Cute, spooky fun: keep, sweep, or reap all the souls!
So we were walking around the tabletop area at PAX East this year when these cute little skeleton-like dudes caught my eye. A smaller independent developer, Jason Anarchy Games, set up a booth to show off various smaller games, one more popular being Drinking Quest. However, I kept coming back time and time again to his newer game called REAP. The skeletons were just too adorable.
The rules looked interesting, and it was a quick game, which I often look for to get my friends to play more games. Unfortunately, because I never bit the bullet and purchased it, the game sold out on Friday! There were still two days left of PAX! Luckily, they offered a coupon code to order online.
In REAP, you are a grim reaper, trying to reap nine souls to win the game. Each round you are a different, silly, modern-day reaper with different souls they wish to reap. Bet the highest, and you will win those souls! Let’s dive into the specifics of the Kickstarter version I bought, which adds a few things to the mix.
Mechanics: Bidding, Foresight, Secrecy
ART: 4/10
The style is cartoony, silly skeleton reapers with a vibrant, solid, high-contrast color palette. What I love the most is how hilarious the reaper’s flavor text is. The punny death jokes are hysterical and add so much to the vibe while playing. The depiction of these punny reapers is spot on. I don’t think I’ve laughed this much while playing a game before (*read the unique category).
One thing I noticed comparing the website to my copy of the game, the soul cards are much different. In my game, the color choices feel more subdued, and the design is more of a Rorschach ink splotch. On the website, the soul colors are more vibrant and have types (such as grumpy) which adds more to the storytelling component. I don't know which version has those better soul cards. Odd since I have the Kickstarter edition.
The art style drew my eye as I often like simplistic (and cute) designs, but it’s not for everyone. For some, this style probably isn’t enough to get someone to buy the game. The feeling I get is, “Hey, it’s a local artist with some pretty cool graphics; I’ll check it out.”
STORYTELLING: 2/10
Do puns count? The one-sentence story per reaper is pretty funny. We are reapers trying to move across the world, collecting souls of various kinds. Sure, I get it. Why there are only five kinds of souls and of the colors chosen, that I do not know. With the game being so quick, there’s not much of a story to tell. I’m usually focused on getting as many souls per turn as possible.
There’s no rhyme or reason for collecting souls of a particular color, so it is based on your current reaper for a given round. I’m not even sure the colored soul a given reaper has an affinity for is relevant to his flavor. Every game has a “story,” but don’t expect much from this one.
COMPONENTS: 5/10
All the Kickstarter version adds is a set of components for a fifth player and a nice cloth board with reaper artwork to place the 3x3 grid of souls. I am a huge fan of cloth maps; just check out my Dragoon review!
The cards in this game are small souls and extra-large reaper squares, which feel unique compared to other games. The downside is that they are harder to shuffle. Each player's meeple is a cloaked wooden figure with a reaper printed on them, which is nice given that many games lack printing the character on the meeple.
Each player also receives three skull tokens for bidding, which are small, wooden, black tokens with a skull printed on them. Though small, they are not colored to match the player’s reaper meeple. Yes, players should remember their chosen color, but it would be much easier if the skull tokens matched.
The box for the game has a nice texture on the outside and, most importantly, has a slot for everything to fit nicely inside. Overall, the meeples win over my soul (pun intended).
COMPLEXITY: 3/10
This game is extremely simple to explain and play. You can either move, swap souls, or steal souls: Reap, Sweep, or Keep. I do not recommend playing this with two players. The strategy completely goes out the window, there is no interaction, and all you do is sweep.
However, the complexity increases when playing with four players (I have yet to try with three or five, but I’m sure five is the most fun). Since there are five soul colors, the likelihood that you will be betting against another player for souls is much higher. This adds a whole layer of complexity where you must think about what your opponents will do and plan accordingly. Maybe hanging out on a highly sought-after soul color is the wrong idea. Perhaps you should try to reap a different type of soul this round.
Though the age says 14+, that is often a legality issue and not the actual recommended age. You can play this with some younger folk as it is straightforward and can enhance their critical thinking skills.
TRAVEL-FRIENDLY: 9/10
Pretty small box with minimal components, and it also doesn’t take up any real estate to play. You could probably contain the components in a bag if you didn’t want to carry around the box.
This is definitely going to be coming with me on my travels with more people. I can also see myself bringing this to breweries for a few rounds! I’ll touch on this later, but I recommend bringing it along if you have at least three or more players.
UNIQUENESS: 8/10
I can honestly say I haven’t played a game like this. Its play is extremely simple, yet nothing comes to mind. Reap, Sweep, & Keep are all actions that can be seen across many games, but secretly determining your actions in advance and then playing them out in turn order is really innovative. You usually take actions that react to your opponent’s decisions. But in REAP, you are doomed with what you chose and adapt as best as possible.
Also, the fact that I actually laugh when reading these reaper cards makes this stand out compared to other games I have played. Sure, Cards Against Humanity has its moments, but REAP is a strategy game that incorporates humor subtly but perfectly.
Final Comments
This game was a real shocker. We were delighted to have played this first with four players. Playing with two was not as enjoyable and took maybe five minutes to play. I can’t see playing with three being that much better. But with four or five players, this game is a blast.
The strategy has a unique balance of collecting the most souls despite what your friends might be scheming, playing cutthroat, and foiling their plans. Sure, the odds play a huge factor, and sometimes your strategy falls flat, but with a game this short, it’s hard to feel salty after losing. Like Love Letter, instead, you just play again and again!
Similar To: Set, Chess, Checkers
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Publisher: Jason Anarchy Games
Game(s) Pictured: REAP (Kickstarter Edition)
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