Matthew BaileyGame 30# of the “Now & Then Summer Marathon 2024” is “Roll to the Top Journeys” played with Jack(9) and Katie.
“Roll to the Top Journeys” is a relatively simple roll-and-write game released by Allplay. This is actually a rerelease of a previous version of Roll to the Top, but one thing that sets this version apart from the others is the inclusion of whiteboard and wipe-clean sheets, which eliminates the inevitable stress of running out of paper sheets common in many roll-and-write games.
The gameplay is reasonably simple. You have five different dice: a D4, D6, D8, D12, and D20. You start the game by each taking one of the travel boards that feature destinations such as the Eiffel Tower or a province, with the objective being to completely fill all boxes at your location. You start the game by rolling all the exploration dice and keeping all of the even ones.
You then use the dice to put numbers into your location. These numbers can be taken directly from the dice or can be made by adding the numbers on the dice. The key restriction, however, is that any number must be the same as or higher than the numbers below it. This means that if you choose a high number early, it becomes incredibly difficult to fill up the rest of your board. In other words, you start low and then, as you go up, you can be slightly more generous with higher numbers. The twist is that you are racing against the other players, so if you are too cautious and only use low numbers, your opponents might reach the top before you.
It’s all about balance, and since nothing is hidden, looking over at your opponent’s board to see how they’re doing adds to the appeal. In addition to rolling the number dice, you also roll the change die. At the beginning of your turn, this allows you to add one die to the pool of your choosing, remove one die from the pool, choose whether you want to add or remove a die, or swap a die with one currently not in the pool. If, however, you are down to just one die, you must add a die, and if you have all five dice, you must subtract a die.
The components are really high quality. The box is done to a high standard, all of the boards are made of sturdy, shiny card, and the dice are nice. These are actually some of the nicest markers I have come across in this type of game. I am also particularly fond of the artwork, which fits the theme well. There is also a variant where you do the opposite and start with larger numbers, getting smaller as you go up. This variant is more difficult than it sounds because you are limited by only 20 numbers and can get stuck quite quickly. I like “Roll to the Top Journeys,” but I don’t absolutely adore it, largely because “Trek 12” offers a similar experience and has a lot in common with this game. Given the option between the two, I would choose “Trek 12” every day, and it is also cheaper. “Roll to the Top Journeys” is a nice, generally quiet “Roll to the Top Journeys” is a relatively simple roll-and-write game released by Allplay (formerly BoardGameTables.com). This is actually a rerelease of a previous version of Roll to the Top, but one thing that sets this version apart from the others is the inclusion of whiteboard and wipe-clean sheets, which eliminates the inevitable stress of running out of paper sheets common in many roll-and-write games.
Gameplay is reasonably simple. You have five different dice: a D4, D6, D8, D12, and D20. You start the game by each taking one of the travel boards that feature destinations such as the Eiffel Tower or a province, with the objective being to completely fill all boxes at your location.
You start the game by rolling all the exploration dice and keeping all of the even ones. You then use the dice to put numbers into your location. These numbers can be taken directly from the dice or can be made by adding the numbers on the dice. The key restriction, however, is that any number must be the same as or higher than the numbers below it. This means that if you choose a high number early, it becomes incredibly difficult to fill up the rest of your board. In other words, you start low and then, as you go up, you can be slightly more generous with higher numbers. The twist is that you are racing against the other players, so if you are too cautious and only use low numbers, your opponents might reach the top before you. It’s all about balance, and since nothing is hidden, looking over at your opponent’s board to see how they’re doing adds to the appeal.
In addition to rolling the number dice, you also roll the change die. At the beginning of your turn, this allows you to add one die to the pool of your choosing, remove one die from the pool, choose whether you want to add or remove a die, or swap a die with one currently not in the pool. If, however, you are down to just one die, you must add a die, and if you have all five dice, you must subtract a die.
The components are really high quality. The box is done to a high standard, all of the boards are made of sturdy, shiny card, and the dice are nice. These are actually some of the nicest markers I have come across in this type of game. I am also particularly fond of the artwork, which fits the theme well.
There is also a variant where you do the opposite and start with larger numbers, getting smaller as you go up. This variant is more difficult than it sounds because you are limited by only 20 numbers and can get stuck quite quickly.
I like “Roll to the Top Journeys,” but I don’t absolutely adore it, largely because “Trek 12” offers a similar experience and has a lot in common with this game. Given the option between the two, I would choose “Trek 12” every day, and it is also cheaper.
“Roll to the Top Journeys” is a nice, generally quite low-key game that you could definitely play with a wide variety of people. The kids enjoyed it, but with only one main mechanic, it did take a little longer to complete than I would have expected for a game with relatively few mechanics.
If I operated on some kind of grading system, this game would be the poster child for a B+. It is a solid, well-made game with fun mechanics and a beautiful box, but it is overshadowed by its nearest rival in my opinion. However, I know there are many out there who absolutely love this low-key game that you could definitely play with a wide variety of people.
