The games critic to be wrong with
Articles about Reiner Knizia, acclaimed German designer behind Tigris and Euphrates, High Society and Samurai.
Knizia’s Modern Art has seen no less than 28 different editions from all over the world. Some of them, like the one released by CMON, or the most recent one by Dicetree are quite beautiful. Perhaps, a little too much. The inclusion of famous artists, like Munch, Picasso and Cezanne, over the parodies found in the original has a profound impact on the game’s message and heavily undermines its brilliant satire.
The Lord of the Rings is not a story of war. At its core, it’s not even a story of orcs, elves or magicians but one of sacrifice and friendship. Knizia’s adaptation of the literary classic is the only game I’ve played that truly recognizes this fact. Through its mechanics, it reflects the difficult journey of the novel and how only cooperation could overcome such dire odds.
Reiner Knizia is not a designer known for his strong themes. Most of his designs feature only the flimsiest of justifications for their settings and are rightly regarded as abstracts. And yet, there’s a satirical side to him. In his 1995 classic High Society, we take the role of twenty century socialites willing to waste our riches in the pursuit of status, clout and appearances.
