"Roll and write" is a poorly named genre. Half of them don't even use dice. The idea of them is, something gives you random information, be it dice, or cards, or something else, and then you have to think carefully about where to write that down for the most points. You've probably already played Yahtzee, the most popular example of this genre in history, and a game I actually still enjoy to this day. Modern roll and write games have a tendency to be miles more complex than that, which brings us to today's board game to review: Cartographers, by Jordy Adan.
I must admit I slept on this game for a while. I tend to subconsciously avoid any game where you play as a stuffy old timey sounding profession, like a wainwright, or a viticulturist... or a cartographer. Then, to add to that, this game takes place in the "Roll Player universe", a setting introduced in the board game Roll Player, which I hate. All signs were pointing toward me disliking this game. So, the question is, did I? Let's take a look.
The presentation really pops. The box has a lovely matte finish with comparatively smooth corners, instead of looking cheap and shiny, which I appreciate. The art on the front is beautiful, and leads us into the world of this game. Inside, we've got the rulebook, pencils, cards, and a big ol' thick pad of player sheets that takes up most of the box on its own. It's a surprisingly simple set of items, and it's instantly clear that this game's all about those big beautiful sheets.
Each player gets a sheet and a pencil, and the cards are set up in the middle so that four variable scoring conditions (more on those soon) are visible, the current season card is letting us know which of those two scoring conditions we'll be using this round, and the main deck's ready to be drawn from. That's the whole setup. It's pretty breezy, especially considering that your players will be too busy drawing fun patterns on their sheet's heraldic shield to even notice you're ready to start.
Then, a communal card is drawn, which shows us a polyomino - basically, a tetris piece. We all have to draw that piece on our sheets, but it's up to us where to put it. I might put it in the top right on my sheet, whereas you might try the middle. Once an amount of cards are drawn, the season ends, we score the two scoring conditions we were using, and move on to the next set. This repeats for the four seasons, and the highest score wins. That's basically it. Already, we see an interesting puzzle of drawing pieces in places they'll fit, but that's only maybe a quarter of the strategy. The real complexity comes from two things: the scoring conditions, and the monsters.
Variable scoring conditions, for those who haven't played games with that specific mechanic, are a way to keep your goals fresh every time you play. Most games have just one scoring condition, or just one straight-up win condition if the game doesn't use points. For example, the scoring condition of Hearts is that you get 1 point for each card of the hearts suit you've acquired, plus 13 points for the queen of spades. However, for games like Cartographers, or Sprawlopolis, or many others, the scoring conditions change every game. An example scoring condition in Cartographers might be "three points for every water piece that's not touching a farm piece or the edge of the board". The constantly shifting scoring conditions keep the game fresh and interesting, both between games, and during them.
Then, there are monsters. Monsters are a polyomino like any other, except you don't draw them on your sheet. Instead, you pass your sheet to a fellow player, and they try to screw you over as much as possible by drawing the monster somewhere extremely impractical. This is a very mean mechanic, but it's hard not to find it entertaining. When you get your sheet back, not only will the monster be somewhere awful, but your opponent will have drawn the monster to look like something silly, as an extra touch. Of course, since play is simultaneous, you'll have been drawing a monster on theirs at the same time. It's a very interactive touch to an otherwise introverted affair.
If it had just been the polyomino part, the game wouldn't be anything special. However, the variable scoring and monsters add uniqueness that's incredibly compelling. I don't have any other game where I can draw a nuisance for my opponent to deal with. It's truly inspired. I like a bit of strategic heft and complexity in a roll and write game, and Cartographers delivers just the right amount. Mostly.
I kind of want a little more sometimes, for when I get to play with fellow Cartographers veterans, and luckily, the game has me covered there too. Not only are there multiple small expansion packs available to add fun new things like special player skills, but there's a Kickstarter going on right now, with a couple days remaining, for a sequel with twice the content. I love that I'll be getting the opportunity to exist in this fictional world even more, which I never thought I'd say back when my only experience with it was Roll Player. I hope this game gets even more support in the future, as it's a great system with a lot of potential.
So, that kind of indirectly gave away my opinion. Yeah, I love Cartographers. I promise I sometimes review games I dislike, this just isn't one of them. It's just darn good.
Is this game for everyone, though? No game is, but I feel like this one especially has some issues that hold it back from maximum popular appeal. The writing on the scoring condition cards is too small for some players to read, for a start. That's just annoying. There's a solo mode, which is nice, and I play it often, but the cardboard AI for the monsters will never replace real people, so it's a bit lesser than the multiplayer experience. Then there's the complexity level - BoardGameGeek, a hugely popular board gaming website, calls this a family game, and I don't think that's accurate at all. There are plenty of similar roll and write games that I'd feel more confident showing to a family, like Railroad Ink, or Welcome To. Cartographers is a little too complicated to choose it for family level gamers over those other options. Finally, if you like the idea of variable scoring conditions, but have never tried them, you might prefer starting with Sprawlopolis, as that's a much simpler entry to the subgenre. It's also kinda low key better than Cartographers, if you're into cooperative or solo games.
Should you get it? If you like what I've told you, and have friends who would play it with you, absolutely! It's a cheap and clever expandable roll and write game, that your group can grow with as they add expansions. If you like the idea of the game but don't have those willing friends, and want to rely on the solo mode, I think it's probably still worth it, although every time you use the symbols on the monster cards to figure out where to place them, you may silently wish someone else was placing it for you. After all, at the end of the day, human interaction is what board games are all about.
- V