Kavango

Kavango is a card drafting set collection game (designed by Matt Brown and Zara Reid and published by Mazaza Games) with a thematic focus on conservation and a physical focus on sustainability. The version I have is from Kickstarter, which has the deluxe game trays. But the regular version also has punchboard game trays that can be assembled for similar use.

Kavango advertises 1-5 players starting at age 10, with a play time of 40-60 minutes.

Let's step into the review.

Quality - 8/10 - Kavango has unique, double-sided player boards which allow players to either place their cards on top of their board, or tuck them into card slots as they play. The latter option reduces card movement (bumping items as your hand moves around), but does take a few extra seconds to neatly tuck each card away. Despite the time, I found that I loved the ability to know that the items on my board were secure. I also appreciate that the game comes with boxes/trays that allow you to store all of the components neatly during play. And lastly, I've got to say, the drawstring bags that house each player's score cubes and other tokens are some of the best individual player bags I've seen. Sinching the bag by pulling on the strings results in a very securely closed bag, without causing any resistance or difficulty opening it back up. It is precisely the type of bag you would hope for when storing game components.

Artwork - 8/10 - This game (designed by Matt Brown) is another gorgeous game in which I could easily find myself sifting through the cards admiring the artwork between plays. The iconography throughout is informative and intuitive. The animal art is beautiful, and the facts are engaging. I particularly love that Kavango ties game objectives into the artwork itself as well (i.e. how many animals are sitting on a rock, how many are displayed at sunset, in pairs, etc.). I also love the accompanying map that describes the flora and fauna used in the game within their various regions. As someone who loves maps to begin with, I could easily see this up on my wall as art itself.

Theme - 8/10 - I love this theme. As a player, you will play the role of a conservation expert working in Kavango (named for the Kavango-Zambezi transfrontier conservation area). You will work over three rounds to build your unique ecosystem (player board) into a flourishing nature preserve by collecting species of fauna. To do this, you will need to have the proper nutrients (flora) for those species and you will need to research and invest in various protections (climate, habitat, and poaching) for those species. Your goals as a conservation expert will be unique each game as you specialize in different types of animals, adapting throughout the game to meet the new needs encountered as your ecosystem grows.

It is evident that the makers of this game care a lot about this topic. It is reflected not only in the cohesive nature of the game play, but in the sustainability efforts they have made in the game's production (one example of which is wrapping the game box in a cardboard sleeve instead of in plastic wrap). There are very tangible efforts that have been made here, and it is meaningful. The appendix for this game also provides its reader with information to clarify not just the game but its theme as well. What do the different protection levels mean in the Kavango-Zambezi conservation area? What did the producers of this game do specifically in order to make it more sustainable? These items are outlined alongside strategy tips and card lists that are both helpful and informative.

Learnability - 8/10 - By nature, this game has a complexity that houses a lot of details. However, this is not too burdensome in the game manual. Instructions for the game start first with setup, then with an overview of gameplay, and then delve into the details of the items outlined in that overview. While it was a decent amount to ingest on a first read, it was easily done with a little bit of focus. I also loved that Kavango includes examples (to check understanding) and tips (to aid strategy) throughout the manual, plus an additional section on strategy tips within the appendix. This was very helpful to me in my first play or two as I was just beginning to understand how to interact within the game's systems.

Weight - 8/10 - I think this level of medium complexity is accessible for a wide variety of players. For those who prefer simpler games, Kavango is a good stretch into deeper strategy, especially if you have a friend who has played before and who can talk you through the game's basic mechanics without having to read the extent of the manual. For those who prefer heavier games, Kavango is a nice, lighter option that doesn't feel too disengaging strategy-wise. The game comes with different levels as well (think easy, medium, difficult), and has unique player abilities that can be selected based on complexity.

Engagement - 7/10 - It was easy to be invested in playing this game, partly because of the art, partly because of the theme, but largely because of the gameplay itself. There were different points throughout the game where new goals or objectives were added, changing round by round, in ways that kept me consistently analyzing my decisions and looking for the best option(s) to select. I do wish that it would have been slightly more challenging to meet those objectives. It required some thought and strategy, but there were only a few goals I was not able to achieve. But overall, an enjoyable game to play.

Decisions - 7/10 - In Kavango, there are several options to juggle at any given point, collecting certain types of animals, making sure you have the food necessary to feed the animals you need (so you can get their card), or investing in protection levels to make sure your habitat is safe for the species you want to introduce to it. While there was plenty to juggle, and excellent levels of player agency,. I found it rare that I had to give up on one option in order to pursue another. This ties in with my point above as well. I think this game could have been slightly more difficult to manage, and would have been more enjoyable if I was less able to complete all of the tasks before me. But, it is also my personal preference to never quite be able to achieve all of the goals in a game, or to at least run into obstacles or a decent amount of difficulty in my pursuit of those goals. If you are the type of person who enjoys selecting a goal, working a few turns to meet that goal, and then moving on to the next goal to begin that process again with some regularity, then I think you would find Kavango an excellent fit.

Mechanics - 8/10 - I think the mechanics of this game are really great. It uses rotating hands for card drafting, includes several different prerequisites that you have to obtain before being able to draft any particular card (specific and varied with each card), an investment track for protection levels, funds management, game/round/personal goals, and unique player special abilities. All of these mechanics are balanced and operate cohesively with one another in very pleasing ways. They give the game a feeling of depth and add to the engagement levels without being so complex that they become distracting or draining.

Solo Play - 8/10 - In Kavango's solo mode, you play against an AI known as Oppo. The set up for Oppo is similar to your setup, though different in a few areas. Managing Oppo happens primarily at the round's beginning and end, with really only card selection (based on set criteria) occurring for Oppo during the round. What this means is that playing your game and managing Oppo at the same time is seamless. Oppo adds a bit of that changing environment and unpredictability that having a second player would add. When you take turns in the card drafting portion, your strategy is often influenced by what may or may not be available to you because Oppo is constantly reducing your options as well. The solo play in Kavango was a ton of fun, felt very natural to play, and in no ways took away from my ability to focus on the game itself.

Shared Play - 8/10 - I would love to get this game on the table with some friends. I anticipate it would play very similar to the solo play option, with slight added unpredictability for groups of three or more. I think it is very doable to teach this with some ease, and that each player would have equal and unique opportunities to invest in their own individual play choices.

Replay Value - 8/10 - At the end of each play in Kavango, I didn't necessarily feel that drive to come back because I had almost completed a goal, or because if I would have done something slightly different I may have produced much greater results. In some games you find that crunchiness, that push to be just a little bit better, to do just a little bit more. In Kavango, what kept me coming back wasn't necessarily that push to improve, but had more to do with just how much I enjoyed playing this game. There were enough goals (personal and round), unique personal abilities, and varied availability of cards to make each play different from the previous one. Every time I picked it up and played through it, I found myself just as engaged as the play before.

Overall, Kavango was a blast to play. It is a good middle-weight option for those days when you want a little bit of strategy without too much brain power. The art is stunning. The mechanics are engaging. The entire experience is captivating. I plan to keep this one on my shelf for a long time.

Overall Rating 3.9/5.0

Keep playing, friends.