Rencounter

Rencounter is a tactical game that lives on positioning, resource use, and the pressure of making each turn matter. By our assessment, that is exactly where its interest lies: it is about planning a small encounter carefully, not about spectacle. The downside is the same as with many tight tactical games, because a narrow scope leaves little room for anyone who wants bigger systems or a long campaign feel. In practice it is a thoughtful, stop-and-check sort of experience, where the board state changes the whole mood from one move to the next. It sits closer to compact strategy than to grand war gaming, and that makes it more demanding than it looks at first glance. The kind of player who likes exact decisions will get more from it than someone looking for broad freedom.