For context, I’ve only played this game twice on my homebrew set, and only with my girlfriend. I rarely write reviews unless it has been bouncing in my head for a few days, so I think there is something here.
This game won the first Spiel des Jahres, way back when there weren’t any other SDJ winners. However most folks don’t recommend this game for 2 players, even though the box says 2-6. Even David Parlett thinks his game is best with 4-5. Here is the two player variant on Parlett’s website.
You each start with 95 carrots and 5 lettuces, and move two runners round the board. The winner is the first to get both runners home.
You each play in turn, and at each turn are free to move either one of your runners, but not both. When one of your runners lands on a lettuce square, however, you must use your next turn for chewing a lettuce and the turn after that for moving it away. When bringing your first runner home you may have any number of carrots and lettuces left over, but the usual rules apply to bringing your second runner home. That is, all five lettuces must have been chewed, and the number of carrots left over must not exceed 20 if it comes home second or 30 if third.
I cringed when I read that variant. I hate two player variants that include dummy players or playing two “sides”. It’s inelegant and almost insulting – you’re too lame to get more buddies over so we’ll cobble together this variant for you! Spare me your pity and just print 3-6 on your box! Even worse, two player Hare and Tortoise is anti-thematic. The multiplayer race makes simple sense – get in as early as possible! … But goal of this two player game is to get your second guy in before the other guy gets his second guy in. So first place doesn’t matter?*
*This brings up an idea. What if there was a series of races and you scored points for the position? Whoever had the most points after a set number of races wins. Maybe 5 points for first, 3 for second, 2 for third. Or to go with the race idea, whoever gets to set number of points (31?) wins.
But once you get past all this, you’ll find a game that works very nicely with two players. Let me reframe 2P Hare and Tortoise as a highly tactical resource management, action selection game with a slight chance element. The board is made up of a limited number of action types, mirroring the limited number of action types available in typical action selection game. Each turn, a player choses an action, resolving any resources they may collect from their previous action, moving their piece, paying for the movement costs, and then resolving any actions that are activated upon to their arrival in the new space. During the race, fighting for race placement can have significant effects on your resource generation. There is no engine building, but this game is all about carefully timing the production and expenditures of resources. Instead of racing for the most victory points, you are racing to get your two pieces to the end as quickly and efficiently as possible.
I think that the game’s two player reputation has been hurt by earlier versions of the Hare event cards (unfortunately including the current the Rio Grande release). However, the latest incarnation of the event cards (published in 2008, 2010) has eliminated random movement of pieces – you won’t land on hare space and then get thrown away somewhere else. For a multiplayer game, this type of randomness can be overlooked since you only have one bunny and it’s a more “social” game, but the two player game is all all about manipulating your two bunnies to be in the right spots to cash in on their race order positions. Furthermore, a two player game is directly confrontational and you must be able to get in there and mess with the opponent’s plans. If you cannot predict where your piece will be after it lands on a space, then you can’t plan ahead and there goes the game.
For those with the older version of the game I would suggest using the Parlett Strategic variant where landing on a Hare space results in losing a turn. This is a high price to pay, but it may be worth it to mess up the race order and force the other guy to adjust his plans. Please note that this variant turns the game into a perfect information abstract. As such, I prefer the new cards since I like little lighter games and I appreciate how the hare cards have a slight catch the leader mechanism baked in.
After a couple plays, I can confidently say this game is a great two player game that fits perfectly in that SDJ sweet spot. Sometimes the committee goes heavier and sometimes much lighter, but Hare and Tortoise was well deserving of the honor of being the first SDJ winner and holds its own even after thirty years of game design innovation. For those who have played this game with many players, I hope to join your ranks soon.
Until then, I contend this is a perfectly fine two player game. It is a tight tactical game: it forces you to make tough decisions, gives you room for dramatic moves, but is balanced enough to keep the game close. It doesn’t outlast its welcome, just the right length for its medium low weight while still rewarding skilled play. I might not know how well two player Hare and Tortoise stacks up against its multiplayer version, but I’ve played plenty of two player games and this is a great one.
Update
I have now played a few multiplayer games and find it quite good. I’ve also developed my own variant for the hare cards, using a six sided die instead of cards.
- Give 10 carrots to each player lying behind you in the race (if any) If you haven’t enough carrots, give them five each; if still not possible, one each. A player who doesn’t want extra carrots may throw them to the carrot patch.
- If there are more players behind you than in front of you, miss a turn. If not, play again. (If equal, play again)
- Restore your carrot holding to exactly 65. If you have more than 65, pay extras to the carrot patch; if fewer, draw extras from the carrot patch.
- Draw 10 carrots for each lettuce you still hold. If you have none left, miss a turn.
- Free ride! Your last turn costs nothing. Retrieve the carrots you paid to reach this square.
- Lose half your carrots! If an odd number, keep the odd one.
Originally posted on Boardgamegeek.com