Introduction

I will be the first to admit that I have a huge soft-spot for works of fiction which features anthropomorphic representation of animals. From Fantastic Mr. Fox to Everdell, there’s something about this particular type of fiction that manages to tear at my heartstrings. Judging by the recent surge of board games themed around woodland critters, it would seem I’m not alone in sharing this sentiment. In fact, it’s the very reason for today’s solo review which happens to be none other than Lands of Galzyr; the latest board game from author Sami Laakso and publisher Snowdale Design. Laakso’s previous design, the popular deck-building series Dale of Merchants, has always fascinated me despite the unfortunate lack of a proper solo mode. Thus, when Snowdale Design announced that the next game taking place in the realm of Galzyr would not only be a story driven game of exploration but one that could also be played solitaire I jumped at the opportunity to take a closer look. Join me, as we pack our rucksack and set a course for adventure in Lands of Galzyr!

Full disclosure: A review copy of Lands of Galzyr was kindly provided by publisher Snowdale Design.

Components & artwork

It’s been a while since the last time I had to put this much effort into describing the overall component quality of a board game. Not because what Lands of Galzyr brings to the table is lacking, far from it. No, the reason for this debilitating albeit temporary writer’s block of mine is the fact that from an aesthetic and production quality standpoint Lands of Galzyr is so impressive that I’m genuinely struggling as to where to begin. When I opened the box for the first time and gazed upon its contents I honestly thought the publisher had sent me a deluxe version of the game. From the custom wooden adventurer figures with silkscreen printing to the rainbow coloured moulded dice, it’s evident that Snowdale Design has taken every effort in making this game look and feel like a luxury item. But Lands of Galzyr is not just a pretty face in terms of aesthetics. The fact that the game features not only card trays but also dividers, each made of sturdy cardboard, is a testament to the level of overall component quality that is on display. This also extends to the companion app which in addition to working like clockwork features an entire soundtrack which as it turns out is really, really good! The fact that all of this is included in the “standard” retail version of the game makes Lands of Galzyr one of the most impressive board game productions of 2022 as far as I’m concerned and I tip my hat to Snowdale Design.  

Gameplay

Playing Lands of Galzyr solitaire differs little to none from the standard cooperative experience, the only exception being that you control a single character. At its core, this is a game that is light on complexity in terms of mechanisms and rules depth but rich in narrative. It’s important to emphasize this aspect right from the outset of this review, one does not play Lands of Galzyr to experience the thrill of coming to grips with its inner framework of interlocking gears or clever use of game mechanisms. Instead, what you are treated to is a fairy tale world; a realm just beckoning to be explored and one that shifts and bends to your actions and interactions with its inhabitants that is persistent from game to game. You take on the role of one of four adventurers, each representing the anthropomorphic species that call Galzyr their home. From the tough-as-nails polecat Bumir to the resourceful and streetwise river kingfisher Aysala, they all share a common desire to make their mark and rise to fame in this realm. Each adventurer differs beyond mere aesthetics, as indicated by their unique distribution of skills at the start of the game.

The skill circle on your player board is used to determine your proficiency in the six different skills, with each skill having two tiers available to allocate your markers. Throughout your adventures in the Lands of Galzyr, you will encounter situations that call for you to make a skill check. It might be that you encounter a roaming band of highway bandits where you either have the option of sneaking past them, taking them on swords blazing, or perhaps another avenue of tactics entirely. This is represented by rolling dice to determine the outcome of the encounter. In addition to the five basic skill dice, your skill marks grant you access to the corresponding advanced dice. Not only are these more powerful versions targeting a specific skill but they are also good for adjacent skills as well. This creates an enjoyable synergetic experience, where you rarely feel walled off from certain options during encounters simply because you allocated your markers “incorrectly” thus making for a board game experience that is inviting to all players regarding of play style. Of course, there will be instances where you are forced to resort to the basic dice only but from my experiences with the game, these instances have been few and far between as there are nearly always several options at your disposal in terms of encounter skill checks. It’s also the case that the game presents multiple opportunities for you to swap your skill markers for different ones, allowing for adaptation and an even greater sense of opportunities and variety throughout your plays of Lands of Galzyr.

Speaking of adventures, talk about the core of the game system! As previously mentioned, Lands of Galzyr is a story-driven game of exploration and adventures. Each game consists of a certain number of days i.e. rounds which vary depending on player count. For the solitaire board gamer that number starts at eight. Each round consists of two phases: the adventure phase which is broken down into two actions, and the calendar phase which essentially boils down to advancing the round marker to the following in-game day. During the adventure phase, you will first have the option of moving your wooden adventurer pawn up to two spaces on the board. Once finished, you then proceed to the story section where you must begin and resolve a single scene and this is where the magic happens. Whether triggered by a quest card in hand or drawn from a separate event deck, each card presents you with a scene that corresponds to the huge library of scenes contained in the companion app.

Once you have entered the specific scene number, the app then unfolds the associated story beats where you in addition to a well-written narrative are presented with skill checks that once performed will advance the scene to the next plot point. Some scenes only last a brief moment, presenting you with a single skill check before ending. Others are far more intricate in the story that unfolds, often requiring you to make multiple decisions as to which branching path of the story you wish to pursue depending on the skills at your disposal or your character’s motivations. What I love about this particular system is the fact that a failed dice roll does not necessarily entail a negative outcome when it comes to the story that unfolds. Without going into spoilers, there were several instances where I failed to achieve the target goal of successful skills only to have the story veer into a direction I would never have imagined. This design decision makes Lands of Galzyr unpredictable but in a good way, where even failed dice rolls can result in positive outcomes story-wise. It also lessens the burden of players fretting over allocating their skill markers in the most optimal way. Instead, the game encourages you to tinker and adapt your playstyle as you see fit rather than “gaming the system” which makes for better storytelling as far as I’m concerned.  

In addition to providing an engaging experience from game to game, Lands of Galzyr also features a save system that allows for an ever-evolving game state and one where your choices echo in future sessions. Throughout the course of the game, you will undoubtedly acquire cards in the form of companions, items, equipment et cetera. Rather than returning said acquisitions to the vast library of cards at the end of the game, they are instead stored in a separate tray featuring dividers for each of the adventurers and also one dedicated to cards that affect the overall game state. The result is a game that is constantly evolving, one where not only your actions but the ones of your companions as well will literally and figuratively shape the landscape of Galzyr. Events that unfold during your adventures have the potential of altering what scenes are available to explore at any given location on the board. Characters you thought had come and gone might suddenly reappear when you least expect it. The thing though that genuinely impresses me is how Lands of Galzyr manages to feel coherent in terms of weaving a red thread of the narrative. There are many board games that proclaim to “tell stories”. However, it has been my experience that few actually manage to deliver on this promise in a way that doesn’t feel disjointed to the player. Lands of Galzyr presents a narrative that is consistent not only from plot point to plot point but from game to game as well. Throughout my repeated solo plays, I did not encounter a single situation where the game ground to a halt because the figurative cogs of the story did not align properly. Considering how many scenes that are contained in the companion app and how different skill checks will veer the story accordingly, this is a mighty impressive feat in terms of narrative.

Final thoughts

Someone on Board Game Geek once asked author Sami Laakso if they would consider designing a more “mature” iteration of Daimyria, the realm in which Lands of Galzyr takes place. In many ways, Laakso’s response beautifully sums up my own thoughts and impressions regarding Lands of Galzyr.

“We have enough games with dark themes, artwork, and rules-heavy engines. We wanted to create something different – where the world is approachable by both families and hobby gamers alike. One where the mechanisms don't get in the way of the story, but rather support it in each way possible. I'm not saying other games which do things differently are bad or even worse than [Lands of] Galzyr. They simply serve different audiences and purposes. [Lands of] Galzyr is quite different in many aspects, and that is by design.”

There is a reason why board games like Everdell or Creature Comforts are so popular and it’s not solely due to the inclusion of cute anthropomorphic animals, even though they are certainly a huge part of the overall charm. Personally, I think a major factor as to why so many people find this thematic setting so appealing is that it provides us with a sanctuary from the rather bleak and dire reality we find ourselves. In many ways, Lands of Galzyr fits the bill perfectly; it is as endearing as it is accessible to newcomers and season board game veterans alike. As someone who almost exclusively plays board games solitaire I am so happy to finally be able to explore the realm of Daimyria and I for one cannot wait to see what’s in store from publisher Snowdale Design.