Tim Armstrong’s Imperial Miners is of a new style. It shares the approach of contemporary engine-builders Jump Drive and Earth, inverting the modern Euro paradigm of scarcity and instead offering abundance. This is a game that just buries you in gold and then sets you free to earn points. Refreshingly, it requires only a modest amount of effort to finance your strategy and construct a tableau. This instills a carefree experience that is simple and pleasing. Mining ain’t the hard life it used to be.
This game should be signposted with the disclaimer: “NO PLAYER INTERACTION.” It’s probably more effective to show you. Here is my definitive list of favorite interactive moments in Imperial Miners:
“You guys want to Grubhub Indian?”
“Hey, wait a sec. I gotta use the bathroom. I know the game’s almost over – no, I can’t hold it, mom.”
“I’m digging this playlist, but could we cut the Bjork and throw on ‘Gold Digger’?”
Right. There’s just nothing going on between participants here. That may be your jam. Maybe you don’t want a wrench stuck in your machine or your village burned unceremoniously to the ground for no apparent reason.
It doesn’t have a solo mode because it’s the same as the normal mode. It has one mode.
I’m someone who has a well-defined preference of highly interactive games. Yet, I love Jump Drive. I think Earth is one of the better releases of 2023. And I dig Imperial Miners.
These designs counter the dull and unbecoming play of low interaction games by distracting with benefits. I can’t dwell on the lack of dynamism because I’m too busy guzzling from the keg and standing on my head. It’s a very active experience and the constant reward doesn’t allow for reflection in the moment. For me, this style of game may not have the unrestrained highs at the zenith of the hobby, but they produce a very consistent floor that is always fulfilling.
This sense of satisfaction is due to generosity. This game in particular just bathes you in riches. Every once in awhile you may have to forego placing the best card in your mine because you don’t have enough gold, but you will certainly next turn. Mostly, it’s triaging your hand and deciding which combo to gamble on. You’re assessing risk and how likely you are to draw into more cards which work with a particular strategy. It’s typical to be stuck deciding between a tradeoff of explosiveness opposed by versatility. You will have more cards and more options than you need. Just like the fistful of options you stumble into in Earth, it’s almost as much about what you’re not playing as what you are.
It’s not really a “point salad” game. Every card you place in your mine will not score you points. It’s easy enough to get there, but there is a wide gulf between random and strategic play. Part of this is the clever activation system. As you place cards in your mine, it grows vertically in a downward trajectory. This mimics the descent of a mineshaft, transforming that notion into a cute tableau construction activity that supports the game’s bid for identity.
I find it amusing that we call this sort of mechanism thematic. It’s the same approach as the giraffe fauna objective in Earth that rewards you for building cards in a long vertical trajectory. You know, because those weird creatures have long necks. We often ascribe “theme” to these types of flourishes that are cute and invoke the game’s setting. I find this quality more like decoration, similar to the act of placing streamers or hanging a banner at a party. That’s fine, and I’d certainly rather have this technique than a bland and uninspired philosophy. I think it’s important, however, to not let the “thematic” adjective be reduced to an illusory role.
It does punch through somewhat due to how it leverages this detail. The mine taking shape in this way is not merely cosmetic. After you place a new card and activate its effect, you then travel northward towards the surface, triggering each adjacent card upward. This happens a card at a time, offering a series of actions that can synergize to produce an outrageous outcome. This is the combo wombo jig of engine building pulled together in a satisfying wrapper. It’s the game’s killer feature and what defines the impression you’re left with.
The second gratifying system is the inclusion of three tracks. Some effects will allow you to progress down a track of your choice and offer a reward depending on where you land. The more mundane spaces afford static values, such as gaining a victory point or awarding a card draw, but the more interesting positions dole out bennies based on other factors in your tableau. This could be how many cards with a certain clan symbol – basically the suit – you have, or how many cave-in tokens exist in your mine. There’s a neat decision point here on which tracks to push, and the variety is such that each play has a subset of the greater whole available.
This simple and direct track sequencing interlaces with the strong combo opportunities to produce a very pleasant engine builder. It’s a quick 30-minute play that is resilient and flexible, working at all player counts with no additional fuss. As stated earlier, it’s a very stable and reliable experience with a sturdy floor. But the ceiling is somewhat suppressed in comparison to the richer entries in the genre, such as Earth and Ark Nova. In fact, this lack of ambition is probably my only substantial criticism of the design.
My friend Grace smartly commented that “it does what it set out to do and doesn’t try to do more.” This game is comfortable and clean and doesn’t ask for much. Thus, it’s not going to challenge Robinson Crusoe as Portal’s most intriguing and imaginative title, but it’s also much more likely to find commercial success across a wide spectrum of interests. It stakes its claim entirely on the emotional highs of constant praise and treats, not allowing a moment for deeper reflection or boredom to creep in. And then, before you know it, it’s done.
A review copy of the game was provided by the publisher.
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Player Elimination 