Mercurial Preview

I am a big fan of fantasy. I love theories of how people believe the future will look, and one such common theme is that of terraforming and finding new places to pioneer. Now, I am obviously no scientist, so the logistics of actual terraforming or exploring foreign planets/systems are far beyond me. However, I understand simple concepts and can usually boogie with whatever is thrown at me. What if, then, I was presented with something a little more complex and convoluted? Could a game based on these themes still appeal to me and be good for my tastes?

Mercurial is a card drafting, deck building, hand management, set collection, dice game for one to four players. In it, players are tasked with collecting volatile and ever-changing elemental magicks from a newly-ravaged land. Players are mages tasked with combining the magicks to make something new and wonderful and powerful and destructive. The game ends once a player collects the appropriate number of Heroic cards per players in the game.

DISCLAIMER: We were provided a prototype copy of this game for the purposes of this review. These are preview copy components, and I do not know for sure if the final components will be any different from these shown. Also, it is not my intention to detail every rule in the game, as there are just too many. You are invited to download the rulebook, back the game through the Kickstarter campaign, or through any retailers stocking it after fulfillment. -T

Setup for this game is kind of a beast, so I will show a picture of my game setup on the table below. There are four types of cards, two types of currency gems, and about 300 icons to be learned. It is quite daunting at first, but after several plays, it starts to click. Each character chooses a player board with unique abilities and starting components. As shown below (for two players), the game is setup and ready to be played.

Along with an intense setup, the gameplay is also very confusing upon first play. Of course that is due to interesting takes on mechanics and a theme that is very specific and lofty. Immensely boiled down, the game plays in this fashion.

Mercurial is played over a series of rounds where each player takes a turn in order. Players will all roll their dice to represent the elemental magicks they currently have farmed. On a player’s turn they may either Take & Play or Cast. When someone Takes & Plays, they may take a new Skill Alteration card (which allows conversions of magicks to other types), one Acuity (one of the two “mana” type currencies), all exhausted Alteration cards to hand, or one Spell card (which require dice or currency to be assigned atop it once played). Usually cards played will allow players to acquire more components, convert them to other types, or even allow the player to re-roll their dice results.

Once the player has one or more Spell cards in their personal tableau, they may opt to Cast their Spell cards. All Spells are cast simultaneously to add either a Ruin value or a Restore value. These values cancel each other, so the net value of all Ruin vs. Restore values is what the player receives in order to recruit a Heroic card (needed to trigger end-game) or an Arcana (boss) card.

When a player is finished with these steps they setup their area for the next turn until all players have passed. Then another round starts with rolling dice and the process begins again. When the Heroics total has been met, all other players take one last turn to Cast Spells to bump their final score. The player with the most VP from Heroics, Prestige (VP tokens), Arcana cards, and a couple other sources is the winner of Mercurial!

Components. Again, this is a prototype copy of the game, but it is already in great shape! I would think a few tweaks here and there, a completed rule book, and an insert is all that might be needed to be retail ready. But of course I am not the designer, so there may be other component upgrades or replacements coming to which I am not privy. That said, if it shipped similar to this copy, I would be pretty happy with it.

For me and mine, this game was a struggle initially. There are 32 icons on the back of the rule book on its reference sheet, and a few of the functions of the iconography as well. The game comes, at least in this iteration, with very little to absolutely no text on them, having players required to be familiar with the iconography. Now, we play a lot of games, but this one throws a LOT of new terminology and iconography out at the players. This may be a turn-off for some, or a distinct and wonderful challenge for others. Take that for what it’s worth, and keep your AP-prone friends away from this one perhaps.

On the other hand, if you are willing to really learn this game and all the terms and icons, you will be rewarded with some solid play and absolutely gorgeous artwork. If you like thinky games where you are crunching numbers quite a bit, boy do I have a recommendation for you! Mercurial gives my brain a thorough workout, and I both hate and thank the designer, David Goh, for that. I was quite unprepared for what this box gave me, and have spent many moments deciphering my most optimal moves, and I am typically more of a fly-by-the-seat-of-my-pants-and-see-what-happens kind of gamer, so that is saying something.

Yes, there are hurdles to overcome to truly appreciate the game, but like I said, if you are up to it, you will certainly be rewarded for your efforts. Mercurial is a great little game sporting some simply amazing artwork and a bevvy of decisions to be made on each and every turn. Should you continue to collect resources or start using and combining Spells in hopes of recruiting a Heroic? Should you use the secondary ability on the Alteration cards to re-roll some dice or use the primary ability which is arguably way better? Is that a Water or a Myst icon? So many questions run through my head every time I play this, and when I need a cranial workout, you bet I will be heading to my shelf to grab Mercurial. All I need now is to figure out the solo Prodigy Mode so I can just hoard it to myself! Mwahahahahahahaha!

If this sounds like a game you need on your table, then back the game through the Kickstarter campaign!