Quick Look: Super Snipers
Designers: Galen McCown
Publisher: Galen’s Games
Year Published: 2022 (expected October Launch via Kickstarter)
No. of Players: 1-2
Ages: 14+
Playtime: 20-30 mins
Foreword:
This game reminded me of Street Fighter style graphics with some added flair. I immediately loved the arcade inspired art style and theme. I got to play off in a 2-player showdown with Galen via TTS and got to see the solo mode variant as well. The scripting on TTS was masterfully done and it was a very enjoyable playtest.
From the Publisher:
Super Snipers is a one-to-two-player dueling sniper game that features easy to pick up rules, fast and intense gameplay, simultaneous turns, virtually no downtime, and a familiar Tetris mechanic used in a novel and exciting way.
In Super Snipers, you and your opponent will be racing to find the other’s hiding spot, then isolate any innocent bystanders, and finally use your skills to take them out before they do the same to you. The first player to do this three times (Super Snipers are tough!) will be the winner. The game uses polyominoes (traditional Tetris shapes) called Focus to represent the act of focusing and taking the shot.
Review:
Initial Impression/Components:
The style of this game is right up my alley and I really enjoyed this take on a sniper battle. I’m also a big fan of polyomino tile placement and the unique way they incorporated them into the game was impressive. Note that I have not interacted with physical components for this game, but I did get to chat with the designer about their intended quality and types – such as recessed boards which were present in the simulated version. The board, tiles, and cards were otherwise well designed and laid out. I picked up the game very easily and dove right into my role as a Super Sniper!
Favorite:
As mentioned, I loved the art, but my favorite mechanic portion of the game was how you had to “take the shot” at your opponent. You had to use polyomino tiles to surround your target and isolate innocent bystanders. This part to me felt like a huge accomplishment on the designer’s behalf and really rewarding for players.
Least Favorite:
There were 2 tiles to use at the top of your board called “recalibrate”, and if I recall correctly, they allowed you to remove a piece previously laid (or perhaps reuse it elsewhere). It was explained to me during our test, but I remember thinking it wasn’t going to be useful at least not to my playstyle. Keep in mind I am in no way a veteran of this game and perhaps you can make clutch plays using it, but I never used them.
Overall:
The game, on the whole, was well done! I was impressed by the look, feel, gameplay and scripting for the game (Scripting is automatic movements done by the simulator to improve gameplay and keep things smooth – an example would be auto-drawing a new tile when you use one). I was raving about the puzzle aspect afterwards and can’t wait to see this one in the flesh. It was a refreshing take on the 2-player dual genre and functioned well as a solo game.
Areas they did well:
– Art style
– Great Puzzle Solving!
– Fun polyomino use
– Thematic tie in
– Overall concept was tight
– Excellent catch-up mechanics
– Rewarding bonuses to collect
– Amazing dual game with a solo variant.
– Game broken into shorter rounds that make a best 3 out of 5 win condition.
– Exciting, fast-paced, and immersive
Areas they could have improved:
– I’m interested in how the randomly populated tiles will translate to players with a physical bag of tiles. I’m curious if this will allow them the ability to hand pick tiles by shape.
– I’d need to play all characters to test balance of individual powers. Often, individual powers tend to have 1 or more characters that are overpowered.
Final Thoughts:
Super Snipers is one of those games that will instantly gain an enthusiastic fan base. I would not be surprised to see this one do very well right out of the gate. I hope to have this in my own collection one day and I already know who my first opponent would be. That’s the thing about an upcoming game you get invested in, you just can’t wait to share it with other people. I encourage you to check it out and research it yourself. I’ve been following its progress for some time now and I’ll be watching it up until launch.
If you’d like to connect with Galen’s Games or learn more about the game, here are the links they provided:
Game Website: www.Supersnipersgame.com
Galen’s Games Facebook: www.facebook.com/galensgamedesigns
Super Snipers Facebook: www.facebook.com/supersnipersgame
Instagram: www.instagram.com/galensgames
Twitter: www.twitter.com/galen_games
Galen’s Games Website: www.galensgames.com
Look for the below information to be updated as it’s made available to me
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Brad Hiscock, aka “Zerility”, is a construction project manager and electrician by trade who was the owner of a 6-time award winning electrical company. His passion for board games has led him from playing hundreds of original titles to creating a design and publishing company of his own, Convivial Games. As an up and coming collaborator on many projects, he is always eager to try new games and meet new people.
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All of Brad Hiscock, aka “Zerility”‘s reviews can be found HERE.