INTRODUCTION

At the time of writing this review I find myself in a state of contemplation. Through the window in my study I watch as the autumn rain hammers down relentlessly onto the pavement, making an already grey October afternoon feel even more dreary. With all that has transpired over the past couple of months I think it is safe to say that this year will not go down in history as a particularly joyous one. Playing board games has always been a sanctuary for me, a state of mind that allows me to decompress from the hustle of bustle associated with everyday life. And this is where I personally find a silver lining amidst all of the metaphorical dark clouds: solitaire games that feature a small footprint and yet manages to provide a meaningful, engaging experience. Unbroken, Crystallo, Lux Aeterna, these are all shining examples of games that managed to both surprise and captivate me. And then there is Squire for Hire, a game of trying to be the best gosh darn equerry the kingdom has even seen from designer and artist Jon Merchant. Let us see if this little game has what it takes to join the illustrious ranks of its fellow solitaire brethren.

Full disclosure: a review copy of both Squire for Hire, the expansion Mystic Runes and the additional Character Pack were kindly provided by publisher Letiman Games.

COMPONENTS

In this day and age of Kickstarter galore where your typical miniature based board games weighs the equivalent of a baby rhinoceros, it is a breath of fresh air to experience a game that fits comfortably inside my jacket pocket seeing how both Squire for Hire and the stand-alone expansion Mystic Runes consists of a meagre deck of just 18 playing cards. The rules are printed on the inside of the foldable tuckbox, I especially love the fact that it has been designed to look like a treasure trove. Anthropomorphic animals continue to be all the rage in terms of thematic trappings and Squire for Hire is no exception, featuring a roster of several adorable critters just waiting to prove their worth for travelling heroes and adventurers. As for the actual cards they are of standard quality, nothing to write home about but perfectly serviceable.

SQUIRE FOR HIRE

Many a tale has been told throughout the lands chronicling the feats of brave heroes as they venture forth in their quest for glory and riches. But behind every famous adventurer stands the squire, a loyal subject tasked with the distinct honour of carrying their master’s loot whilst simultaneously keeping their kit in good order. This is your opportunity to prove your worth and become a squire for hire. At its core Squire for Hire is a card based “tile-laying inventory management game” where your goal is to fill the bag belonging to your adventurer with precious trinkets, weapons, and artefacts whilst also trying to avoid adding junk items to the satchel which not only clogs up valuable space but also inflict a negative point penalty during the final tally. The game is played over a series of turns during which you will be presented with an event or story encounter. In order to obtain and add a new loot card to your tableau you need to fulfil the requirements of the current event in one of two ways. If you are lucky enough your bag might already contain the specified number of item tiles, thus granting you a new loot card free of charge. Alternatively, you might be asked to “pay” an existing item from your bag in order to add the new card. This is achieved by covering up a previous card in your tableau thus excluding said item from end of game scoring.

This spatial puzzle is really interesting for a couple of reasons. Since each card features a combination of valuable and junk items you are constantly forced to weigh short term benefits versus planning the contents of your bag to net the highest possible amount of points at the end of the game. This can lead to some pretty deliciously agonising decisions, seeing how sometimes you might need to cover up a perfectly fine trinket or weapon in favour of creating more options for future cards to be added to the bag. Another aspect that really adds to the variability of each game are the squires. Each aide has their own unique set of skills, indicating what particular type of items they favour. For example, Ooru the mage’s apprentice (a lovely raccoon and one of my personal favourites) rewards additional points for having adjacent magic items while Tenderfoot the thief’s pupil instead prefers treasures and valuables. Each squire also has a unique way to deal with junk items, allowing you to either gain points or causing a particular type of junk item to not inflict a negative points setback if left in the bag by the end of the game.

THE MYSTIC RUNES

Far in the north, amidst the snowclad and treacherous peaks rumours tell of caverns filled with mystical runes capable of granting the person who possesses them immense power. Many a good man have perished in the icy blizzards of the mountainous region trying to hunt down these rare artefacts. However, a few pesky deaths are not enough to sway the ambitions of your adventurer as you set about reaching the fabled caverns in a quest for fame and fortune. Mystic Runes is a stand-alone expansion to Squire for Hire, although the core rules remain the same in terms of acquiring and adding new loot cards to your tableau there is one huge difference: the aforementioned runes. In addition to providing a victory point on their own, these magical letters and markings provide some really interesting ways to manipulate the contents of your bag. The Void rune, which cannot be covered, renders all adjacent junk items useless which can be incredibly beneficial. Then there is the Morph rune which, as one might guess given the name, has the ability to count as any item at game end. Finally, there is the Hide rune. As long as this particular artefact remains visible in the tableau you have the option to tuck newly acquired loot cards under existing cards! In theory this may seem trivial, however I cannot emphasise enough what a difference this makes to the overall gameplay in a good way.

FINAL THOUGHTS

It never ceases to amaze me just how much fun and enjoyment one can derive from a game that consists of only a handful of cards, yet Squire for Hire and its stand-alone expansion Mystic Runes both manages to pull off this rather impressive feat. If I had to choose just one I would without a shadow of a doubt pick Mystic Runes, the aforementioned artefacts provide some really interesting and clever twist whilst simultaneously preserving the core game design that makes Squire for Hire such an enjoyable micro-game experience.