Creature Comforts Game

In the village of Maple Valley, there are six different animal families that are preparing their homes for winter. It will be a cold season, so food will be scarce and goods will be more difficult to obtain. During Spring, Summer and Fall, there are eight months over which Creature Comforts will unfold as 1-5 players spend these seasons preparing their homes for winter. They will choose four different locations for their family members to visit in the village each month to obtain goods and resources so they can craft comforts and home improvements which are worth scoring points. Each month, available resources change and rotate between these ten locations and there will be six dice available for each player to place on their chosen worker locations in order to receive these rewards. For example, in the four valley locations, there will be four different dice combinations (such as three ascending numbers, or dice totaling a specific number) that will meet the requirements to obtain the resources that are rewarded. Or, at the Owl’s Nest, additional Comfort Cards which contain items such as clothing, food or lighting worth various points can be obtained. Additional points can also be obtained when paired with other cards. At the market, goods can be exchanged for other goods or coins and coins can be exchanged for goods. The workshop allows players to construct improvements or areas that bring resources or scoring opportunities. When all player’s workers have been placed and they have collected the rewards available at each of their chosen locations, the month ends. At the beginning of the next month, the board is prepared at all board locations which vary by month. The game ends when all eight months have been played. Points are scored for comfort and improvement cards as well as unused resources. The player with the most points wins the game. This is a beautifully produced game, with tons of charm and interesting game play that uses some luck, strategy and planning and the ability to quickly change strategies as new opportunities are presented. Game play varies based on number of players, but 45 minutes to over an hour for two players has been my general experience. Everyone that I have played this game with has really enjoyed it and it has quickly become one of our favorites. ~Marsha