Rats of Wistar

Rats of Wistar is a delightful and engaging game that has captured my attention. The theme of a rat colony escaping a lab and establishing itself is wonderfully charming. I love the concept of building a lair and recruiting new members, making it feel very much like a colony-building game. The mechanics are surprisingly complex for what appears to be a lighthearted game. From the start, you're balancing resource management, exploration, and building, all while trying to collect victory points. I especially enjoyed the "Inventions" mechanic, which involves gathering artifacts and using them to craft helpful tools. The way you can customize your rat clan with different skills and abilities adds a lot of replayability.

However, the game does have a few weaknesses. First, the player interaction is minimal, mainly focused on claiming spaces and blocking other players. It would be more engaging if there were more direct interactions or rivalries. Second, the game's length can be a bit on the longer side, especially if there's a lot of back-and-forth on the board. Finally, the rules can be a bit confusing at times, requiring several playthroughs to fully grasp them.

Overall, I recommend Rats of Wistar to anyone who enjoys light-to-medium-weight games with a fun theme and interesting mechanics. It's a solid game that provides a satisfying challenge, though it could benefit from a bit more player interaction and clarity in the rules.