Successor of the memorable Koryo in the range Moonster Games, category card games content but sturdy, Choson landed a heritage Therefore.
Yes Koryo had brilliantly erected a beam of convergent playful qualities(short parts, strong replayability, some control, consistent depth, oiled mechanics) Choson had to bring a different experience to support the comparison at least, transcend it at best.
Gary Kim managed to anchor Choson, gameplay and design, in a distant Korean historical context for us Europeans. While his game is not a game of civilization where immersion is hyper-important, but for aesthetes, the effort is appreciable. Running from 1392 to 1910, the dynasty witnessed a true Renaissance at different levels: cultural, religious adinistrative ... Thus, to cite an example, the first hydraulic clocks, printing presses were born in the early hours of this dynasty. When we see the new illustrations used in Choson, we appreciate not only the artistic quality (that's subjective) but also the fact that it fits and is justified historically (that's objective)! The characters are more bad ass, the elements evoke the wheels, the industry ...a real success (I also think of the first metal collector player token). In real life, the sovereign power of Choson relied on 55 vassals, all present at the royal council. The game Choson therefore has ...55 cards. Boum.
If we add that the General Yi(card # 1 of the game) first King of the dynasty, imposed new rules, restored Confucianism (it does not laugh that -ism there) and relegated Buddhism to the confines of the Kingdom, it is hoped that thematically the game will be more nagging, more assertive, less diplomatic. And again Gary Kim renews and upsets its system, from a game of courtiers / diplomats to a real clash of war generals. Interaction, timid and muffled in Koryo, is at the center of debates in Choson. The table of each player evolves drastically in the game, the fiefs fall or move, while historically the kings of Choson tear each other apart, murder, plot and succeed one another.
How to translate this new language into gameplay? Gary Kim gets involved by exploding the possible actions. There where Koryo proposed basic action (2 if most of the 5), Choson allows four:
Play x cards of the same type
Play a card x and a card there
Playing a card and an event
Many more potential therefore, without losing the player either. The game remains dry and nervous. Event cards are the main novelty of the alphabet Choson.
Because cards of value 1 to 8 now have a symbol below their number, and not just a symbol that triggers with the majority.
These events are:
the lobby (cards 1, 3 and 6)
the lobby allows you to exchange 2 characters, at others or at home
the gun is used to kill a character, no matter which, in another player
the sword (cards 4, 5 and 7)
the sword can kill a character in another player, but in a range of -1 to + 1. Example: the 4 can kill a 3, a 4 or a 5
Events become one of the mainstays of the gameplay, especially since some powers of majority allow to make them fight (I combote, you combotes, we combotons) to fructify them in victory points. They generate a strong interaction between the players (where Koryo punished them with -1 difficult to assume), fit well with the theme, and even if this generated chaos removes a little the feeling of control that we had with Koryoin my parts (about fifteen) he has never been a source of blatant imbalance. At the same time, a game lasts 10 minutes, a bad draw round 8 it happens, and the game does not take that on that.
Without revealing all the powers and small curiosities of the characters, you should know that there is some answer, modifiers victory points and that even the first player token is important ...
Just go for a nice power: card # 1, General Yi gives you a shield, which you put on a family to protect it. This shield also acts as a cosmic scale and grants you the benefit of the majority in case of a tie. Well. But if you do not protect Yi himself, nothing prevents an opponent from lobbying him, recovering Yi and his shield. Or just bump him up. Nicely ...
The country of the fresh morning
Gary Kim and Moonster Games succeed with Choson to transfigure an already huge game, giving it punks and warlike. The result is translated into fun around the table, whether with experienced or casual players. Choson remains accessible, and keeps the depth of Koryo while moving it to a new era. Even more successful graphically, very well done thematically, and a sobriety foolproof in the design (about 60 cards, ten chips, small box, 15 euros), it's a real gamer game, very re-playable, who honors and respects his predecessor (patting him with a sword on his cheek) (look down at Yi)