[Bar à Jeux] Harmonies – Try aGame

Harmonies has already settled on our gaming tables, but what gaming experience does it have in store for us?

Our article was produced from a press box sent by the publisher.

As for the test of Rail Adventurers: Paris which will be published soon, this test of the board game Harmonies will take the form of an interview. A new concept on Tryagame.fr which allows you easier access to the information you are looking for and the questions you ask yourself. And don’t be fooled by appearances, your proofreader writes the questions and answers. Do not hesitate to comment on this article if you have other questions about the game and to tell us what you think of this format.

Libellud is often a source of “classics”…

It’s true that Libellud has managed to create a name for itself thanks to games like Dixit, Mysterium, Dice Forge, even Seasons And Shadows Amsterdam. Moreover, we appreciate that the publisher has bet on the release of a game with a whole new universe. We know that they capitalize quite a bit on games Mysterium And Dixitso they make the decision to publish Harmoniesit is a choice that must be highlighted.

On the other hand, artistically, I have the impression of recognizing a pretty paw.

Indeed, it becomes almost easy to recognize the talent of Maeva Da Silva. She already worked for Libellud, on Stellathe edition Disney by Dixit, Mysterium Kidz And Mysterium Park. Then, she also worked on Deus and Dragomino, enough to make a real place for herself in this industry. For once, Harmonies represents a visual success and displays a unique universe, aided by substantial graphic choices.

Moreover, you may have come across an appearance by the illustrator at Un Monde De Jeux (the video here). She confides that it was long-term work, that she was able to fully invest in it and that it translated all her sensitivity, her experience and her emotions into this game. I strongly advise you to head towards this video.

And does this artistic direction ingeniously fit into the concept of the game?

Maeva Da Silva insisted on the fact that she does not design a game otherwise, that this consistency must be omnipresent. For my part, the contract is fulfilled on this side. We choose a very pleasant ecosystem to create, thanks to an environment between reality and imagination, using the landscapes that we build and the animals that will benefit from them. Likewise, to win a game, you have to harmonize this ecosystem… Well, I understand myself. Logically, I also find the choice of the name of the game relevant. If I had enjoyed the board game Cowboys Bebop: Space Serenade And Lost Seas, we probably have the best game of Johan Benvenuto.

What about the game mechanics? Many have made the comparison with Cascadiawhich is not such a bad thing given the success of the title published by Lucky Duck Games in France.

If the game sensations are reminiscent (a little) Cascadia, I tend to prefer Harmonies. I have the impression that our decisions weigh even more on the flow of the game, and that it is more tense to build your scoring engine. It is less remote-controlled, adapting to randomness is more difficult, but the creation of landscapes and scoring prove to be more captivating and less basic.

As a reminder, in Harmonies, you create landscapes on your personal board by placing tokens of various colors (and elements). We then choose animals which earn points if you have placed the (colored) tokens wisely. The particularity will be to combine different objectives on the same tokens, so that we improve our score according to their positioning, finally in the best of all worlds.

Namely that it is possible to stack certain tokens on top of each other, which will also affect the score, but also the pace of the game.

You said the word “random”, which often sounds like luck and chance. Is frustration also present?

We cannot deny that frustration can taint the gaming experience. It has happened that we leave disappointed, that we complain after a game because of the randomness of Harmonies. This frustration does not lie around the cards which allow you to score if you meet the placement prerequisites. From this side, the logic is to have to adapt. However, it will be very difficult to do so if the token draw is not favorable.

It happened that we waited again and again for the same colors of tokens… for several rounds! There is room for discussion regarding this drawing mechanic. You should know that you always draw (to renew the location) after having played your turn. So, if you are waiting for a particular color to create a landscape and improve your score, you may draw it, but this will benefit the following players! And it is not uncommon for your hopes (of finding this desired element during your turn) to be dashed.

You must therefore adapt to the draw, but only 4 Animal cards (the objectives) simultaneously are allowed. Even if it meant not being able to renew the tokens available more widely, it would have been nice to be able to discard your Animal cards to replace them with others. In addition, the game ends when a player only has 2 empty spaces left on their personal board, time is running out!

Perhaps an option should have been made available to players which gives them the right to refresh the river of tokens on their turn, at least once during the game, but this is just a simple idea. …

You also mentioned “captivating scoring”, can you tell us more?

This is one of the strong points of the game Harmonies. We score at two distinct levels, but this makes us think about combining these two ways of scoring points when placing our tokens. On the one hand, we find the fixed scoring which is that of landscapes. We advise you to look at the photo (below, left) since the game aid details this scoring issue very well, and we will illustrate it in photos. To summarize, each color of tokens represents a landscape that allows us to score in different ways thanks to its characteristics. The best thing about all of this is that it fits into a certain logic.

For example, trees earn points based on their size. You score a single point when you place a single green token on a space on your board. However, if you place a brown token before placing a green token on top, you score 3 points. And if you were inspired to place two brown tokens before placing a green token on top of this pile, you score 7 points.

On the other hand, we find the scoring of animals which, I remind you, are represented on the Animal cards, which we decide to take or not during our turn. These Animal cards require landscapes in particular and illustrate well the particularity of Harmonies in terms of token placement and scoring. To achieve a more than decent score, it will therefore be necessary to combine the requirements of the animals and the specificities of the landscapes.

For example, there is an Animal card that earns players points if they place water (two blue tokens) on the same line as a tree (one green token on two brown tokens). By fulfilling the conditions of this card three times on the game board, the player is guaranteed to score 15 points thanks to the Animal card, and 7 points, because a tree is on the board.

There are therefore a multitude of options for associating objectives with landscapes and scoring as many points as possible. This is what will make you think throughout the game.

Isn’t this planning too cumbersome and does it not risk accentuating downtime in others?

Despite everything, I didn’t find it too heavy. THE downtime is very real, but it didn’t break the rhythm too much either. Harmonies requires visualizing your playing field and developing plans. Sometimes, ideas clash with the reality of the draw, and it’s difficult enough to make us think about which square to sacrifice, or if we’re smart, which score factor to open elsewhere. You must place the 3 tokens that you have collected on your turn, not all of them necessarily suit us. And this is why the game proves frustrating when the draw insists on being against you and your planning. But it turns out to be just as captivating, because the investment ideas are flowing.

Landscape and Animal map planning takes place over the short, medium and long term. Besides, it’s an excellent idea to be able to renew your stock of objectives once they are achieved. This allows you to maintain a certain dynamic and give more strategic depth to the game.

You were also talking about rhythm earlier, in relation to the placement of the tokens. What do you mean ?

The games last between 30 and 40 minutes, but what struck me the most is that players can build their game completely differently. Besides, it wouldn’t be stupid to take a look at other players’ boards. so as not to have the grass pulled out from under them. In Harmonies, we can indeed focus on building landscapes with relief (trees, large mountains, etc.), but we can also implement completely flat terrain.

It depends on the Animal cards available and above all on the choices of the players. What’s interesting is that this can directly impact opposing plans. Remember that the game ends when there are only 2 free spaces left on a player’s board (or when the bag is empty). A player who does not focus on building lots of trees and Co. risks ending the game more quickly than one might think… and may compromise the plans of another player who was aiming for the Andes mountain range and the forest. of the Amazon, even the Nile. In short, I’m exaggerating, but the strategies show a certain variety, and it’s not unpleasant.

The Animal cards are numerous enough in their characteristics to try to play differently depending on what falls. You can thus bet on a succession of small points or “large point” cards.

The two different boards (not so much in the way of scoring, too bad) and the Spirit cards add replayability and variety in the mechanics, and that is to the credit of its author.

So, what do we remember from Harmonies?