Manipulate + Agents & Advisors

We originally reviewed Walrus Ventures' Manipulate back in September 2019. We were quite hard on the game back then, influenced at least in part by the fact that that first edition of the game was a table hog; it came with a large board that only served as an oversized score tracker, and that in turn meant that the game itself came in an overly bulky box despite it being essentially a card game.

It seems our gripes about that first edition of the game were taken on board. Walrus Ventures last year published a new edition. It contains all the elements in the original version but in a box that's less than half the size of the original, and with a more practical sized board for tracking turns and keeping score. Tho' it's much more compact there's been no compromise in the quantity or quality of the components: all the cards in this edition have a linen-finish feel.

Designed by Henry Piechoczek and Josh Smith, the core game remains the same: it's a highly intertactive 'take that' game where the 3–6 players are competing to accumulate the most power (victory points) by launching their own Ventures and playing Favour cards to boost their own income and power and to scupper their opponents' enterprises. Players all have at least one skeleton in their closet, so you'll obviously want to expose these to damage your opponents.

There remains a high luck factor because some Ventures give you much more bang for your bucks (power points and income per round) than others, and it's certainly helpful to place out Ventures early on that boost your income in subsequent rounds. Watch out tho': if you do too well early on in the game you're bound to make yourself the prime target of other players... Sometimes the clever play involves biding your time to better manipulate your opponents...

And if you're a fan of the game then the exciting news is that Walrus Ventures unveiled a new Agents & Advisors expansion at this year's UK Games Expo. The expansion includes several new Venture, Favour and Skeleton cards to add to the deck, and they are well-designed to enhance the game; for example, by offering opportunities to redirect Favours and to dump hard-to-play cards in return for cash. Crucially, however, the expansion introduces two brand new ways to manipulate the game in your favour - the eponymous Agents and Advisors. Cards representing these are placed in a market display and an Agent or Advisor can be 'hired' as an additional action on your turn. Agents are hired for a one-off fee. They are single-use and mostly deliver 'take that' effects. Advisors are added to your payroll, which means they need to be paid every turn, but they give the player an ongoing power or effect.

The expansion certainly enhances the game, tho' many of the Agents and Advisors are quite expensive. For example, the Councillor lets you set up a Venture for half the stated cost but you'll need to pay the Councillor £150K every turn, so to get your money's worth you'll need a regular supply of high-value Ventures.

The reformatted box has helped to get Manipulate onto more retail shelves but if you can't find a copy locally, click here to order direct from the publishers.

#Manipulate  #WalrusVentures  #takethat  #bluffing  #negotiation  #cardgame #AgentsandAdvisors #Ventures #Favours #Skeletons