THE TOP 100 BOARD GAMES OF ALL TIME: INNOVATION

Welcome to a new episode of Shut Up & Sit Down’s reviews!

This time Matt and Tom are reviewing another Top 100 classic, Innovation!
In this series they "categorically decide" which are the 100 best games of all time, but they are keen to stress that it's your opinion too. Naturally it applies only if you watch their video, even just a brief moment will suffice.

So, will this game stand the test of time?
Only one way to find out.

The game in itself is quite simple.
Each turn you are going to take two actions:

• Draw 1 card.
• Play 1 card (meld), if it's a new colour (there are 5) then it goes straight down on its own pile otherwise it goes on top of the existing pile and replaces the action on the existing card with the new one played.
• Perform a Dogma action, which enables you to follow the instructions on one of the cards at the top of one of the piles in front of you.
• Claim enables you to take an achievement that you've fulfilled the requirements of.

So what makes this game so special?
Well, when playing the Dogma action, you do need to be aware that if the other player(s) have the same or more of the key symbol that is being triggered, they are going to play that action before you. Which could be bad for you...or them. And here lies one of the mechanics that make this game so interesting and entertaining, since you can force people to do things which are not beneficial to them in the least.
On top of that, each card is unique and has a completely bonkers effect, slightly game-breaking in their potential to do crazy stuff all around.
So the more you and your opponents play (and trigger) cards, the more the game becomes increasingly messy, weird, horrible and lovely!

One thing you need to be aware of, is that this game can be very swingy, both between games and within the same one.
As we reported in our own staff play, things can start very well, or very slow, for you, only for it to be flipped mid-game or towards the end.
People can be put off quite easily in their first game, since victories can be crushing landslides, but Tom notices how not only this evens off with multiple plays, but the game is over quickly enough that you can just set it up and go again.
On top of that, they both enjoy the unique stories that develop throughout the play.
Both Tom and Matt recognise that this is a very interactive game, and the interaction always feels meaningful.

The fact that symbols thin out and stop being relevant the more you progress through the ages, and get replaced by new, crazier ones, really gives a sense of the game mimicking real history.

It is worth noting that Matt and Tom reviewed the old edition of the game, which stops at age 10, the "information Age". Nowadays you have available either the Fourth Edition or the Ultimate Edition, which includes the base game and all the expansions, which add several layers of madness to the base game.
By the way, the 11th age is called "Prudence"!

One criticism raised by Matt is that back in 2011, he didn't really see the appeal of this game, in part thanks to the "tobacco stain" colour of the back of the cards. In the Ultimate Edition, this has been rectified, and the back of the cards have now beautiful illustrations, each representing a technological/architectural feature specific of that age.

So, how high (or low) will they place Innovation on their magnetic scoreboard?