Logic & Lore Review

You ever sit down with a game and you’re immediately dreading playing it? Like, you’re not sure what this game has in store, but you’re pretty sure you’re not going to like it?

I usually have that with ladder climbing games, or yet another game set in space. Sometimes I can pick up on vibes from the artwork, or maybe from a poorly written rulebook. There are just some things that, after a little over 2,800 different play sessions under my belt, I know won’t make me happy.

And I must confess, that’s how I felt with Logic & Lore. It’s not that I don’t like the publisher – I’m a big fan of Weird Giraffe Games and I own several of their titles. I also like the artwork – the cards look really nice and almost mystic. I really like the foil treatment on the cards – so shiny!

Depth and Simplicity

As I think about it more, though, maybe it was the artwork. There’s not a lot going on with this game – you really just need 27 cards to play the base game. So maybe I thought the game was trying too hard – overproducing the cards to cover up a shallow gaming experience.

As I read the rules, I started to get even more worried. You’re just trying to get the cards on your side in the right order? That doesn’t sound like much of a challenge. I mean, couldn’t I just ask which is greater than the other, then put them in the right spot and move down the line? Maybe they were overproducing – as a distraction!

So when I finally got this game to the table with Ryan, I thought this would be a quick run-through, take a few photos, and then submit a nice but shallow review that is complimentary, but doesn’t go into too much depth to avoid exposing the game for what it really is.

And then I played it. And now I’ve got to try and come up with a new phrase to capture this moment.

“Don’t judge a game by its card art.”

“Appearances (especially foil stamping) can be deceiving.”

“Just because it walks like an overproduced game and quacks like an overproduced game doesn’t mean it’s an overproduced game.”

Now don’t get me wrong – at its core, Logic & Lore is a simple game. You really are just trying to get your cards in order, and you’re doing so by asking your opponent simple questions.

But there’s some unexpected strategy in there that comes from the dragons. You see, you’re only allowed to ask questions on which you have placed your dragon tokens. Which is great, except that when you get a card in the right spot, you lose two of your dragon tokens.

Dragons and Mice, Oh My!

Now you might be thinking, Why are the tokens dragons? I’m not really sure. There’s mice on the cover, too. Don’t know what they’re up to.

But you might also be thinking, Why does this matter? Can’t you just put your token right back where it was on a future turn? Not so fast! You see, each question can only be occupied by one dragon token. So if you’ve got a favorite question, or a question that would definitely get you to an answer, all your opponent has to do is cover it up with one of their own tokens.

It’s like a mind game in a mind game. You’re going to be strategizing to figure out the best way to put all of those cards of yours in order. But you also have to keep your opponent from being able to do so efficiently. So now, choosing a question can be difficult. Do you select a question that will help you get to answer, or do you sacrifice a bit for this turn so that you block your opponent for their future turns?

These mind games take this seemingly simple guessing game into real mind game territory. And I love that it’s only for two people. Sure, you could recreate some of the same mechanics with more folks. But you would definitely lose something without having that tense, head-to-head matchup.

Final Thoughts

The game comes with a crazy number of descriptions for different ways to play. Unfortunately, these are described on cards instead of in the rulebook. I wish this was not the approach, as I feel like some of the new game descriptions are a bit unclear because they’re trying to fit onto a card. It’s also just maybe a bit unnecessary. I’m sure there’s some reason related to production as to why they did it this way, but it’s just not my favorite. That being said, I’m still excited to try some of these new gameplay offerings soon!

If you’re in the market for a new two-player game, then you should certainly consider Logic & Lore. It’s not for everyone – if you don’t enjoy having to think a lot, maybe try Guess Who? instead. But for a nice brain burner that doesn’t spend too much time on the table, this is a good one.

You can purchase Logic & Lore from your local game store or online through Amazon today.

This game was provided to us by the publisher for review. Read more about our review policies at One Board Family.