In the expansion review series, we take a look at a game expansion to discuss whether it is a necessary purchase/addition to one’s collection.
This breakdown is for the expansion for the dice/worker placement game Dicetopia, and is titled Roll with the Punches.
Roll with the Punches is the first expansion to Dicetopia, and includes a variety of new components and changes to the overall gameplay. This expansion features a new board to expand the City Board of the base game, called the Wasteland Board. It provides additional places for players to send Meeples, as well as some new and unique actions that can be performed only on those spaces. Roll with the Punches also brings more Faction, Mission, and Scenario cards to the gameplay, which add variety and variability to each play.
With the addition of this expansion, the changes to the overall gameplay are subtle. The new abilities introduced by the Wasteland Board elevate the strategic options presented by the game. For example, one of the actions, Ravin Sanctuary, allows players to either reassign the First Player marker, therefor changing the turn order for the next round, or take a Protection Token to be placed around a die on their own Faction Board, making it off-limits to any other player/City/Wasteland abilities. Just some new ways in which players can manipulate dice, their opponents, and even the entire flow of the game! Plus the new Factions, Missions, and Scenarios just provide more variety of choices for your gameplay.
Official recommendation: Is it absolutely necessary to get Roll with the Punches? Technically, no. But it does elevate the gameplay by bringing new components, variety, and strategic options into the game. I think that the base game by itself stands up, but having Roll with the Punches helps bolster it and create a more engaging gameplay experience. If you’ve tried Dicetopia and liked it, or maybe found it a little simple for your liking, I encourage you to add in Roll with the Punches. It might surprise you!
