Tabletop Game Review: RONE Second Edition

RONE (Second Edition)

Štěpán Štefaník

2-4 Players

35-45 Minutes

Card games are probably our favorite games here at Sequential Planet. Whether they are collectible card games or creative deck builders, the simplicity of being able to play most of the game with just a few decks have always been appealing to us. RONE (Races Of A New Era) utilizes a bit more than just cards but still brings the competition. Now with a large Kickstarter campaign and a neat Second Edition, this is a great time to get into the strategic post-apocalyptic game.

RONE is a competitive game for 2-4 players that borrows quite a bit of mechanics from similar games. Players are assigned a hero at the beginning of the game and will use these unique abilities in addition to unit and tactic cards to defeat their opponents. To play most cards, players will need to use resources. Even card abilities are limited in their amount of uses.

Rone is full of card types, rules and ways to play. On every turn, players will build an income, upgrade their units, recycle cards or declare attacks. Turns are fairly short and the game plays fast, allowing for a fine mix of strategy and fast thinking. Using a lot of cards will lead to exhaustion of units and currency, but could lead to a quick win. Of course, the reckless play could also be used on entire turns wasted on recovering resources, giving opponents the opportunity to strike back.

Rone is also highly interactive, allowing players to react to other attacks and plays. This benefits the flow of the game nicely, as it allows players to be engaged at all times. The “Recycle” mechanic is essentially removing cards in your discard pile from play. Recycling helps to counter attacks though, making it a risky but beneficial move. Attackers can also recycle cards, acting as a counter which leads to more strategy as players weigh their options.

There are so many cards in RONE. The game is full of variety, with many archetypes to choose from. The amount of ways to play is staggering for such a small package, making RONE a game that can be played in many different ways. These cards all have great art, completing the theme and package of RONE. The final product is one of great quality and should impress most payers. The quality of the cards themselves is fine, and they aren’t too flimsy or stiff. These aren’t the best cards in the industry, but when you consider the price and size of this package, it’s not much of a problem.

RONE is a strong game in the genre that deserves more attention. Players get the complete TCG experience without needing to buy additional cards. The game scales excellently with multiple players as well. This is an easy game to recommend for those who like competitive card games.