THE WOLVES
Fluffy, yet fiendish
Designer: Ashwin Kamath, Clarence Simpson | Publisher: Pandasaurus Games
First things first, this game is gorgeous. Evocative box cover? Check. Beautifully laid out rulebook with clear instructions and visual aids? Check. Fantastically illustrated game boards festooned with charming wooden wolf meeples and other tactile-pleasing pieces? Massive check with little decorative moons. But be warned, behind its beauty hides a devious little challenge.
The Wolves revolves around players taking two actions each turn in the grand tradition of 4X games, to explore the map, expand control of regions by creating dens and lairs, achieved through exploiting other wolves into service via tactical howling. However, instead of exterminating your opponents, it’s more “expropriating” (no it doesn’t quite match the definition but hush) their wolves and dens through dominating barks. I’m not quite sure how one claims a den by screaming at it, but believe me you’ll be heartbroken when it happens to you.