Quintet

Quintet asks for patience, because its appeal is usually tied to a small, concentrated idea rather than a big system you can keep chewing on. By our assessment, that makes it interesting when the core loop is clean and the rules are readable, but it also means the ceiling can be low if the idea is thin. In practice a game with this kind of name often suggests a compact piece of design, something you move through rather than live in. That keeps it from the sprawl of larger genre pieces, and it can be refreshing for people tired of endless progression. At the same time, it is not the place for players who want heavy complexity or a lot of content to unfold over time. Quintet works best as a small, focused game with a clear center, and that is also where its limits show.