My Little Scythe - A Solo Review
Image: Stonemaier Games
INTRODUCTION
My Little Scythe is the sort of success story that I absolutely adore and one of the reasons I enjoy this hobby so immensely. Originally intended to be a fan-made iteration of the hugely popular strategy game Scythe that Hoby Chou designed to be able to play with his kids, My Little Scythe is the result of a collaboration with publisher Stonemaier Games who has turned this print-and-play design into an actual retail product. As someone who holds the original game in high regards, the idea of a more streamlined and family friendly version of Scythe is intriguing to say the least given the fact that I am a father of two young sons one of which is starting to take an interest in board games which warms my heart. But how does My Little Scythe fare as a solo experience, when it is just this old wolf at the table? Let us find out.
Full disclosure: a review copy of My Little Scythe was kindly provided by publisher Stonemaier Games.
COMPONENTS
I have said it before and I will say it again: Stonemaier Games make some of the finest board games on the market in terms of lavish production values and My Little Scythe is no exception, as this a box filled to the brim with colourful and shiny trinkets where the unquestionable stars of the show are the adorable Seeker miniatures that represent each faction. Were I to tumble down the rabbit hole of miniature painting this game would be a prime candidate, regardless even without a coat of paint these Chibi styled minis look terrific with their high level of detail and a touch of whimsy. The acrylic gems and apples used to denote resources are a visual delight, as is the artwork that adorns the quest cards. The game even includes a GameTrayz insert which neatly organises and stores all the components. Overall, the production quality that is on display is exceptional and a testament to the level of attention to detail that publisher Stonemaier Games pours into their board game productions.
Photo: Fredrik Schulz
THE SOLO EXPERIENCE
“As descendants of a long line of Seekers, you and your sibling can trace your lineage back to Pomme itself. Your bloodline makes you capable of detecting Pomme’s apples and gems from great distances. With you always is your scythe, a Seeker’s most important tool. Let it help you prove that you are worthy of overseeing Pomme on behalf of our kingdom.”
As one might suspect given the game’s title, anyone who is familiar with the original source material will undoubtedly feel right at home when playing My Little Scythe as the fundamental mechanisms are preserved. Much like its older sibling the game utilises an action selection system, where players can never perform the same main action twice in a row thus creating a sense of momentum as you need to carefully plan your subsequent turns to be as sufficient as possible. Over the course of the game you will send your two Seekers to collect resources in the form of delicious apples and precious gems, complete quests and make deliveries to the royal castle, and perhaps even get caught in a pie-fight with your rivals! These activities all amount to earning trophies for completing specified criteria, like for example reaching a certain level of friendship points or winning a pie-fight where the first player to earn the four coveted trophies is crowned the new ruler of Pomme.
The thing that I find genuinely fascinating about My Little Scythe is the way the game manages to feel like its original counterpart whilst simultaneously tweaking the formula. The result is a game experience that feels unique and capable of standing on its own rather than being a re-skin albeit an adorable one. Take for example the friendship system. When adding new resource tokens to the main board players have the option on deciding onto what specific hex of any given region to distribute these commodities. If you choose a hex where another player has one of their Seeker miniatures you get to increase your friendship by one, essentially getting you one step closer to earning the associated trophy. On paper this may seem trivial but in practice it is nothing short of brilliant, not only does this particular aspect of My Little Scythe teach the value of sharing but it also presents an interesting strategical avenue for players young and old to consider. “Do I give resources to my opponent, essentially aiding them towards victory in an attempt to reach my own goals?” The same holds true for the two action slots on each player board that can be upgraded to more powerful versions, allowing for more strategical option at the expense of your precious resources. These considerations are a key aspect that makes Scythe such an enjoyable experience to begin with and My Little Scythe continues this tradition.
Photo: Fredrik Schulz
Speaking of tradition, as is the case with previous Stonemaier Games productions My Little Scythe features a solo mode designed by the talented team at Automa Factory. Similar to previous designs the neutral player, known as the Automountie, performs its actions based on a deck of cards each divided into sections. These range from allowing the neutral player to gain additional pies to moving its Seekers on the main board and even distributing resources. However, despite sharing the same end of game goal as the solo player to earn four trophies the Automountie does so by adhering to slightly different parameters. Rather than completing quests and making deliveries to the castle, the neutral player instead opts for a blunter approach which manifests itself as simply moving across the map hoovering up resources. Once the target threshold has been reached, which varies depending on difficulty, the Automountie will convert a set number of resources thus earning her a trophy. The result is a solo opponent that much like a pinball will dart back and forth across the play area in a rather erratic manner. Further adding to this somewhat lackluster solitaire experience is the fact that Automountie never loses friendship for attacking the human player, making for a particularly aggressive opponent that circumvents significant aspects of the game’s core structure in a way that I personally found less than enjoyable.
Photo: Fredrik Schulz
FINAL THOUGHTS
At the end of the day, would I recommend My Little Scythe exclusively for solitaire play? The short answer is no, simply because there are far more engaging board games for the solo player to sink their teeth into. Despite this I am of the firm belief that this solo mode might very well be one of the finest ever designed by the Automa Factory simply because of how it compliments the core game experience. Having a neutral opponent acting as the “bad guy” in a multiplayer game allows children, or even adult newcomers to the hobby for that matter, to be introduced to more complex game designs without feeling bullied or picked on by the other players. Similarly, having a solo mode in My Little Scythe also allows for cooperative play which is something I cannot wait to introduce to my oldest son who is six and is still a bit too young to engage in competitive play. Until then we can both enjoy playing My Little Scythe together and for that I tip my hat to the creative team at the Automa Factory.
