*Low to mid spoon – rating mid due to initial learning and potential for action selection AP.
STAG (Split Stone Games)
Designed and illustrated by J.J. Neville, STAG is a game about raising beetles from egg to champion, feeding them properly, and then sending them into the ring to fight for glory or split the spoils. Seven plays in a short space of time, at both two and three players, and we’re confident this is one for you if you like action programming, a theme with real teeth, and a proper tense “will they, won’t they” moment. There’s a full two player playthrough on our YouTube if you want to see it in motion.
The Rondel Holds the Whole Life Cycle
The board is gorgeous, and more importantly it earns its looks. The rondel houses the entire life cycle of your beetles, from larvae to pupae to a fully fed adult, with the middle ring rotating as the game goes on. Time your development right and you’ll score extra points along the way, as well as grabbing the pupae you need for end game scoring. It’s one of those boards where the state of it tells you the story of the game so far.
Five Actions a Round
Five actions. That’s it. But every single one feeds your income for the next round, so where you spend your time early decides how fast your beetles grow later. Each action tile has several options on it, and the central line decides which actions you actually take. You can also upgrade tiles for even more action economy, and an upgraded tile stays upgraded for the rest of the game.
Amy struggled with this bit, purely because it demands you plan several rounds ahead rather than going with the flow. If you’re the type who likes to react to the table, expect the first game to bite.
Our one piece of feedback: small icons on the tiles to show which side is the upgraded one would save a lot of flipping the tiles to check.
Beetles, Cards and Feeding
Each stage has its own requirements. Larvae cost you eggs to get onto your board. Pupae need ageing plus wood and water. Adults need ageing again, and then the feeding starts, with sap, fruit and nectar to gather before your beetle counts as ready.
The cards are lovely and multi use. Play one as a beetle on the board, tuck it to the left of your board for an ongoing ability, or tuck it to the right for extra income when it’s uncovered. Every card is beautifully illustrated, though we’d love to see the average size of each beetle printed on them.
When you pay eggs to play a larvae, you place the token on the matching beetle type, whether that’s mandibles, colouring or wingspan. Time the jump to the next stage so it matches, and you earn bonus points. Amy spent a few games making this harder than it needed to be by waiting for a perfectly matching pupae, when in fact you can grow your beetle into any pupae in front of the larvae. đ Different colours and types then feed into set collection scoring both during the game and at the end.
The Showdown
Five showdowns a game, and this is where STAG gets spicy. đ
It’s pure Golden Balls energy. Forage and split the points with your opponent, or fight and take the lot. Both players choose fight or forage with their token and reveal at the same time, and you’re actively encouraged to talk it out first and try to sway them your way. Sorry Liam.
Read the table right and you clean up with a juicy six pointer and a step up a track. Misjudge it and you go home with nothing but a dead beetle and a lost track. đ Each track gives you an in game benefit while you’re top of it, from bonus rewards when fighting to resource exchanges and extra cards, and they’re a vital source of end game points too.
Our Honest Take
Liam and I both really liked this one, which surprised us. The theme and description didn’t hook either of us going in, so we sat down fairly neutral and came away won over.
The prototype components already feel great in hand, the beetle art is detailed and full of character, and the gameplay is properly fleshed out rather than a clever idea looking for a game. Every action is a real decision, and it rewards you for reading your opponent like a book.
Whilst the Kickstarter is funded and done with, you can do a late pledge here.
