Mini-Guide: Small World 2

LQ: 9.0

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Brain grade: 9.0
Fun score: 9.0

Game Type: , ESRB Rating: Everyone Platform/Console: , , , , LWK Recommended Age: 8+ Thinking Skills Used: , Academic Skills Used:

Android | iOS | Steam

Small World 2, based on the board game Small World and its expansions, is an area control game in which players take on the roles of rising civilizations, composed of fantasy creatures such as Orcs, Elves, and Trolls. Players must manage their species, moving them across the board and taking control of certain areas, to get the most points. Eventually, each species will need to be put “In Decline,” meaning they are set aside and a new species is chosen, while what remains of the previous species continues to net a player points. Each species is paired up with a random secondary ability each game, lending the game lots of variety, further supported by the options provided by Small World 2‘s expansions. Small World 2 is rated E for Everyone; LW4K recommends this game for players who are eight years old and up.


THIS GAME IS GOOD FOR KIDS WHO NEED HELP WITH:

Planning

Developing a systematic approach for setting and achieving goals.

When choosing a species, players should be looking at the board and planning out how they want to use that species, keeping in mind the abilities associated with it and the ways that you can move it across the board. This can also be an opportunity to pick a counter species to what your opponent is using, potentially, using their own strengths against them. Eventually, a player will have to plan for when a species goes "In Decline," which leaves the player open to potential attacks from opponents. It is important to plan when this occurs and which species will be picked on their following turn is highly important to consider.

Self-Control

Managing our actions, feelings, and behaviors.

Players will often want to use one species for the whole game, growing attached to the hardiness of Elves or Skeletons. This may not be the best strategy, however, as opponents will be able to find ways to circumvent that choice over time. Additionally, while seemingly powerful, these species may not net a player many points in the long-run. Having the self-control to know when to put a species "In Decline" can make the difference between a win and a loss. Additionally, a player may sometimes have to spend coins, aka victory points, to get one of their desired species. While it may seem easy to pay up to get one's favorite species, having the self-control to work with a less appealing set-up but save a few points is also encouraged here.

Reading

Each species and ability has an explanation attached to it explaining how it works. These can be rather lengthy, needing to detail the uses of the ability. Because of this, there is a fair amount of text that needs to be read through when learning the game. While some of these terms can be specific to gaming, many of overviews use words that people often say in conversation. This will give players more exposure to these terms, allowing them to grow as readers.

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