FLAMECRAFT

The cutest game of the year is coming in hot

Words by Christopher John Eggett

Cute dragons named after desserts (crème brûlée), or things that people name their pets (Potato? I can imagine it) and a Kickstarter campaign full of plushies, pins and add-ons are the way I was introduced to Flamecraft. And while this game’s humble beginnings started with the adorable dragons themselves beyond all this cuteness is a truly great game (read our review on p58) – but where did it all spring from?

Flamecraft is an idyllic game of retail. Players build up small shop tableaus of dragons whose actions you’ll take around the board. You grab some resources and buy enchantments, but importantly never own a single shop itself. There are no landlords here, or even haggling over the price of French toast (the food item, not the dragon). This is an economy of kindness. Players are here, much like the dragons, to make their little community better. Plus, the nicer you are the most points you’re going to get, and that might win you the game.

There’s lots of games that try and use their soft fuzzy underbellies and large-eyed looks to lure us in cynically. You know, games about cats or unicorns and whatnot. They appeal to a certain tweeness within the ‘nerd’ community that many happily embrace. Flamecraft however is the real deal – this is a game with a good heart. It’s plentiful in its resources and the closest thing to a ‘tax’ that anyone pays is gifting an opponent materials or cards to gain points or use the shop slot they’re on. Everyone wins (except those that literally don’t).