Game: Tiny Epic Mechs

• Publisher: Gamelyn Games
• Designed by: Scott Almes
• Illustrated by: Roland MacDonald
• 1-4 players
• 30-60 minutes
• Ages 14+

Collect. Deploy. Collect. Deploy. These were the choices I had planned. Then she came in. I knew that our opposing views on football were not going to be the only conflict this day. This Cleveland guy was about to get wrecked by his Pittsburgh-loving wife… She started off with a pulse pistol. Health was running low. I returned fire with my grenade launcher but it was too late. She knocked me out. It was the same old story: Boy wants mech, boy gets mech, and boy loses mech.

So it’s the Year 3030. E-Sports and Virtual Reality are no longer exciting for the masses. What does excite them is that raw energy of man and machine battling against each other in the arena. People are plugging in so they can see the chaos ensue. This is Tiny Epic Mechs from Gamelyn Games.

In Tiny Epic Mechs you are in the arena facing your opponents while deploying mines and turrents. This game is considered a programming style of game. What that means is that you will pick your actions and hide them, revealing them one at a time. Each action may lead to disaster as you don’t know your enemies turns until they reveal theirs. This can lead to chaos on the battlefield.

This isn’t just about battling in the arena. This game features area control. Everytime you place a turret or mine, you have the chance to move up in points. During the six rounds you play, your turrets and mines will score. You will score these on the second, forth and sixth round.

The battle map is randomized as each two to four player experience will be different. There are different set-ups for each which has you place your arena cards down in different location as well as the base for each player.

As for the Mechs, you have a chance to jump into one as you power up by paying five credits. You will start with one basic weapon, but you can use your credits and energy collected to purchase advanced weapons. Weapons will vary from Ranged, Area and Melee. These weapons can counter and give an extra boost to an attack. Think of it as Rock, Paper, Scissors. As each attack does damage, the players score goes up. Whoever has the most victory points by the end of the sixth round wins!

Components

Lets start with the Meeples. The customization of them is unique and something we would expect from Gamelyn. Each Meeple can hold a maximum of two basic weapons, the mech with two basic and two advanced, and the Mighty Mech with four advanced weapons. The advanced weapons are varied and no two are the same.

This player cards are a great reference and the playable characters have a nice two sided look with each player going into their new mech. Then there are the wooden pieces. These have a nice little detail that makes this game just above and beyond. The mines have numbering on them and the heart for your life even has a little heartbeat. These are nice touches.

Our family’s thoughts on Tiny Epic Mechs

Abigail, 12: The one thing I like is the characters. Wasp is my favorite. I like how each has a separate ability and how they look cool. Something I don’t like is how long it is. Six Rounds is too long. If people are slow, it’s not the games fault, but six rounds is too long. One part of me doesn’t like it that you don’t know what other people will move when you choose your own moves, because it can mess up your whole plan. Another part of me likes it because it is unpredictable and can make for an interesting game. The weapons. I like how you start off the basic, but all the other ones (advanced) are completely different and something nobody else has. I like that you can damage someone if you set a mine or turret where someone else has planned to move, then you don’t even need to go in their area. I also like that you can put a mine in an area that could knock them out in one move. Four Rounds would be better. Recommendation: Try it.

Beth: I don’t like attaching all the weapons as I think it is cumbersome. I get why some would enjoy it though. I liked the unpredictability of the moves in relation to the other players. It added some excitement to it. I liked having to strategize what weapons to choose based on what others may use against me, that only certain weapons can counter others. I think the mines and turrets are generally there for points, as players can avoid risking them. Recommendation: Try it.

Chris: I’m impressed with how much game comes in a small box. The meeples customization and the randomness of the board can change the way you play. I also enjoy that the player character I choose has a skill that may help me in battle or take less damage from mines/turrets. Recommendation: Buy It!

Daniel, 11: I like deploying mechs and turrets and that you can purchase weapons. It’s fun that you can upgrade into a giant mech. Recommendation: Buy It!

Elijah, 8: I like putting the weapons on the meeples and the Mech suits. Like the Kitty card, because it’s named Kitty. Daddy helped me with getting the Giant Mech Suit. Liked the turrets and powerups.  (He had a hard time focusing and thinking the steps ahead of time.) Recommendation: Try it.