Disclosure: Meeple Mountain received a free copy of this product in exchange for an honest, unbiased review. This review is not intended to be an endorsement.
This is not my first go-round with this particular chemistry lab. Compounded has been on my shelf, with its various expansions, for years. My long-standing appreciation doesn’t equate to frequent visits to the table, but it returns like a long-lost friend from time to time. I finally had the chance to try the newest iteration.
Compounded: The Peer Reviewed Edition has been given a shiny new set of clothes, an inflation from the teenie bits of the original, complete with bold new colors and a streamlined rule set. Because the games are so very similar, I suggest visiting the above link if you’d like to know the rules in greater detail. Here, I’ll focus on a general overview and some of the key changes to the original.
Smoothed patches
Generally speaking, rounds progress in the same manner. Players draw elements from the bag, engage in trading, and settle upon their allowed quantity in what’s known as the Discovery phase. The Study phase is still primarily about claiming compounds to assemble and score, but with a new wrinkle. The Peer-Reviewed Edition has an added recharge station on the central board for the game’s various Tools. The Tools themselves have a change or two with an innovation for their use and reuse. Acquired and spent Tools can now be revived for additional use by moving a claim token to the recharge station during the Study phase. Most significantly, the fire extinguisher functions in this manner rather than via gathered carbon and oxygen.
The acquisition of Tools now contains a bit of cunning as well. Should a player contribute to the completion of an opponent’s compound—one that grants a Tool, that is—they sneak in and grab that Tool. There is no share in points or track movement, but the Tool provides a unique incentive to drop an element into the enemy effort.
Speaking of those test tube tracks, the new edition scatters point bonuses across the player board for reaching milestones along the way—most significantly at the top. Five and ten point boons are enough to help in compound selection, because gaining the right compound can lead to maxing out the right track for the right bonus.
The remainder feels much the same. Players move elements to the compound field in hopes of completing compounds before fires gobble up productivity. Rounds end with clearing finished compounds, collecting goodies, and doing it all over again.
The components for The Peer-Reviewed Edition are bright and bold, plastic, and sized for ordinary fingers (with the exception of the quirky new conical fire tokens). I miss the classic feel of the wooden discs, but I don’t miss the fingers-as-tweezers effort required to move things around. The Tools are roughly 4x the size of the originals. They collect easily. They flip easily. I’m willing to sacrifice the color to stave off arthritic discomfort for another evening. The proportions are an absolute improvement, and the box insert is creatively designed for containment.
Same rough spots
With new cards and bits, the expansions for the predecessor cannot peacefully coexist with this new edition. Card backs prevent a mixed compound deck. Even if you can take the mismatch, the various other components would remain misfit and awkward.
From a gameplay standpoint, the same issues remain. The Compounded experience is still all about the trading. We tried the variant in which players trade with a shifting central pool of elements, but it lacked pizzazz. I will always recommend trading with players who love to trade, who love to rock the economic boat in the name of self-interest. Much like the original, the new box requires the right light and the right crew to shine.
New clothing doesn’t mean a new game. Don’t get me wrong, the subtle changes make an impact, but Compounded is still Compounded. If you enjoy the original, you might enjoy the experience of these new components and mechanics. If you disliked the first, I’m not sure the new edition will change your mind. If you love the expansions, I would imagine the new digs will leave you cold.
Reaction
Compounded remains a middling exploration overall. Courageous trading can make the game interesting. Dastardly employment of a bunsen burner can stir tension at the table. Sterilized pursuit of individual goals will still feel like playing hide and seek alone. We still force the placement of elements to stir the pot. I like stealing in on someone’s effort to snag a Tool. I would rather see a chain of Lab fires than go the entire game without blowing something up. The excitement is not a guarantee, but the possibility is in there—somewhere.
Compounded: The Peer-Reviewed Edition details
- Designer: Darrell Louder
- Artists: Darrell Louder
- Publishers: Greater Than Games, LLC
- Release Date: 2023
- Player count : 2 - 5
- Age range : 14+
- Time range : 45 - 70 minutes
- Mechanism(s): Chit-Pull System, Hand Management, Trading, Worker Placement
- BGG Geek Rating: 6.83488 - converted to Meeple Mountain scale: 3.5.
- More articles about Compounded: The Peer-Reviewed Edition.
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