by odddonkey1

Contents of this review:
🎲 What is the premise of this game?
🎲 When do I play it?
🎲 Why did I pick it up?
🎲 Who do I play this with?
🎲 How long does it actually take to play/teach/grasp?
🎲 What was my best playing experience?
🎲 What was my worst playing experience?
🎲 What key tips would I give to new players?
🎲 How do I feel about this game?



What’s the premise of this game?
Two spies (players) face-off against each other in an abandoned building (set of cards), attempting to hit their opponent twice with their trap-setting and shooting skills. Ultimately this is a game of cat-and-mouse that treads the line between social deduction, strategy and the simple art of knowing your opponent - all whilst fitting in a nifty little pocket wallet.

When do I play it?
Any time I’m outdoors, have no surface to play games on, and can’t risk having a breeze blow any cards away - at a picnic, on a walk, etc. It’s incredibly useful to have a game that is 100% handheld!

Why did I pick it up?
I’m I big Button Shy fan, and loved that I could get a game with such beautiful Noir-style art for only £10.

Who do I play this with?
For the most part, I play this with anyone who is willing to play a spontaneous two-player card game, so long as they are the type of gamer who needs more depth than a filler game, but doesn’t need to sit for an hour or more engaging with a physical board and heavy gameplay in order to feel satisfied. Somehow I’m still working on persuading my mum to play, though…

How long does it actually take to play/teach/grasp?
The games themselves are incredibly quick, allowing the perfect excuse to log multiple plays. I’ve been averaging 13 minutes per game, and that’s including the time to teach rules. Players are always able to grasp the game quickly - something that’s really usefully supported by a quick reference card with the list of moves and map illustration. Even without that, however, the intuitive layout of the information supplied on each card makes gameplay incredibly intuitive.

What was my best playing experience?
This has to be the first game that I played after initially grasping the rules and the intangible nature of a handheld hidden movement game. It was so tensely exciting to be constantly in chase with someone, knowing that one wrong step could mean that you lose their scent completely, despite having worked so hard to gain it, and that one wrong shot could mean that the tables turn and the need to disappear into a metaphorical fog of confusion is now your goal. The most satisfying moment in that game was when I immediately caught my opponent in a trap the turn after shooting him, putting the nail in the coffin in a climactic end to a very long chase.

What was my worst playing experience?
As much as I’ve never had an unenjoyable game of Revolver Noir so far, there have been a handful of games that have felt lacking in depth, even for a light game like this. These games were the ones that I played with the person I am closest to, and these games ended far faster than any other games I’d played. Why? Because when you know someone well enough, it becomes a lot easier to predict where they’ll start, what they’ll do, where they’ll go, and so on. To put it simply, it can stop being a game of cat-and-mouse and start being an off-air game of Mr-And-Mrs.

What key tips would I give to new players?
🎲 Remember to verbally state the name of each move that you take.
🎲 Remember to reveal the room you shot from, then to move to a different room.
🎲 Always consider taking the second most intuitive action on your move.
🎲 Don’t be afraid to repeatedly spend turns listening and moving, until you can gather a clear image of your opponent’s preferred movements.
🎲 If there’s a 50% chance of your opponent being in a certain location, don’t be afraid to shoot to find out!
🎲 Buy some black electrical tape to fix the storage wallet in the scenario where it splits from overuse.

How do I feel about this game overall?
I am certain that Revolver Noir’s portability means that it’ll always remain in my game collection (with or without electrical tape). However, the fact that I can’t guarantee whether a victory will feel cheap or will feel tense and glorious means that, whilst I always enjoy playing, I don’t always yearn to do so.

How would I rate it?
🧩 Mechanics & Depth: 3/5
Simple game, intuitive mechanics, further depth added via special role abilities & constraints in the expansion.
🎨 Art & Theme: 5/5
Eye-catching art, helpful design, immersive theme.
🃏 Replay-ability: 3.5/5
Exciting at first but becomes less engaging after multiple plays.
📖 Accessibility & Ease of Play: 4/5
Some rules clarifications needed, but incredibly portible & very easy to explain.

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