{"id":15048,"date":"2025-01-24T14:39:14","date_gmt":"2025-01-24T14:39:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/boardgamesland.com\/?p=15048"},"modified":"2025-01-24T14:39:18","modified_gmt":"2025-01-24T14:39:18","slug":"mezen-review","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/boardgamesland.com\/mezen-review\/","title":{"rendered":"Mezen Review: Is This Still the Best Puzzle Board Game?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Look, we’ve got a Christmas present!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"mezen <\/picture><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Hidden in Russia’s northern frontier traditions lies an artistic legacy that has inspired this fascinating tabletop experience. Mezen draws its essence from the indigenous craftwork of ancient artisans who decorated everyday items with mystical symbols and intricate patterns. This cultural heritage has been brilliantly transformed into a modern gaming masterpiece that marries traditional symbolism with contemporary puzzle mechanics. The game’s visual identity pays homage to these ancestral designs through its stark contrasts and primitive yet powerful imagery, creating a timeless and fresh atmosphere.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Component Quality and Visual Design<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The game’s visual presentation stands out through its contrasting elements, light faces against dark reverses, and primitive animal designs against geometric patterns. The 125 tiles showcase meticulous attention to detail in their artwork, with each animal symbol carrying the distinctive characteristics of traditional Mezen craftwork. The goal cards and board maintain this aesthetic consistency, creating a cohesive visual experience that feels authentic and refined.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n
\"mezen <\/picture><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"mezen <\/picture><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"mezen <\/picture><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"mezen <\/picture><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Our Mezen Experience<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

At its heart, Mezen is a spatial puzzle game that plays out over ten rounds. Its tile-flipping mechanism creates a constantly evolving tableau, which is awesome. Each round presents new challenges as players manipulate their 5×5 grids, trying to achieve the goals presented by the current and upcoming cards.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

During our various playthroughs, we noticed that the game creates an interesting tension between immediate tactical decisions and longer-term strategic planning. Here’s a specific example from one of our recent games:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In round three, our grid contained a cluster of four horses in the center. The current goal card rewarded points for animals in corner positions, while the next round’s card would score for animals surrounded by different species. This created a dilemma: should we break up the horse group to position for the current round’s scoring or maintain it for potentially more significant benefits in the following round?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Game Length and Player Counts<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Mezen typically plays in 30-45 minutes with two players, extending to about 60 minutes with four players. The game scales remarkably well across different player counts. In our two-player games<\/a>, there’s a sharp focus on tactical decisions. In contrast, four-player games create unpredictable situations as multiple players manipulate their boards simultaneously.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"mezen <\/picture><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The Amulet Economy<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

One of Mezen’s most elegant aspects is its amulet system. These tokens are a crucial strategic resource, allowing players to modify their tile groups or opt out of the active player’s chosen symbol. We’ve found that careful management of these amulets often separates experienced players from newcomers. Players saved their amulets until the final rounds in one game, creating a spectacular comeback by manipulating multiple large groups.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"mezen <\/picture><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Strategy and Symbol Interactions of Mezen<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Despite its apparent simplicity, Mezen has multiple layers of strategy:<\/p>\n\n\n\n