Sierra West

Sierra West is a game that truly transports you to the Wild West. You take on the role of an expedition leader, guiding your pioneers through the treacherous Sierra Nevada mountains. The game is full of strategic decisions, making it both challenging and engaging.

The gameplay is unique and exciting. You place cards on your player board each turn, creating different paths for your pioneers to take. Each path offers different actions, such as claiming cards, building cabins, gaining resources, and advancing your wagon. What I really enjoy is how the mountain of cards shifts and changes, offering new opportunities and challenges as the game progresses. The clever card-placement mechanic gives you something to strategize over each turn.

One of the best things about Sierra West is the variety. It comes with four different modules, each adding new themes, goals, and mechanics to the game. You can go from harvesting apples in Apple Hill to panning for gold in Gold Rush, giving the game incredible replayability. I particularly love the Boats & Banjos module, where you navigate a river and fish for your resources. The visual theme is really engaging.

Sierra West is not without its flaws, however. The rulebook, while well-written, could be more organized. It takes a bit of time to learn the game, especially if you are new to worker placement and deck-building mechanics. And if you're prone to analysis paralysis, you might find yourself struggling to decide on card placement.

Overall, Sierra West is a fantastic game that I highly recommend. It’s a truly novel and satisfying game that delivers on the theme of westward expansion with its mechanics and strategic choices. It's a great choice for anyone who enjoys Eurogames with a thematic twist. If you're looking for a well-designed game with a lot of replay value, Sierra West is a great choice.