Scythe Review

Intro

Jamey Stegmaier's Scythe dropped into the board gaming world in 2016 and immediately grabbed everyone's attention. Set in an alternate 1920s Eastern Europe where giant mechs roam farmlands, it's part agricultural simulator, part territorial conquest game, and entirely captivating. This engine-building masterpiece accommodates 1-5 players and typically runs about two hours, though it can stretch longer with bigger groups or newer players. With ratings consistently hovering around 8.1 out of 10 across major platforms, it's clearly struck a chord. The complexity sits right in that sweet spot where experienced gamers feel challenged but newcomers aren't completely overwhelmed.

What makes Scythe stand out is how it weaves together farming, fighting, and faction-building into something that feels both epic and intimate. You're not just moving armies around a map. You're building an economic engine, making tough choices about resource allocation, and trying to balance expansion with efficiency. The dieselpunk aesthetic doesn't hurt either.

How It Plays

Each player controls a different faction with asymmetric abilities and starting positions. Your goal is to place six achievement stars on the board first, which you earn through various accomplishments like winning battles, maxing out power, or completing objectives. But here's the thing: how you get those stars matters just as much as when you get them, because your final score depends on the territories you control, resources you've gathered, and popularity you've built with the people.

The heart of the game lies in your player board, which shows four different action columns. Each turn, you pick one column and take both actions shown: a top action (like moving units or trading) and a bottom action (like recruiting workers or building structures). The genius is that these bottom actions upgrade your capabilities, making future turns more powerful. Move more units. Produce more resources. Fight more effectively.

Combat exists but it's not the bloodbath you might expect from a game with giant robots. Fighting costs precious resources and popularity, so every battle needs to justify itself. Most of the tension comes from area control and the implicit threat of those imposing mechs rather than constant warfare. You'll spend more time figuring out optimal production chains than planning military campaigns.

Highlights

The production values are absolutely stunning. Those chunky mech miniatures and the gorgeously illustrated board create an immediate sense of immersion. Jakub Rozalski's artwork brings this alternate history to life in ways that make you want to explore every hex. When you place that first mech on the board, you feel it.

Every faction plays differently enough that the game stays fresh across multiple sessions. The Rusviet Union can repeat actions other factions can't. Crimea gets combat bonuses and extra resources. These aren't just cosmetic differences; they fundamentally change your strategy and create genuine replay value.

The engine-building mechanics hit that perfect sweet spot where every decision feels meaningful. Do you upgrade your produce action to get more resources, or do you build that mine to expand your territory? Each choice closes off other possibilities while opening new ones. Progress feels tangible and rewarding.

Encounter cards add just enough narrative flavor without bogging down the gameplay. When you meet a new character, you get multiple choice options that feel thematic while giving you some control over the outcome. It's story-telling that serves the game rather than distracting from it.

The solo mode deserves special mention. The Automa opponent provides a genuinely challenging and engaging single-player experience that doesn't feel like a consolation prize. It's a fully realized way to play when you can't get a group together.

Criticisms

Despite its widespread acclaim, Scythe isn't perfect. The biggest issue is analysis paralysis. With so many interconnected systems and upgrade paths, some players freeze up trying to calculate optimal moves. Games can drag significantly if your group includes heavy thinkers, sometimes pushing that two-hour estimate closer to three hours.

The combat system, while thematic, can feel underwhelming for players expecting more direct conflict. Those impressive mechs end up being more about territorial control than epic battles. If you're looking for a war game, you might walk away disappointed by how little fighting actually happens.

Player interaction varies dramatically based on group dynamics and player count. At lower player counts, you might barely interact with opponents beyond competing for the same territories. Some sessions feel more like multiplayer solitaire than competitive strategy, especially if players focus heavily on engine optimization rather than territorial conflict.

Conclusion

Scythe works best for players who love strategic depth and don't mind spending time analyzing their options. If you enjoy games where every action builds toward something bigger, where efficiency puzzles matter as much as tactics, and where beautiful components enhance rather than distract from solid gameplay, this one's for you. The alternate history setting and asymmetric factions provide enough variety to keep you coming back, while the solo mode ensures you can always get your fix.

Skip it if you want constant player interaction, frequent combat, or quick decision-making. But for everything else, Scythe delivers on its promise of being something special in the engine-building space. It's not just about the gorgeous mechs and evocative artwork, though those certainly don't hurt. It's about creating a game system that feels both familiar and fresh, accessible yet deep.