Chapter 1
Although I love the challenge of a ridiculously complex Euro game, sometimes you just want to break open a gentle and breezy game like Cascadia: Rolling Hills. It’s a similarly themed roll-and-write version of the original Cascadia, but with different gameplay and a smaller, portable footprint.
I’m rather partial to having games with me when I’m out and about, just in case I have both the time and willing partner(s) to play, preferably to accompany a coffee or a glass of wine. These games have to pack down small, be easy to put out and tidy away, and be quick to play. Does Cascadia: Rolling Hills fit the bill? And is it any good? Let’s find out.
Chapter 1
Although I love the challenge of a ridiculously complex Euro game, sometimes you just want to break open a gentle and breezy game like Cascadia: Rolling Hills. It’s a similarly themed roll-and-write version of the original Cascadia, but with different gameplay and a smaller, portable footprint.
I’m rather partial to having games with me when I’m out and about, just in case I have both the time and willing partner(s) to play, preferably to accompany a coffee or a glass of wine. These games have to pack down small, be easy to put out and tidy away, and be quick to play. Does Cascadia: Rolling Hills fit the bill? And is it any good? Let’s find out.
Components
A roll-and-write should have good dice. This game has good dice. All wooden, with curved edges, and animal images painted, rather than stuck on. There are four big communal ones, and two small ones for each person, player count being 1-4.
The habitat, discount and completion cards are of decent quality, with colourful graphics and clear instructions; the score sheets are the same. And that’s it, making Cascadia: Rolling Hills very quick to set up and tear down.
Gameplay
In a nutshell, one turn entails rolling dice, claiming one type of animal displayed on the dice, then if possible, spending from your supply of animals to complete habitat cards. Habitat cards allow you to mark off hexes on your score sheet, which trigger bonuses and points. After 20 rounds, the animal fun ends and points are tallied. A game lasts 30-45 minutes.
Before I delve a little deeper into the mechanics, I’ll talk a little about the theme of the game. Those familiar with the original Cascadia will know that the game comprises five types of animal (bear, elk, fox, hawk, salmon), and five types of habitat (mountain, forest, prairie, wetland, river). These are mirrored in Cascadia: Rolling Hills. They don’t operate in the same way, so it’s not necessary to have played the original game, but for those who have, it’s a lovely piece of thematic continuity.
In Cascadia: Rolling Hills, three of the communal dice and your two personal ones will either show one animal or a choice of two. The remaining one, called the central special die, may show animals – but it might instead give a special action such as re-rolling your personal dice, or reducing the cost of manipulating the result.
You can claim one type of animal that has been rolled. If for example, the four central and your two personal dice show three foxes, two hawks and an elk, you can claim any one of the three, the value equal to the number of dice showing the animal. The tally sheet is used to keep track of these. It’s very old school, and very satisfying. In this example, if I took two hawks and I already had three, I’d simply cross out the ‘3’ and write ‘5’ in the next box to the right.
You can manipulate one type of animal to one of another two (e.g., foxes to hawks, or foxes to elk) by spending nature tokens, which are earned by completing habitat cards or from bonuses on your score sheet.
Once you’ve marked off your animals, you have the option of completing a habitat card. Up to four are available, with a corresponding discount or completion card from which extra benefits can be gained before or after, respectively. Pay the cost displayed (e.g., three elk, two hawks and two salmon) and reduce the amounts on your tally sheet. Mark off hexes on your score sheet – the quantity and landscape are detailed on the habitat card – and gain any immediate bonuses.
Considerations
This is a very solitaire-esque game. There is no player interaction, and nothing you do affects any other player and vice versa. One of my friends described it as ‘animal admin,’ which I suppose it is in a way, but then most roll-and-write games could be similarly described as such. It doesn’t detract from my enjoyment of the game, but it is worth considering depending on your own personal preference.
However, this means it is a very friendly game, which is something I particularly like. There’s no gaming or tactics to block another player, as multiple players can complete the same habitat card at the end of a round. What’s more, as each card remains in play for four rounds, you can complete it again up to three more times. Gameplay happens simultaneously, which is another boon. No downtime means that rounds are completed quickly, especially in the initial stages where habitat cards are less likely to be claimed. 20 rounds sounds a lot, but it flashes by in the blink of an eye.
Cascadia: Rolling Hills also has a family-friendly version that removes the central special die and dice actions, as well as solo scenarios and achievements to make single-player more enticing. There are four distinct kinds of score sheet of differing complexity, but instead of being evenly split, the simplest one is more abundant. That one is great for learning how to play, but after a couple of games it’s a little too simplistic. I think a better split would have been to have more of the middle difficulty ones. Nevertheless, there are a lot of score sheets, so unless you’re playing all the time, this probably won’t be an issue.
As a game to play at home or at a meet, it’s small, easy to teach and learn, and quick to get going with. As one to take to a café or pub with you, it works, but it’s not as compact as some. You’ll need space for four habitat and four completion cards, to roll the dice, and for a tally and score sheet per player. Interestingly, by using two copies or combining with Cascadia: Rolling Rivers, you can increase the player count to eight.
Final Thoughts
I really like this game. It’s thinky enough to give your brain a workout, but not so much that you can’t chat while playing, which alleviates the solitary nature of play. The animal and landscape theme of Cascadia: Rolling Hills is endearing, and the game is visually appealing and tactile.
