The Inside Scoop on Gaming

There aren't many games that really challenge the expansion of the gaming market. It seems that every five years a truly inovative game comes out and then everyone copies it for another five years until the consumer is bored. However, there are some games such as D&D which completely change the dynamics of games in general.

Chobolo is an interesting game from the standpoint of uniqueness and design. I don't think it will revolutionize game playing, but it certainly adds a new dimension to board games.

The game itself is relatively easy to understand. The rules could be a little better explained. Like all prototype games, this one seems to have a few loop holes which I doubt the game designer thought of. These loop holes are quite interesting though, because they offer an even greater strategic dimension than the game appears to have at first.

Chobolo is a customizable board game. It reminds me a bit of Settlers of Katan except that there is a vast increase in the freedom you have. Basically, you pick three land pieces and set them up opposing to your opponents land pieces. Then you have pawns that represent four different characters. The most important character is the wizard. The wizard goes around collecting spell chips to cast spells. The warriors are mainly there to protect your wizard and stage strategic battles to knock down your opponent. An interesting twist to normal spell collection is that it is backwards. You have to collect your chips backwards to the way you cast them. This really requires you to think about a spells worth.

One inherent problem, which I have with most board games is that the game is based on a die. The 4 sided die is nice because it is very easy to calculate your odds. However, it seems that a few bad rolls will wipe you out of the game. Good planning though will teach you what good odds really are.

The art is mediocre. But with a prototype game it is to be expected. The designer probably spent a good deal of money to produce high quality color cards, but used black and white art to fill in the pictures. The cards really don't detract from the game. The game is very exciting from the strategic stand point. The cards are well done and add to the overall appeal of the game.

The game has multiplayer abilities. The multiplayer game is just plain exciting.

If you like board games, I highly recommend adding this to your library.

-Sharon Purgatory Powel

Style: 4 (Classy and well done)
Substance: 5 (Excellent!)

Chobolo
Author: Steven Poelzing Category: Customizable Board Game Company/Publisher: Games For the Mind Line: Chobolo Cost: $15.00 Capsule Review by Sharon Purgatory Powel on 05/04/99. Genre tags: Fantasy	There aren't many games that really challenge the expansion of the gaming market. It seems that every five years a truly inovative game comes out and then everyone copies it for another five years until the consumer is bored. However, there are some games such as D&D which completely change the dynamics of games in general. Chobolo is an interesting game from the standpoint of uniqueness and design. I don't think it will revolutionize game playing, but it certainly adds a new dimension to board games. The game itself is relatively easy to understand. The rules could be a little better explained. Like all prototype games, this one seems to have a few loop holes which I doubt the game designer thought of. These loop holes are quite interesting though, because they offer an even greater strategic dimension than the game appears to have at first. Chobolo is a customizable board game. It reminds me a bit of Settlers of Katan except that there is a vast increase in the freedom you have. Basically, you pick three land pieces and set them up opposing to your opponents land pieces. Then you have pawns that represent four different characters. The most important character is the wizard. The wizard goes around collecting spell chips to cast spells. The warriors are mainly there to protect your wizard and stage strategic battles to knock down your opponent. An interesting twist to normal spell collection is that it is backwards. You have to collect your chips backwards to the way you cast them. This really requires you to think about a spells worth. One inherent problem, which I have with most board games is that the game is based on a die. The 4 sided die is nice because it is very easy to calculate your odds. However, it seems that a few bad rolls will wipe you out of the game. Good planning though will teach you what good odds really are. The art is mediocre. But with a prototype game it is to be expected. The designer probably spent a good deal of money to produce high quality color cards, but used black and white art to fill in the pictures. The cards really don't detract from the game. The game is very exciting from the strategic stand point. The cards are well done and add to the overall appeal of the game. The game has multiplayer abilities. The multiplayer game is just plain exciting. If you like board games, I highly recommend adding this to your library. -Sharon Purgatory Powel Style: 4 (Classy and well done) Substance: 5 (Excellent!)