Not all is peaceful on the planet, Ryh, trouble is brewing and conflict is inevitable.

2-5 Players 120-240 Minutes Age: 12+

Designers: S J Macdonald, Zach Smith

Artist: Sam Phillips

Publisher: Garphill Games

Once More Unto the Breach

Sam McDonald’s Circadians: First Light gave birth to an entirely new sci-fi setting populated by a multitude of alien lifeforms and focused on the Circadians, who are essentially the human analogues in this universe, as they explored the galaxy and encountered the world of Ryh, which it turns out, was already spoken for. While the first game and its follow up second edition took the form of a dice placement game where players negotiated, constructed and gathered resources to secure victory, Circadians: Chaos Order is an altogether different beast. What sets this latest offering from Garphill Games apart from its predecessor? Let’s explore!

Cry Havoc and Let Slip the Dogs of War

Circadians: Chaos Order, a collaboration between Sam McDonald and Zach Smith, is an area control game for 2-5 players in which the core gameplay revolves around six mysterious relics that that have erupted from the panel’s surface. Each faction is attempting to secure as many of these relics as possible, making them essential targets to capture and control. Ignoring these objectives would prove deleterious, therefore, ensuring you are working towards obtaining the relics will, at the very least, keep your foot in the game even if things aren’t always going according to plan. At higher player counts, the game becomes even more aggressive, so be prepared engage in frequent battles. The area control aspects are kept tightly reigned in with a limited play area that encourages almost immediate conflict even at low player counts, meaning players can expect to get right down to it within the first couple of rounds and from there, things continue to escalate in the best possible sense. The higher the player count, the more aggressive the game becomes. Games last for six rounds but can end sooner if the right conditions are met which can depend on the factions involved. Each of the game’s six factions provide an entirely asymmetrical play experience with their own scoring conditions, strengths and weaknesses. This asymmetry is nothing new in recent years as games like Root, Scythe and others have conditioned players to accept, if not expect, unique, mechanically distinct factions in their games. So much so, that it would feel antiquated if a game involving any sort of conflict did not offer such choices. Chaos Order continues this trend while managing to maintain a stylish and effective balance between the different species. None of them boast an unfair advantage over the others so choosing a side that appeals best to your play style is an ideal place to start.

All the World's a Stage, and All the Men and Women Merely Players

Resource management is an essential part of any strategy in Chaos Order, with two main resources, energy and crystals making up the core economy. These resources are used to pay for actions which are priced by the players, in order, at the beginning of each round. Players then pay the player who set the price for that action when they use it. This decision can be used strategically to either gain several smaller payments by setting a lower price point, or discouraging opponents from using that action by setting the price high. Actions are taken by all players sequentially every round. Chaos Order has heavy Euro influences which favours efficient action and resource management. Being priced out of the market in a given round can result in missing out on an action which can sting, even actions that don’t feel essential in the moment have the potential to be damaging later in the game, so maintaining your economy is vital and you’ll need to make more than a few hard choices before the game is done.

Doubt Thou the Stars are Fire; Doubt that the Sun Doth Move

Each faction brings something different and interesting to the table. Each one is a joy to play and as I mentioned earlier, finding one that appeals to your play style should set you on course during your first couple of play throughs. But it’s not just about learning the ins and outs of your own faction Knowing thy enemy will give you the edge and aid you in making informed decisions during play. Thankfully, each faction comes with a double sided player aid that not only helps players set up their pieces and prepare for play but provides vital information about how best to play your faction as well as how to play against you. If possible, sharing these aids around the table before a game will help familiarise players and give them some idea of what to expect and how to handle themselves against their opponents. This asymmetry extends itself to the scoring, as each race has their own faction-specific scoring track attuned to their style of play. so whether it be combat, research or area control, each faction is encouraged to pursue their own path to victory.

These Violent Delights Have Violent Ends

Circadians: Chaos Order represents the next chapter in the Circadian’s journey, expanding the lore of the world of Ryh and is inhabitants. There’s just the right amount of back story provided to give players a sense of who each of these peoples are and what drives them. I welcome any world building as it gives me a deeper understanding of the themes of a game and helps me to make sense of why certain sides play and score the way they do. For instance, the Circadians themselves are the only faction that don’t have a starting region, instead relying on their drop ship to position and reinforce areas of the planet. Given their backstory, this mechanic makes perfect sense and its great to see these elements having greater influence on the game than just a few lines of flavour text in the rule book. Circadians: Chaos Order borrows heavily from the best that Euro games have to offer, relying on skill and strategy rather than luck based mechanics. There are still dice rolls involved in combat, but these are minimal and must be paid for with gems in order for a player to roll them and add the result to their combat strength. The rest relies on learning how the factions play, developing clever strategies, effective economic management and a decent level of strategic thinking. This game doesn’t hold your hand, but it does reward you when you can pull it together to secure a win! Featuring area control, hand management, worker placement, and action drafting there’s a lot to unpack in Chaos Order and inexperienced players could easily feel overwhelmed particularly if they are used to some of Garphill Games earlier, more approachable offerings like Raiders of the North Sea and Architects of the West Kingdom.

There is Nothing Either Good or Bad, but Thinking Makes it So

Which brings us to a one of my two criticisms, the first being, the complexity. While I enjoy heavier games, players could find themselves believing they’re in for more friendly, light-hearted gameplay such as that offered in Circadians: First Light. But to anyone familiar with Garphill Games, you know they’re not content to rest on their well earned laurels, they continue to push the boundaries of gameplay, finding new and interesting ways to surprise and delight their fan base. As such, Circadians: Chaos Order could be just as veterans have come to expect, a deeper, crunchier and more seasoned offering. For newcomers though, they may find themselves at odds with the colourful art work and inviting sci-fi theme playing second fiddle to a very mature and mechanically demanding game.

The second point is that of game length. A two player game can easily last 2 hours, even more if players are struggling, which they likely will for their first few games. By the time you push the player count up to the maximum five players, you could easily be playing for a good 4 to 5 hours. Again, nothing wrong with a long haul game, just be aware of what you’re getting into before pulling it off the shelf for your game group.

Doth Mother Know Thou Weareth Her Drapes?

As far as art and components go, what more can I say other than Garphill Games continues to deliver with a massive array of bits and bobs, from a custom insert and individual boxes for each faction featuring their own art work, to the custom dice, combat wheels and double-sided game board, all lovingly accented with colourful wooden meeples of varying shapes and sizes, particularly the hefty Relic meeples that work wonderfully to keep players’ eyes on the prize! The rest will be familiar if you’ve played First Light or any of Garphill Games other titles. In short, lots of stuff and all of it glorious and with purpose.

I Like This Place and Could Willingly Waste my Time in It

This land is my land, this land is…. also mine.

Circadians: Chaos Order represents a bold new direction in Garphill Games line up, they’ve slowly been winding that complexity knob with each release, almost conditioning players to gradually push themselves in new and interesting directions and this latest box of thrills doesn’t disappoint for a moment. Its not for everyone, the game is a heavy, complex beast, it demands focus and attention but it you’re willing to put in the time to learn it, then I have no doubt you’ll be satisfied with the results. I’d go so far as to say Chaos Order is one of Garphill Games’ finest developments but it may not reach the heady heights of their North Sea or West Kingdoms series due to its play length alone. I feel this one will find a more niche audience but one that will remain loyal and spread the word. If it wasn’t already obvious enough before, Garphill Games means business and Circadians: Chaos Order just kicked your door in!

Thanks for reading! Are you excited for Circadians: Chaos Order? We’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments below and you’re welcome to join our awesome game community on Above Board’s Facebook page where you can engage in discussions about your favourite games and be kept informed of future content coming to Above Board.

Wheel, wheel, wheel, what do we have here?

*Special thank you to Garphill Games for providing Above Board with a copy of Circadians: Chaos Order for review!

Circadians: Chaos Order Review