Inis was probably the weirdest and most wonderful package of 2016
At first glance, it can very easily be mistaken for the album cover of an obscure Celtic hair-metal band, and that incredibly distinct art style runs through the entire game. The card art is something else; straddling a line between intriguingly ugly and insanely gorgeous. The oddly-shaped tiles that build the game’s map over time give the impression of quilting a Middle-Earth hallucination. But Inis’ mechanics are just as striking and unique as its graphic design.
Inis Gameplay
The game has you controlling an ancient Celtic clan. Exploring a newly discovered realm, all the while attempting to become the King of the Island. To become King, a player needs to qualify for one or more of Inis’ three victory conditions. The best part of this, however, is that it isn’t simply a race to achieve them first. When you qualify for at least one condition you can, as an action on your turn, claim a Pretender crown. This is essentially you yelling “UNO!” to the group, as they all frantically examine the board to see not just how you managed it, but also to begin plotting how to stop you.
The best, best part of this, though, is that more than one player can claim a Pretender crown each round. Then you will all check at the start of the following round who is the Kingliest Wannabe-King. If someone has a majority of victory conditions met (or has managed to take the tie-breaking Bren token), then they will be victorious. Otherwise, players return their Pretender crowns and a new way begins, with everyone now scrambling desperately to find new ways to pull ahead of their power-hungry friends.
Summary
I can rave on and on about this game. I could talk about how clean the actions of each round are, with players drafting and playing action cards. I could extol the virtues of Inis’ fantastically quick and tense combat system. I could gush over the Epic Tales deck, with each one of those powerful cards rooted in Celtic history and legend. I could rant about how cool it is that such an interesting and puzzling area-control game can be smashed out in under 60 minutes.
In a year of incredible releases, I think Inis just edges out all other contenders for me. It is so clever and so tense and so much fun. If you strategy games are your thing, you’ll be hard-pressed to find a better box for your collection.