The title Pursuit of happiness was contributed by Artipia Games as a project Kickstarter realized. It is a game for 1 to 4 players, ages 12 and up. Players control their own character's life by placing their markers using worker placement mechanisms to fulfill life goals and dreams, accept jobs and enter into relationships. Three years later, Kobold Spieleverlag attempted to localize the game in German. This went very positively - it is actually one of the most successful projects in the forge - and the delivery of The pursuit of happiness.

I took part in the campaign and received, in addition to the basic game, a small game box called “Extra Lives” with the expansion goals and an exclusive palm marker for the start player.

The material

The basic game consists of cards, wooden and cardboard tokens. The scope is moderate and clear, so that the material can easily be assigned to the intended use.

The hourglass markers are characteristic of this game. They are used for the actions and represent the lifetime spent on them.

The structure

The game can be set up quickly using the easy-to-understand and illustrated assembly instructions in the rulebook. The display of the cards depends on the number of players.
Each player takes 6 hourglass markers, the rest are set aside and may only be used if the action “overtime” has been taken. The cuboid markers are used to determine the current status of satisfaction, happiness and stress.

The rules and the goal of the game

The rulebook is well structured and clear. The goal of the game is also easy to understand and simple: Whoever has achieved the highest level of satisfaction at the end of life wins the game. Before that, a satisfaction bonus is awarded for life's achievements and other resources, nothing more needs to be considered.

You have to be careful with the different types of cards. These are handled differently. However, if questions arise there, they can be looked up quickly. Since the rules are not extensive in themselves, they are easy to remember. Helpful player aids are included for the other rules.

For a change, the special rules for playing solo are very short compared to other games: three life's work cards are drawn. All of the solo goals and 50 happiness points listed below must be achieved. So the solo player doesn't just have to chase his own high score.

The pursuit of happiness - extra lives

The Extra lives-Box contains additional cards for the basic game as well as 4 mini expansions.

• Pets for the Items / Activities category
• Self-employment for the jobs category
• Trends as a separate category
• Events as a separate game element

It comes from the crowdfunding campaign, but can be purchased separately in stores. The mini expansions make the game more varied.

Smooth game play

The course of the game is simple with 3 phases: maintenance phase, action phase and end of the round. The player can easily get into the game and concentrate on his moves and actions early on.

Live your dream life

The Pursuit of happiness invites you to let your own and personal wishes flow into the game decisions. And that's probably one of the reasons that make the game so popular with gamers. The beautiful illustrations support playing in a pleasant way.

My personal summary and prospect of the new neighborhood expansion

After one game, I can already say that I really like the game. More games are necessary to classify it better, but I assume that I can count it among my current TOP10 games. This is mainly due to the topic and its implementation. Some card texts and illustrations trigger solely because of personal longing and interest in certain hobbies, wishes and goals. But that's not all, it's the mix that makes it. The pursuit of happiness is quickly set up, explained, played and also dismantled again.

Worth knowing for fans and interested parties: The localization of the neighborhood expansion is currently being targeted as a project in the Spieleschmiede. It could be a useful and valuable asset, which is why I am helping to support it again.

Images of the pursuit of happiness