Charge & Spark

Charge & Spark is a 2 player microgame from Jelly Jelly Games, Japan. I have just played another game that sounds just like this, Bahamut Dispute. Both are about reducing your opponent’s health from 4 to 0, but here the execution is a little different. Humankind is extinct. You are robots competing for supremacy. You win by destroying your opponent or by reaching the centre of the game board.

The players have the same set of cards when the game starts. Every round, you simultaneously choose and play a card. Cards let you shoot, block, charge your batteries, collect data and so on. The most recently played card is left face up in front of you. You cannot use the same card twice in a row. When you shoot, if your opponent also shoots, only net damage is inflicted, i.e. when one attack is of higher strength than the other. Attacking consumes energy. Different actions consume different amounts of energy. Some are free. If you fully charge your battery, it goes to 4 bars. Data works the same way as batteries. Some actions consume data, for example of being able to bounce the attack back at the attacker. You need to collect and store data in order to perform these powerful actions.

Whenever you advance on the board, you get to draw a new card. These are better cards which give you more action options. You can get at most two additional cards, because by the time you advance for a third time, you would win the game.

This game is very much about guessing the psychology of your opponent. If you shoot when he makes a move, he gets damaged and he will not be able to advance. If you move when he charges his battery, you will be able to safely advance and also earn an action card. The best thing is when you are able to choose to deflect his attack exactly when he chooses to attack. You do have some basis for making guesses. You know there is one specific action he cannot take because he has just done it in the previous round. Also, if he is low on battery or data, you know there are some actions he cannot perform. You want to have your battery and data sufficiently charged because it gives you more flexibility. In a way, this is advanced rock paper scissors. I am hesitant when saying this, because there is much more here than just simple rock paper scissors. Sometimes you choose an action for the sake of your flexibility in the following round. You know if you deplete your battery, next round it is easier for your opponent to guess what you are going to do. 

I played this with Chee Kong. I like that it is satisfying when you successfully guess your opponent's mindset and choose the right action card to foil his plans. It reminds me a little of Lord of the Rings: The Confrontation.