MINDCLASH Cerebria - The Inside World

The game seems fun, at first it seems like playing gloom gives you the upper hand because their passive abilities are more powerful ! However if you strategize the right spirit movements you’ll be fine!So I do think that bliss should’ve gotten a diff ability for love but eh I just don’t use her....so bottom line if you have 4hours and wanna play Id say go for it !

Analysis Paralysis defines this game for me. I was a kickstarter backer and have played the core game with four players a few times - this games theme and art are amazing, the gameplay is interesting and tactile, however the layer of 4 actions, one energy refill, and 10+ choices every round make every turn devolve into a hard analysis of the board, a feeling of being stuck in the middle of a choice, and eventually a series of choices that change the board so much the next play has to reevaluate their own approach.This game is beautifully made and I would recommend it for someone who likes complex area control games and is willing and has a group of people who are willing to sit down and learn the game, with the understanding that it will take a long time and a few full games to understand the flow and strategy. This is not a game you can just pull out with a new group or even pull out once every 6 months - it takes time to learn and a group to play.Pro -Beautiful components, models, and artSolo play option to learn or challenge yourselfinteresting theme and lore (very unique)thematic writing and artworkArea control mechanics with a cool twistCon -Analysis paralysis is central to the learning processPoorly designed graphics for action / choice mechanics - the whole group found them hard to read without a reference bookHours to learn, hours to play, not beginner friendly.

I’ve played this game with my wife several times, and I have to say it’s the best attempt at a 2-player area control game that I’ve yet played. I’m a big fan of games like Rising Sun and Blood Rage, but can’t always get those to the table when we don’t have a third (or more) player to join us. Cerebria is the perfect solution to that problem.Here’s the thing about Mindclash Games: They make very complex games that offer a LOT of game in each box. Despite some cute artwork, this is not a game for little Timmy, lest he be a savant. You play your first, “basic” game with nearly HALF of the gameplay mechanisms that make up the “full” game. And it’s still going to give you a lot to learn. (I suggest watching the official Mindclash Games video tutorial on YouTube, also referenced in the rulebook.) By our fourth game, my wife and I finally pulled out the special abilities listed on the mild and strong emotion cards, and we suddenly had the other half of the game to learn. We still have yet to try out the “B” sides of the player boards, which mix up gameplay even more.My wife and I have both experienced some AP (analysis paralysis), but that doesn’t really strike me as a bad thing in this case. You have a lot of potential actions to take during your rather long turns, and it’s that wealth of decisions that keeps us coming back to a particular game. I would not think this is a good game at over 4 players, however, in part because of AP, but also because the game state will change so much between turns that you may have difficulty strategizing.The game is amazing at 2 (in particular if you enjoy area control games), and though I can’t officially comment on it at 3- and 4-player counts, I’m sure it’s excellent and I’m looking forward to teaching it to friends.If you enjoy the complexity of this game, I highly recommend checking out some of Mindclash Games other games, such as Anachrony and Trickerion.

Gorgeous area control game with a quirky theme. I’ve got the kickstart edition with painted minis(not in the base game). It’s heavy and fiddly - expect to set aside a few hours to learn. Expect a difficult teach, and rule book diving during play. Lots of actions and bonuses throughout the game keep it interesting. My only negative comment is once a clear leader has emerged there is great difficulty catching up. It’s very competitive with a lot of player interaction.