In the Mythic Vale witches, wizards, and dragons live side by side. Their magic is strengthened by proximity, so plan carefully to make the Vale as strong as possible. Koven is a card game playable in 15 minutes or less. But, how strong can you make the Vale in only 15 minutes?

Well, that’s the question, isn’t it? Come with me to the Vale, and we shall see how well we succeed. Koven is a solo card game published by Logical Fox Games that takes about 10 minutes to play.

Gameplay Overview:

Koven is a solo only card game of sixteen cards. Cards are shuffled, and you draw two. Play one card into a 4 x 4 grid. Replenish your hand. Place your next card next to an existing card. Repeat until all 16 cards have been used. Once your grid is complete, you score based on sets of three (either character type or color) per row and column. There is one wild card for character and one wild card for color.

Box folds open with rules inside. This is now my favorite packaging ever!

Koven also contains two expansions. The Mythic Trials expansion adds 12 cards, each with a different scoring condition. Perhaps you need to score diagonals as well as rows and columns, or maybe no witch can be next to a dragon.

The Monster expansion adds six monster cards, which take up a space in the grid and then destroy another card in the grid. You only win this version by scoring 11 points after the monster removes a card from play. There’s also a ‘campaign’ mode in which you can attempt to defeat all six monsters in sequential games.

A little over halfway through a standard game. Things are looking good for now.

Game Experience:

Koven is fast, playing with deceptively simple rules. It’s a great game to play over morning coffee. It helps wake your brain up for the day ahead. Like a lot of games with ostensibly simple rules, I do better when I don’t overthink it. Trying to maximize points tends to back me into a corner I don’t even realize, and cost me points.

The Mythic Trials cards – I love the art in this game

I think that Koven realizes this, though. The score ranking gives you equally high status for exceptionally low scores as it does for high. Which adds an intriguing challenge. Can you really only score a single point? That takes more planning than scoring 15 (the maximum points). Clever.

The two expansions have equally simple rules and add just enough variety to keep the game from getting stale.

And let’s wrap up by talking about the packaging. This is brilliant, the card box opens flat (well as flat as a card box can ever open) with the instructions printed on the inside flaps. This is easily the most efficient packaging I have seen to date.

Final Thoughts:

Games don’t have to be complicated to be enjoyable. Nor do they have to be blinged out. Koven is a quick, simple, and thoroughly enjoyable game that is likely going to see a lot of play in those fifteen minutes while I wait for a TV show to start or guests to arrive. It’s the size of a standard deck of cards so the epitome of a portable game. Could probably even squeeze it on a plane tray table if so inclined. This one is a definite winner.

Final Score: 4 Stars  – Quick and easy without feeling aimless.

Hits:
• Brilliant packaging
• Bingeable
• Variety added by expansions

Misses:
• Dark color scheme
• Sleeved cards won’t fit back in the box