Lofoten Review: A New Spin on Vikings?

Chris and Zee take a look at this two-player game about Vikings loading goods and delivering them back home.

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[rexology_bg]

I am sailing past your recommendation and still picking this one up based on the designer and setting. I will update once it has a couple of plays.

[oopnorth]

I’ll be honest, I’ve enjoyed my plays of Lofoten, even with the level 1 warehouses. The centre cards becoming more powerful as you gain more of those resources makes for a nice tactical battle, as does knowing when and how to use your coins. That said, I do agree completely with the comments on the theme.

[polimer]

The perfect duo for 2-player games reviews.

[ludwigvan]

I thought this one was very charming and the mechanisms (which I found very neat) gave me a sailing feel so I didn't experience the themeless feel that's described here but I can definitely see it being an issue for others. I do agree that the basic game without powers or level 2 warehouses is pretty pointless past just learning the mechanisms.

[Montag]

This was definitely more abstract than I was expecting. I wasn't expecting a thematic experience, but not one quite so abstract. Couple of historical notes:

1. The shield depicted isn't a buckler. A buckler is a small shield used after the end of the Viking Age. The shields the Vikings used were just normal, full-sized shields (what we typically refer to as round shields to distinguish the style).

2. It's not actually a Viking game. Vikings were the raiders, specifically. This game is just medieval Scandinavia.

[flawed]

Sometimes a board game gives you the immediate impression of

Work: the board game

[ctvisions]

My game Reel Them In uses this octagon shape board spinning in a very thematic way

[ctvisions]

Why is the theme Vikings? With that mechanism it would be perfect if the theme was operating machinery at a factory

[saintsalieri]

No less mechanical than Targi, though Targi is more interactive since it's worker placement. But similar issues with arbitrarily gambling on future resources coming up that you can't control and having a theme of long distance commerce (desert rather than sea) that doesn't have much to do with the mechanisms. Yet one of the best two player only Euro games.

[ilqrd.]

It’s clear that the designer had an idea about a mechanism and wrapped a game around it. Sadly none of it looks exciting.

[metalblizzard]

Game was fun but my desire to replay isnt super high. Id give it a 7 overall.

[Jonathan-eivp]

A shame it's such a themeless beast