in my alone time, I like to imagine myself talking to crazy people.
In Hostage Negotiator, you’re calling into a tense situation where a gunman has multiple hostages. You’ll need to call in to try to defuse the situation, and try to work to free as many hostages as possible, before then talking the bad guy down (or ordering a sniper shot to take him out). Dice rolls determine the outcomes of the chances you take, and you really ping-pong between calm and panic as you variously succeed or fail.
Interesting Mechanic: Hanging Up. Every turn, you have a set of cards in your hand. You play a card, and roll the result. If you succeed, you may reduce tensions or free a hostage. But if you miss a roll, bad things happen. And the worst thing that can happen is the bad guy ends the conversation, thus ending the turn. Hanging up is more likely to happen the greedier you try to be, and does a good job of creating a sense that you had control and you abruptly lost it.
(Photo Credit: As A Board Gamer)
Recent Comments