Minimalism

Minimalism is the sort of game that trims everything down until the player is left with only the bare move set and the logic underneath it. That can be a strength if someone likes clean puzzle design and quick reads of the board, because there is little clutter to get in the way. The obvious limit is that the idea itself is narrow, so once the trick is understood, there is not much room for surprise. In practice such a game lives or dies on how neatly it turns a stripped-back rule into a satisfying loop. Compared with richer puzzle or strategy games, it sits on the austere end of the shelf and does not pretend otherwise. By our assessment, Minimalism is interesting as a concept and modest as a long-term toy, which makes the rating land in the middle.