Mud, Blood, and the Golden Ticket to MarsSome thoughts on Gaslands
It won’t have escaped the regular reader of this blog, if such a thing exists, that I’ve really got into Gaslands. I’m not sure how long this obsession will last; I can already hear the roar of an engine from Dark Future calling to me, but Gaslands has quickly become the most-played tabletop game for me in a long time. I’ve managed to get in fifteen games since February, all against other people, which is a bit of a record for me, as I spend most of my time playing solo.
Why has Gaslands taken such a hold on my gaming? I think there are a few reasons why I’m really enjoying it at the moment. The first has to be the social side of it: I’ve managed to get my gaming group into the game, and there’s nothing quite like a group of mates hanging out and getting excited about the roll of a die or the choice of a template.
The second reason is the game mechanics. It’s quick and intuitive, so I can get straight into the story unfolding on the table. Some of this may be because it shares mechanics with games like Wings of Glory and X-Wing. More than one game has hinged on a single bad choice of movement template—sending cars careering into walls or barriers. The look of horror on the face of the person who picked the wrong one is priceless.
The final reason has to be the building of the cars for the game. Each car that I have made has drawn me into the game more and more. It is hard to express the joy that I have found from taking toy cars apart and making them my own but there it is. Gaslands got me using a power tool for the first time in decades. Did I feel more like a real man for taking an electric drill to a Hot Wheels car? Probably not, but it was fun.
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