Broom Service (board game)

Broom Service
A purple potion
DesignersAndreas Pelikan and Alexander Pfister
IllustratorsVincent Dutrait[1]
PublishersRavensburger
Publication2015; 10 years ago (2015)
Players2–5
Playing time30–75 minutes[1]
Age range10+

Broom Service is a role selection board game[2] designed by Andreas Pelikan and Alexander Pfister, and published by Ravensburger.[3] It won the 2015 Kennerspiel, the Spiel des Jahres connoisseurs game of the year award.[4]

It is an adaptation of Pelikan's 2008 card game Witches' Brew.[2] In 2016, a card game version was published as Broom Service: The Card Game.[2]

Gameplay

Players assume the role of druids, witches and potion gatherers.[2] Each player receives an identical deck of 10 cards,[2] each representing a role.[5] A potion gatherer card allows the player to collect green, orange, or purple potions along the game board path.[5] A witch card allows the player to move the player's pawn, and a druid card allows the player to deliver potions to a nearby tower of the same colour as the potion.[2] Each card has a 'brave' and 'cowardly' option, which is chosen by the player when it is played.[2]

There are seven rounds in a game, each of which has four turns and an event card that alters game play.[1] Each round, players select four of their ten cards as their hand, and play occurs clockwise.[2] The lead player of the round plays one of their cards and declares the option they have chosen.[2] If the cowardly option is chosen, the player immediately takes the associated action, but if the brave option is chosen they must wait for other players to play their cards.[2] Subsequent players may only play a card if it has the same name as the one played by the round's lead player, also declaring the option they have chosen; otherwise they pass their turn.[2] The last player to play a card that turn and to declare the 'brave' option can perform the action associated with that option; all other players that chose 'brave' forfeit their action for that turn.[2] This is repeated for each of the four cards in the hand for that round.[1]

Players earn victory points by delivering potions to the towers,[1] or by collecting clouds.[5]

Reception

In a review for Meeple Mountain, Kurt Refling states that the game is a "comfortable hour of scheming" and gave it his "highest recommendation".[2]

In a review for Paste, Keith Law stated that the game was "visually appealing".[5]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e Matthews, Andy (30 October 2018). "Broom Service". Meeple Mountain. Retrieved 16 November 2021.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m Refling, Kurt (30 October 2018). "Broom Service Game Review: A Pfistful of Potions". Meeple Mountain. Retrieved 16 November 2021.
  3. ^ "Broom Service". Dice Tower. Retrieved 16 November 2021.
  4. ^ Zimmerman, Aaron (18 July 2016). "The "Board Game of the Year" winners have been announced". Ars Technica. Retrieved 16 November 2021.
  5. ^ a b c d Law, Keith (4 August 2015). "Broom Service Boardgame Review". Paste. Retrieved 16 November 2021.