Snowcrest Board Game Components Overview and Impressions

When games do something that’s just a bit different in their production, I’m always going to be intrigued. Sometimes going against the grain works out really well, and sometimes it falls flat. I think the production of Snowcrest is going to be a divisive one – some people are going to love it, and others are going to hate it. After a few plays of the game, I’m not sure where I sit for now, but leaning towards loving it. What is this all about? Let’s take a look!

Cards and tokens! There are a lot of both of these things in Snowcrest and thankfully the quality of the cards and the quality of the cardboard chits is actually above average. There are a lot of different levels of card quality, and I believe that linen finish cards are the cream of the crop. It’s what you find in a lot of premium board games, and it is what you find here in Snowcrest as well. I love linen finish cards, so Grail Games gets huge props from me on this production simply for making the cards that way.

The cardboard chits are also abnormally nice. There are times when I punch chit from a punch board and you know instantly you wish there was a wooden alternative. Although a wooden alternative was available through the Kickstarter campaign for this game, the cardboard included here is so thick, it’s honestly just a slight step below a wooden token. Yes, I understand that they are NOT wooden tokens, but gosh darn they are pretty close. While I always like upgrading my games – and let’s be real, I’d upgrade this if I could – I would be more than pleased to have this version of the game showing up on my table week after week. The quality here is fantastic.

So what might be so divisive in this production? Cloth mats. I’ve used cloth mats before in a variety of games, and in general i’m not a huge fan. They bunch up so easily, and if not playing on a great surface, it can be even worse. I dislike these types of game surfaces when using a ton of pieces, but with cards I don’t find it nearly as bad. I think cloth boards are a very nice economical option. Not only are they easy to get to the table, but they take up so little room in the box, which reduces the footprint, something I think more publishers need to think about.

Still, it’s worth noting that these are cloth mats, and if you really detest this style of play surface, I’m not sure anything in Snowcrest is going to change your mind.

Still, my overall impressions of the game are very positive, and the production matches that as well. It looks great on the table, feels good to hold and play, and looks like it will last for years to come. Grail Games did NOT cheap out on this production, and I always admire companies who put out really great games while keeping the games reasonably priced.