I don’t normally enjoy abstract strategy games. I think many of them are beautiful; the strategy in many of them is quite undeniable - I just don’t find them fun. The thinking is often too “heavy”, and play becomes unenjoyable; as players seek to make the optimal move, of which there is usually only one. However, if an abstract strategy game handles more than two players and plays in a short period of time, I’m more interested. It becomes less of a “brain-burner” that way and simply more fun.
This is how I feel about Nexus (Cheapass Games, 2001 - James Ernest). Not only does the game play of this clever abstract play quickly, but there’s also some real strategy there. It makes a nice little filler, with its only drawback being the typical one of Cheapass games - you need to provide several counters. With the addition of some nice counters, this Hip Pocket game is an excellent addition to that line and certainly will provide a player with their money’s worth.
Each player takes about twenty counters of a certain color. I used little wooden cubes, but glass stones also work rather well. A deck of Nexus cards are shuffled and placed down in the middle of the table, with one card flipped up and placed in the middle of the table. One player is chosen to go first, and play passes clockwise around the table.
On a turn, a player takes the top card from the deck and plays it on the board. There are eight different Nexus cards each with a connection on all four sides. The connections end at “nodes” on the cards. Nodes either have one, two, three, or four connections. The one-connection nodes are the end of the connection, while the multi-connection nodes continue on to other connections. There are eight different combinations of nodes on the cards: one card has a four-connection node in the middle, to which all the connections trace to; while another has two connections across from each other merge into a two-connection node; while the other two connections each end in a one connection node.
When placing a card, the player must place it so that it connects to at least one other card on the table. Cards connect in a “basket-weave” pattern, where the small edge of the card touches the long edge of another card. After playing the card, the player checks to see if any Nexuses are scored. After doing any scoring, the player has the option of placing one of their counters on any unoccupied node on the board.
A completed Nexus is a set of completed nodes in which every connection ends in a one-connection node. When a Nexus is completed by a player laying a card down, it is scored. Each player checks their total power in the Nexus - the sum of the value of all their tokens on nodes in that Nexus. Each token is worth the size of the node (a token on a three-connection node is worth three points. The player who has the most power in the Nexus scores points equal to the value of all the nodes without any tokens on them. In case of a tie, or if there are no empty nodes, then no one scores the Nexus. The player who first reaches ten points is the winner!
Some comments on the game...
1.) Components: I’ll probably never enjoy a Cheapass game as much as a high-quality game, simply because the components are as simple as they come, with very little window dressing or even a complete game. But that is the motto of Cheapass, and the price reflects it. The game comes in a small plastic bag and consists solely of the rules and a deck of fairly good quality cards. The cards have only two colors: gray on one side and blue on the other, but do make a decent backdrop if one uses colorful tokens. It’s really not that difficult to find tokens, and no one should complain about the fact; since the game is extremely cheap ($5 at the time of this writing). Glass stones can easily be gotten from a craft store, or other items could be used (buttons, coins, etc.). This game doesn’t have the greatest components I’ve ever seen, but then again it doesn’t really need them.
2.) Rules: The rules are short, simple, and humorous, as with all Cheapass Games. I found it interesting that the rules stated that the edge of the table did not stop game play; players are supposed to use nails and glue to extend the table. Of course this is tongue in cheek (I hope), and it makes reading the rules fun. The rules are extremely short - two small pages, and the game can be taught in a very brief period.
3.) Strategy: The choices a player has are tantalizing. Should you claim a large node, therefore almost ensuring your win in the Nexus? But if you do that, you’re basically devaluating the Nexus, giving you little return on your investment. And should players go for larger or smaller Nexuses? Large ones will provide more points but might never get finished, or have other players try to take them over. One thing I really enjoy about the game is how simplistic it is, and how the strategies, while interesting, aren’t too difficult and don’t bog the game down to much.
4.) Players and Time: The game is for two to four players, and while a two-player game is okay, I much prefer it with three or four. It’s an excellent game for three people, incidentally, and I’ll add it to my list for when I have a group of that number. The game plays in twenty minutes or less, depending on how fast people go; but the decisions are too gut-wrenching, so analysis paralysis is not oft seen in the game.
5.) Fun Factor: Because the game doesn’t invoke the hallowed silence some other abstracts demand, I find it fairly enjoyable. Like Carcassonne, players can try to influence the active player, helping them find the best spot to place the card; but unlike Carcassonne, it’s a lot easier to figure out where to place your tokens. The game’s simplicity and enjoyment remind me of another quick-playing abstract strategy game - Blokus.
I highly recommend picking up a copy of Nexus. It’s inexpensive, easy to complete (find those tokens!), and works well as a quick filler. There’s no theme to speak of, and that’s okay; because it’s over before you would have time to get immersed in a theme anyway. I don’t find everything that Cheapass produces to be fun and entertaining, but the Hip Pocket series of games are amazing - they’re cheap, fast, and most importantly, fun. Nexus is a worthy addition to this line.
Tom Vasel
“Real men play board games.”
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In consulting Gamer's Attic we've come up with a number of products which we think might be related, but some might be inaccurate because the name, Nexus, is so short. Nonetheless, take a look, as purchasing through the RPGnet Store helps to support RPGnet.
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Playtest Review
Tom Vasel
January 5, 2005
Style: 3 (Average)
Substance: 3 (Average)
A small, unassuming looking game that needs counter. Yet it's a fast, fun abstract. And cheap. Get it.
Tom Vasel has written 565 reviews, with average style of 3.47 and average substance of 3.39. The reviewer's previous review was of Mister Bill. This review has been read 2671 times. |
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In 3 reviews, average style rating is 3.33 and average substance rating is 3.33. |
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