- Designer: Corey Konieczka
- Artist: InkVoltage (David Ardila with <<Orca>> Paula Gonzalez, Tomasz Morano, Jonathan Aucomte, Giulia Calistro, Damien Mammoliti, Fagnere Olivier and Tony Mastrangeli
- Publisher: Unexpected Games
- Players: 1-6 Players
- Playtime: 10 Sessions, 30-60 Minute Sessions
- Ages: Not Specified
Cozy Stickerville has been getting a lot of hype lately, so we had to check it out! Before purchasing the game I knew that it played over 10 sessions and that it has stickers. That alone was enough for me to pick it up! While it could be argued I could have done more research, we all had a great time with it so I think I knew all I needed to know! We will get into it more throughout the review, but Cozy Stickerville plays differently than any other game I have ever played. I am not even sure what to compare it to. It could be said it is similar to a legacy game, because the choices you make while playing have an effect on what is to come. It could also be said it is like a role playing game, because you are acting as a city planner making choices for the land. But neither of those genres really describe it to me. It is more like a choose your own adventure book that you play through instead of read. This unique take on game night had us all really excited! Let’s take a deeper look!
What’s In the Box?
The components of the game include:
- 1 Sticker Book (The best part IMO)
- 1 Storybook
- 120 Event Cards (10 decks of 12 cards)
- 1 Die
- 1 Save Game Box
- 60 Catalog Cards (DO NOT Shuffle!)
- Resources Tokens (12 Food, 12 Wood, 12 Gold and 6 Ore)
- 1 Reference Card
- 1 Map (A double sided game board)
Setup
To begin playing Cozy Stickerville you will first choose what side of the map you will use. This will be the map you use for all 10 “years” of the game. Put the 8 starting stickers from the sticker book onto the map. We may have over thought this part. The truth is, no matter where you place them, you will be able to have an enjoyable game! Next, set up a supply pile of all tokens and place the save game box near the map. Then, you will take out and place the catalog cards in a stack near the map. It is important that these are not shuffled. Finally, you will complete the start of year set up. This includes reading the current year’s set up rules from the storybook, using the given event deck and allocating your starting resources.
Objective
The object of Cozy Stickerville is to build a village. There is really no way to “lose” the game, but you will want to keep in mind that all of your choices have permanent effects on the game and what you can do in the future. You are attempting to achieve milestones from the event and catalog cards, while raising the happiness level of your townsfolk, and building your dream village.
That said, there are some end game recommendations you could use as a guideline if you really want to have a win condition. The game refers to these as “long term goals” and they include challenges such as achieving 21 or more happiness, having 10 or more residents, having 18 or more road stickers, and other such goals. When we first started the game we really wanted to “win,” but later learned that Cozy Stickerville is truly a lot more about the journey than the destination.
Gameplay
At the start of a year, you will read the year’s set up in the storybook. Then shuffle that year’s deck of cards and put them in a facedown pile near the map. Take any starting resources you may begin with, per the rules.
Each turn plays out in two phases, morning and evening. In the morning, draw one event cards and read it out loud. Each card will note if it is to be discarded or kept in play. The person reading the card has final say as to what the group will do per the card’s instructions. Most actions will have two or more consequences that may involve resources or placing stickers. In the evening, the player will choose one action on a card or the map to play out. Turn order passes clockwise until the year’s deck is used up.
At the end of a year make sure to resolve any end of year cards, place all needed cards and resources in the save game box, and place a check mark on the year completed on the outside of the save game box to keep track.
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Final Thoughts
In my personal (and somewhat biased) opinion, this game could not possibly have gotten any better! All four of us at the game table are seasoned board gamers, and none of us had played anything like this before. It was the perfect blend of calm board game energy, cozy video game style play, and storytelling. Some of our favorite storylines were following a secret society, trying to discover if there was a town thief, and building the observatory to discover things in space. We also had fun attempting to reform our wild sibling. I also like that you can play through the game twice, once on each side of the map. It may not get too many points in the way of replayability, as you can only play the full game twice with the contents of the box, but at 20 game sessions at 30-60 minutes each, you will get your money’s worth of game play from Cozy Stickerville!
Another call out is that when I first explained the gameplay to the group, half of us were skeptical. Luckily, everyone either loved or trusted me enough to at least give the game a try. It wound up becoming a game we all looked forward to week after week! It is always a pleasure to find games that can surprise you. Cozy Stickerville is an excellent co-op experience, offering balanced game play and a very well thought out story. If you are looking for a truly cozy board game experience, I recommend Cozy Stickerville!
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