| 👨👩👧👦 | Players: 2-4 (1-4 with expansion) |
| ⏳ | Time: 10-20 minutes |
| 🎂 | Ages: |
| ⚙️ | Mechanisms: Grid movement, set collection, map reduction, cooperative |
I’ve been on a solo game kick lately, and one that’s been hitting my table a lot is Aethermon: Collect (and its expansion) from Aethermon Studios.
Aethermon is a quick (15 min) game for 2-4 players (1-4 with expansion) that can be played competitively or co-op. The artwork has an anime style that feels reminiscent of shows like Pokémon – which is appropriate, given that it’s all about collecting sets of adorable Aethermon (well, except the spiders 🫣).
In a competitive multiplayer game, players take turns moving the token horizontally and vertically to collect valuable sets, while attempting to position the token in the least beneficial place for other player(s). I’ve been playing solo though (with the expansion), so let’s talk about that!
In solo mode you alternate between moving horizontally and vertically, to land on and collect Aethermon. But! There is an extra challenge! If you collect one part of the set in a horizontal movement, you cannot later collect any other part of the set in a vertical movement (and vice versa). So, you have to plan your moves carefully!
The game ends when you can’t move to a space with Aethermon, or you can’t collect any more Aethermon due to the directional limitation. As with the multiplayer game, you earn points for collected Aethermon (each card has a point value). If you manage to collect all the Aethermon in a set, that set is worth double points.
After playing a few times, I was ready for a challenge. Included in the expansion is a campaign mode. Its first challenge for me (you won’t believe this 😜) was to collect them all! In the campaign, you also have helpful artefacts which alter movement and collection abilities.
I haven’t conquered the first challenge, but I’ve come close, with just one card remaining. I’m looking forward to the next challenge, where the difficulty increases again… as soon as I complete the first one.
I love that Aethermon is so flexible with play style; from competitive or co-op, to solo and campaign. If you enjoy set-collection and lightweight games that can be played over coffee, this is worth checking out!
You can see this post on Instagram here. For further information about Aethermon: Collect, check out the publisher’s website.
The copy of Aethermon: Collect used for this review was provided to Board All The Time by Aethermon Studios. The Aethermon: Collect expansion and playmat were purchased separately by Board All The Time
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