Gameplay
In this game you try to become the successor of the Timeless King by progressing up four victory tracks. You compete not only with your opponents, but also with time! This is a real-time workerplacement game. When the timer flips you may take your action, IF you placed your worker there in time!
There are 4 rounds and after each round there is a council phase in which you will get rewards based on how much votes you collected. After the fourth council phase the game ends and the player with the most victory points wins the game.
Thoughts
This game is epic! It does come with some timepressure, I'm not quite sure whether I find it stressful or whether this is exactly what makes this game so great. Last time I played it we were like WOW! this is SO exhilarating! 🤩 But I also can see how this might not be a game for everyone since you need to be fairly quick in your decision-making.
I have read a lot of reviews of pendulum, all with (very) different viewpoints. In my view this game has some solid workerplacement and enginebuilding mechanisms and it works really fluently with the timers.
The story of the game, the succession of the Timeless King, doesn't really show itself to me in the game or the artwork. However, I do think the component quality and artwork are very well done.
Also good to mention is the solovariant is very good. I'm amazed how they designed an automa based on a real-time game that works so well!
I'm definitely not done figuring this game out since the time element feels new to me and there is a lot to explore.
Also check my let's talk about story series about Pendulum in my story highlights on IG!
A copy of this game was provided to me by Stonemaier Games for the purpose of writing this review. My opinion however remains my own.
BGG
Buy me a Ko-fi
