Today we’re diving into Distilled, a thematic board game that immerses you in the art of distilling spirits. Developed by Dave Beck & published by Paverson Games, Distilled is a resource management game where you craft unique spirits, manage ingredients, & push your luck to create the perfect batch. It’s a game that caters to both casual players & hardcore strategists, so let’s break it down.
What It Is
Distilled is a game that puts you in charge of your very own distillery. You’ll be managing ingredients, upgrading your equipment, & choosing recipes to create spirits that range from basic to premium. The goal is to run the most successful distillery over seven rounds, earning points by selling spirits, aging your creations, & hitting distillery goals. Whether you’re distilling whiskey, rum, or vodka, the game pulls you into the fascinating world of distillation while balancing risk & reward with a clever push-your-luck mechanic.
Gameplay Overview
When setting up a game of Distilled, players first choose a tasting board from six available options. The choice of tasting board significantly influences the game’s dynamics. All players use the same tasting board, ensuring a uniform starting point. Following this, the game setup continues as per the rulebook, including filling the shelf board with labels corresponding to the chosen tasting board. Player count determines the number of labels & spirit awards in play.
Each player selects a color & receives a personal distillery board & recipe clipboard. Players are then dealt three distillery goals & two distiller identities, each featuring a unique, game-altering ability. Players choose one identity to keep, along with its signature recipe, ingredient, & starting resources. The identities originate from three regions: Asia, North America, & Europe, influencing the types of spirits they can produce.
The game unfolds over seven rounds, each consisting of a market phase & a distill phase. During the market phase, players use money to unlock new recipes, purchase basic ingredients, acquire premium ingredients & items from a randomized central market, & buy distillery upgrades. Players can only buy a maximum of two ingredients from the basic market per turn, but there are no restrictions on purchases from the central market, provided they have sufficient funds.
Ingredients in Distilled are categorized into yeasts, waters, & three types of sugars: grain, plant, & fruit. While basic versions of these are available in the market, players aim to buy premium versions for better spirits. Items include bottles & barrels, essential for storing & aging spirits. The goal during the market phase is to gather ingredients needed for distilling in the next phase. Every turn, players need at least one yeast, one water, & one sugar to distill a basic spirit.
During the distill phase, players decide on the ingredients for their mash & create a washback deck. This deck must include at least one sugar, one water, & one yeast. For each sugar in the deck, an alcohol card is added. The deck is shuffled, & the top & bottom cards are removed, simulating the removal of the head & tail of the brew. The remaining cards determine the spirit produced, which is then placed in a bottle & potentially a barrel for aging.
Players label their spirits if matching labels are available, & in player order, decide whether to sell or age their spirits. Most spirits are sold immediately, while those needing aging are placed in wooden barrels or clay pots. Selling spirits involves choosing a bottle & calculating points & cash based on the final mix of ingredients. Aged spirits, sold after accumulating flavor cards, provide bonus points depending on their flavor profile.
Throughout the game, players can claim spirit awards for various achievements, such as brewing with a specific number of sugars or accumulating wealth. After the seventh round, players complete the final scoring, including points for spirits still aging, bottle collections, distillery upgrades, accomplished goals, & leftover money. The player with the most points is declared the master distiller & wins the game. The game encourages players to share their victory by taking a selfie with a cardboard award provided by the publisher.
The Components
Distilled comes with a ton of high-quality components, from beautifully illustrated cards to sturdy player boards & a slick insert by GameTrayz. The artwork really pulls you into the distillery theme, & the rulebook is clear & well-written, making it easy to jump into the game. The attention to detail, from the individual distiller identities to the various spirit awards, adds to the game’s immersive feel.
The Good
The theme integration in Distilled is phenomenal. Every action you take feels like you’re actually running a distillery. The game strikes a good balance between strategy & luck—planning is essential, but there’s always that thrilling moment when you distill & hope for the best. The push-your-luck element, combined with solid resource management, gives the game a lot of replayability, especially with its modular components like tasting boards & distiller identities.
The gameplay moves fast, especially with simultaneous distilling phases, & there’s never a dull moment. Teaching the game is a breeze, thanks to the First Taste guide & player reference cards, which make it easier for new players to jump in without feeling overwhelmed.
The Bad
While the game shines in many areas, there are a few small hiccups. The two-ingredient limit per round from the basic market feels a bit restrictive, even though it’s there for balance. The game’s insert could also use some improvements—cards can shift around if the box isn’t kept flat, which can be frustrating to sort out. Some players might find the iconography a bit small & hard to read, so bigger symbols in future editions would be a welcome upgrade.
The Verdict
Distilled does an excellent job blending strategic depth with thematic immersion. The tension of the distillation process, paired with the strategic decisions you make in resource management, makes every game feel unique. The components are top-notch, & the replayability is enhanced by the modular elements & varied strategies.
For players who love a mix of engine-building, strategy, & a bit of luck, Distilled offers a rich experience. There are a few minor drawbacks, like component storage & icon clarity, but these don’t overshadow the game’s strengths.
Final Thought
After diving deep into Distilled, I have to say, this game offers a rich & engaging experience for those who enjoy thematic, engine-building games with a splash of strategic depth. Here’s my take based on my playthroughs & the feedback from other players:
First off, the theme integration in Distilled is phenomenal. Every element, from the recipe board to the distilling phase, is tied intricately to real-life distilling processes. This makes the game not only educational but also easier to teach & remember. I found the process of removing the top & bottom cards during distillation particularly clever, reflecting the real-world practice of removing the head & tail of the wash.
The gameplay itself flows smoothly & has an elegance to it. The phases move quickly, especially with simultaneous distilling, which helps keep the game brisk. The sense of accomplishment from filling up your player board with upgrades & ingredients is immensely satisfying. However, the two basic ingredient limit per round felt a bit arbitrary, although I understand it’s necessary to maintain balance & the press-your-luck element.
Teaching the game is a breeze, thanks to the First Taste guide & comprehensive player reference cards. These tools are invaluable, especially for new players, & they ensure that even those with little hobby game experience can jump right in. While the guide is great for onboarding, my wife found it a bit restrictive, preferring an example of play rather than prescribed moves.
The game’s components are of high quality, though the box insert could use some improvement. Cards tend to shift if the box isn’t kept flat, which can be annoying & time-consuming to sort out. If there’s ever a second printing, bigger & clearer iconography would be a welcome update, as the current symbols can be hard to distinguish from a distance.
One of Distilled’s standout features is its balance between strategy & luck. The push-your-luck element during the distilling phase adds excitement & tension, rewarding careful planning but also leaving room for dramatic comebacks. This randomness might not appeal to everyone, particularly those who prefer deterministic strategy games, but it does level the playing field & keeps things interesting. If you appreciate engine-building games with thematic richness & strategic depth, give Distilled a try. The mix of planning, resource management, & a bit of luck provides a compelling experience that I can’t wait to revisit. Despite a few minor issues with component storage & iconography, the game’s strengths far outweigh these drawbacks. Distilled is a hit, & I’m excited to see how my strategies evolve in future playthroughs.
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