For better or for worse, Grow a Million is a thoroughbred amateur project. Only one person with a lot of emotional connection offers such magnetic ideas and can approach the unharmed sensitive subject ...
For better or for worse, Grow a Million is a thoroughbred amateur project. Only one person with a lot of emotional connection offers such magnetic ideas and can approach the unharmed sensitive subject. At the same time, the game also shows that there is no big publisher with experience and routine behind it.
The theme of the game is unusual and is responsible for the high age rating. Players are trying to get enough money by cultivating and selling hemp to take advantage of the retirement on a desert island with this million. This casual attitude on the particularly sensitive subject can only flourish in Switzerland or perhaps in the Netherlands. The graphics also follow this theme so clearly that no one is left in ignorance of what this game is.
If you open the rectangular box of normal size, the first thing you notice is the very affectionate equipment, therefore I would like to enter in more detail on the equipment. The absolute highest point is the mini pocket calculator included with the "Grow to Million" printing; An imprint shared by the zip bags included. The yield display is made of magnetic leaf, just like the arrows for the players, preventing it from sliding during the game. The large game board offers not only room for the four different picks, but also for the batteries of Corresponding discomfort, in addition to the round route to go. The fact that the plastic displays of the game figurines must still be provided with stickers designed with love is not unusual; that there is a female and male sticker for each figurine, yes. A sticker of the same design is then affixed on the Hemperium, a player tray.
Playing cards are available in five varieties, dark green border cards, extension cards, red border action cards, yellow border event cards and grass cards. The backs of the cards have the same pattern, but unfortunately, their design is very similar, so that sometimes you have to look more closely to see which category belongs to the card. The fictitious money, rightly called Hemp-Frank, is in the form of sufficient quantity tickets and appropriate denominations to counter the sums incurred in the ordinary cannabis trade. A die is also included for each player in players' colors, which is also a luxury, since a single die would have been enough for everyone. The rules of the big game also reserve surprises, the program organizations are also rather unusual in the field of board games. Otherwise, an editorial revision of the instructions would certainly do good. The subtleties are easily neglected and are therefore often only gradually integrated into the game. Overall, very elaborate equipment with love, despite small imperfections. We may wonder if a big publisher would really go so far? It is good that there are still lovers like that.
The structure is simple if you use the bags included during prior cleaning. The game board is placed in the middle, a player takes control of the bank with money, another manages the equipment in the form of grass cards. Each player receives the game figurine, the hemporium and the dice of its color as well as a starting capital of 20,000 HF and four extension cards and an action and a culture space each. It is advisable to mention about the figurine the slit fitted out in the base for a possible event card, which can sometimes accompany the player for a very long time. The figures arrive at the start of the circuit, which is called the turn of the year here, and if you cross it, you must pay your workers in hemporium. The rest of the extension, action, culture and event space cards are hidden facing, mix the batteries in the appropriate places on the game board. The first player is launched and begins to run on the route with the number obtained. Depending on the box on which he landed or crosses, an action is triggered.
If he landed on an extension box, the player can place one or more extensions in his hemporium after paying the costs indicated. This gives it the advantages indicated on the map and, according to the number of experience points, which promise a higher crop yield per square meter of planting surface. However, workers' cards and planting zone extensions in the form of cultivation room cards can also be placed in the hemporium of this field. The experience points and the size of the planted area are followed on the yield panel with the magnetic arrows. The fact that an arrow of the bad color has slipped must be accepted, but it seems reckless. On the other hand, what is pleasant is the fact that all the cards indicate below where they are placed after the game.
On the action boxes lined with red, you can play your own red action card, which always triggers positive events. The event spaces bordered with yellow lead to the draw of a yellow event card, which can mean paradise (positive event) or hell (negative event).
The blue fields are always important, they allow you to sell the accumulated grass. But where does the grass come from? When you browse the dice course, the harvest fields sometimes overflow, giving you a harvest equal to the amount indicated on the yield board. If at any time the cash balance of a player exceeds 1,000,000 HF and that he is able to discard an island card, he wins. Alternatively, you collect four island cards and win immediately.
Since Grow a Million does not offer many mechanisms apart from driving and running, the rest of the pleasure lies in the cards. The illustrations are not to be taken too seriously, but the text is always sufficient. If in doubt, the list of cards sorted in alphabetical order with explanations in the rules will help you during the first parts. Knowing all the cards and being able to effectively use synergies, advantages and disadvantages, however, requires some games. A fact that can unfortunately lead to different levels of pleasure for players with different levels of experience. Unfortunately, our sessions have also revealed systematic weaknesses. In some cases, when they were completely busy, the extension cards were exhausted. There are also event cards that lead to irreparable setbacks, for example burglars, or because there is not enough available (delivery van), definitively disadvantages a player. Systemic injustices perceived as such by players can, however, considerably reduce the light general tone of the game. Inequalities are part of the game, but as soon as they reach a certain level and upset gameplay, something fundamental does not go. Overall, it can also be said that the Chance component, due to the dice throw and the many different cards, is quite pronounced. In the right round, which is capable of composing with light tone and the subject not serious, a game that promises pleasure for a long time. If then, in future editions, avoidable errors, such as color differences, cards that kill, the unfavorable structure rule and a slight revision of function graphics are eliminated, it is a real initiate council. As a family game, "Grow a million" cannot be fully recommended due to the theme, but frequent players will be embarrassed by the big luck factor and simple mechanisms.
How to play Grow a million
About Grow A Million
Title: Cultivate a million
Publisher: Growit.ch
Number of players (from to): 2 - 5
Age (from or from to years): 16
Vintage: 2009