In the event, it didnt make the shortlist, which came as a surprise.
It also looks great on the tabletop with stacks of 3D cardboard castles.
So, should you add Wandering Towers to your collection of thebest board games?
Let’s dig in and find out.
Wandering Towers features & design
At its core, Wandering Towers is a race to the finish.
Just another Tuesday for a mage, in other words.
There’s a twist, though.
Those potion bottles are filled when you trap wizards underneath one of the 12 cardboard towers.
Because you have to move wizards an exact number of spaces to trap them, careful planning is needed.
Still, you’ll be happy to pore over this board Wandering Towers is a handsome game.
Solitaire its about getting all the wizards home to Ravenskeep in as few moves as possible.
This mode can also be played cooperatively with a strict instruction not to discuss strategy to keep things spicy.
Theres an optional nasty rule that lets you interrupt other players turns to stymie them by casting spells.
So its a family-weight optimization exercise, basically, albeit one that looks fantastic on your table.
And itisall these things.
But looking at the game through this lens is missing some vital aspects of play.
The first is the way that Ravenskeep moves when a wizard ends up in it.
And at that point Wandering Towers reveals much of its majesty.
So you have plenty of control over where your wizards go and which towers you choose to move.
At the same time, theres a whole range of tactical possibilities it’s crucial that you cover.
Are you best off moving wizards or castles?
Can you trap enemy wizards?
Do you have potions, and will the spells help?
At first, these are all straightforward things to parse the kind you’d find in manyfamily board games.
Instead, Wandering Towers offers you variety with all its game modes.
Theyre a mixed bag.
The solo and cooperative versions are rather soulless optimisation games.
Adding spells is another great way to spice the game up and dispel that sense of familiarity.
Should you buy Wandering Towers?
Its tactical without being strategic, interactive without being vicious, exciting while still being deterministic.
Wandering Towers is a great step up to more hobby-grade board games.
Tired of the same old, same old?
Give this a whirl.
you might find out more in ourreview policy, not to mention this guide onhow we test board games.
This review copy was provided by the publisher.
