Northstar Game Studio Eila and Something Shiny Board Game | Solo Narrative Adventure Game | Story-Driven Campaign with Branching Choices | 1+ Players, 45+ Minutes, Ages 12+

I got a demo of this at a board game convention and had to buy it for myself so I could finish all of the chapters! My niece and I worked together to determine what Eila would do, but it would also be fun as a solo activity. Nice bits and a high-quality setup. A word of caution: don’t let the cute art fool you. This is NOT a game for children. The ending is dark.

This is a fun solo game that gives you choices within the game.

Had so much fun. Really straightforward game mechanics, easy to learn. Story is surprisingly interesting and well built into the gameplay itself (instead of you having to read a whole book apart from the gameplay to know what’s going on). Also the game is a good mix of strategy and luck, making it replayable. Nothing really gets damaged after the game play so perfectly okay for you to hand it over to a friend once you are done.

Such a fun game ❤️

A pleasant surprise. And no it’s not for 7 year old girls - the themes get deep very, very quickly. Give it a try if you’re looking for coop play with a great story line.

I have recommended this boardgame to anyone and everyone who will listen. The mechanics of the gameplay are awesome. The illustrations are spectacular! Waiting for more games just like this!

Delightful and Charming. Strongly recommend

I was really intimidated when I got the box in the mail for this. The box is huge and there are so many parts. We usually stick to very simple games in our house, but I was intrigued and wanted to try something new. My daughter and I finally sat down over Christmas break to figure out the rules and try it out. We have played every single night since. I love that each chapter brings something new and a new mechanic, so the gameplay doesn't get stale. I really love the art and the way that the art is incorporated into the story in meaningful ways sometimes too. It encourages you to slow down and really look at the cards and think about what you are seeing, not just reading. The very nature of how this game is played ensures that it is never the same, even if you have to repeat a chapter multiple times. It's been fun to have debates with my daughter about which choice we should make, weighing the pros and cons each time. My daughter just turned 11 and while this game says its for 12+, I think with some help younger kids can play. I wouldn't recommend anyone under 10 playing solo. The one time I did allow my daughter to play solo she "cheated" a bit and peaked at upcoming cards or choices to determine her path forward. She was pretty sad afterwards because she realized that doing so killed the enjoyment for her. She now is firmly committed to playing it by the rules. A few critiques and helpful tips: 1) While they definitely went to lengths to create some functional storage/organization within the box, its not labeled and can be confusing (check the very back of the manual for a chart on how they intended it to be used before you start setting up the game). It also didn't offer us a good place to store the 6 different types of resources while actively playing, and that can get a bit messy. I recommend LOTS of ziplock bags to help keep things tidy as you move from one chapter to the next. You will need to keep all of each chapters cards together. 2) When getting started it would be nice if the decks were clearly labeled by chapter so I didn't have to keep returning to the manual to figure out which symbol goes with which chapter. For anyone playing the first time, that little guide in the beginning of the manual is super important. Pay attention to those symbols. 3) Putting the card decks into numerical order each time was a painful process, and is painful each time you have to reset a chapter as well. Sometimes you are having to fish a specific card number out of the middle of a deck that you just spent several minutes putting back into order, and then returning that card to that deck requires you to do it again, sometimes many times per chapter. 4) Be prepared to need quite a bit of desk or table space to play this game. Particularly once you get to the later chapters. Overall I am extremely pleased with the game and it has created some wonderful memories playing it with my daughter. I love that its not competitive so game time gets to be truly relaxing and enjoyable. I can't wait to loan this one out to friends once we have truly beat all the chapters and found all the alternate endings. Worth every penny and more!