Khan of Khans - review

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Stay Golden

It's the Gen Con weekend and now we know. 
Two Gold ENnies for "Khan of Khans" (Best family product, Best RPG related product) and they are well deserved.

*le box

Khaaan! 

Do not pay any attention to the BGG score - the bitterness comes from people expecting a deep strategy or tactical game. This is not that at all. Khans is a simple push-your-luck family game with some tactics derived from the memory element of the game. The whole premise of the game is slightly absurd for people living in modern society - you are leading a tribe of animal riders and your goal is to procure as many cows as possible through raiding different locations.

Caaards!

The game was designed by that German guy that pops up everywhere when board games are mentioned - Reiner Knizia. 
Mechanically there are 10 piles of cards representing different locations in Glorantha's Dragon Pass (you may see a pattern developing here). On your turn you draw a card from one of them and it is either Raid (adding cows to your herd), Stampede (your non corralled cows run away), Tribal Champion (protecting you from enemy magic if he's on his own or fighting with the other champion and frightening the cows away), Enemy magic (frightening your non corralled cows) and Waha's Blessing (counting as 20 cows or allowing you to steal one card from other players). 
Draw, steal, occasionally corral your herd, get the most cows at the end of the game. That's it!

*le map of Dragon Pass

Cowwws!

The game is actually a re-skin of Kajko i Kokosz: Przygody Wojów but the theme of stealing cows fits perfectly. In comparison to the original a map of Dragon Pass has been added to place the cards around. The artwork by Ian O'Toole is amazing and super fun. It is evocative and comedic at the same time. It was my first foray into the rich world of Glorantha, and now, after going through the RuneQuest: Roleplaying in Glorantha quick start and reading Andrew Logan Montgomery's insanely in-depth reviews of the full game and the bestiary, I am starting to recognise places and characters.

Fuuun!

I got the Khan of Khans through the Kickstarter campaign in August 2017 thinking that it will possibly be a fun little game with lovely artwork. Upon reflection this has been the game I played the most in the last 12 months. It is fun, super easy to teach, and my board game group is always eager to play it.

You can get it from Chaosium for $24.95 (£19.19).

5 out of 5 cows, would and will raid again.

Up next: The Silvery Moon Tower

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