It doesn't always have to be complex fantasy or medieval board games to have a lot of fun. In the game test today we deal with the strategic laying board game Just awesome, written by game designer Reiner Knizia – Kosmos Publisher. The single-player version and the variant with multiple players were tested. Already after the first game you notice: this tile-laying game says it all. Have fun with the review of the board game Just awesome.
Simply brilliant: Ingeniously simple gameplay
The one-sided set of rules is easy to read. The rules seem understandable and almost simple to the experienced player. So little time goes by before you can have fun for the first time. After the first fixed move, in which you have to place a piece next to a color symbol already printed on the board, all possible moves are open to the single player on the board. If there are two or more players, all other players must first take the starting play, one after the other (starting with the youngest player); each player has to place his token next to a different color symbol. In the following moves it quickly becomes clear that the best strategy is important in this game and the feeling of simplicity that arose when reading the set of rules is the same and is replaced by strategic considerations. If you place a piece carelessly, you could not only make the opponent's next moves more difficult, but also your own. In the worst case, important mooring areas are built up and thus the way to other points. Even in a single game, you quickly become your greatest enemy yourself.
Counting the points takes some concentration. The same color symbols as the pieces that have already been placed are scored. You have to pay attention to all five fields that border the two color symbols. In addition, all identically designed color symbols are scored in a straight line. In our test, it has proven to be helpful that reading aloud the respective number of points achieved makes it easier to check the correctness of the counted value. Very young players certainly need the help of an adult. The points are marked on scoring boards with scoring stones in the symbol colors. This way you have your score constantly in view and you can use tactical maneuvers to influence the score of the individual scoring stones.
Winner at Just awesome is the person who has achieved the highest score in comparison to the lowest-positioned scoring stones, or the one who has managed to achieve eighteen points on the scoring board with all six scoring stones. If you have achieved eighteen points in the game with a scoring marker and there are at least two players, you also receive a bonus move which, with a little luck, can shorten your path to victory.
With single players and four players, there is also a special feature. The scoring boards are placed twice so that one scoring stone can score two times 18 points. In a game of four, there are two teams of two. A lot Just awesome takes about twenty minutes, depending on the skill and speed of the players. Overall, the game is timeless and modern. The presentation is almost a bit futuristic and immediately arouses children and adults in the mood for a game.
The game material is valuable and colorful. The fully aligned playing field is only equipped with a small amount of material and thus remains clear, so that it remains easily manageable even for children and newcomers to play.
Infobox
Number of players: 1 to 4 players
Age: from 8 years
Playing time: 45 to 60 minutes
Difficulty: medium
Long-term motivation: medium
Publisher: KOSMOS
Year of publication: 2004
Authors: Reiner Knizia
Language: German
Cost: 25 Euro
Conclusion
The game is a strategic challenge with several players that will keep you happy throughout the game. It's an equally exciting pastime as a single player, but the incentive to defeat falls by the wayside. Rather, it becomes a one-sided prediction game, which of the scoring stones will make the race and become the winner. Children around the age of eight need an adult to help with scoring. All in all, it is an easy and entertaining family game that will certainly still be played with great enthusiasm by the entire family after many games.
