Hera & Zeus

So I cracked open Hera & Zeus last night for some late night gaming with a friend from out of town. He played Zeus and I played Hera (of course). I won the first game and he won the second game. We probably should have played a third to get a winner but it was late and we were tired.

The game is based upon the mythological story of Hera, Zeus, Io and Argus. Basically, Zeus was caught about to have an affair with Io. So, he turned Io into a cow to hide her from Hera. Hera found out and demanded her and then sent Argus to watch over Io to keep her away from Zeus. Zeus then sends Hermes to kill Argus. The goal of the game is to free Io (if you are Zeus) or find Argus (if you are Hera).

Each turn you have a set number of action points which you can use to draw cards, play cards, or use a cards special abilities. You play the cards in three columns with a maximum of four rows. Once a card is played into a column it cannot be moved without the help of other cards.

The card art is nice. And the game play is fairly simple once you get the hang of it. The difficult part was always having to look up what the cards special abilities do. The game came with a "cheat sheet" identifying all of the cards' special abilities, but it wasn't that clear or helpful. I found the actual rulebook and full explanation a better reference.

I found the game to be overly dependent upon luck for my tastes. As long as you did not draw Io or Argus into your hand, you were essentially safe (as the other player could not find them.) But once you drew Io or Argus it was only a matter of time -- either through hand destruction cards or battle on the board. Further, I found that there were too many of specific types of cards and not enough of others. This too resulted in luck having a heavy impact on the game -- as you would continue to draw the same card over and over or get lucky and draw the three other cards you need.

I like the card placement/board strategy aspect of the game. I did enjoy the bluffing that went along with playing the cards face down on the board and trying to guess what cards your opponent played. The Medusa cards (which destroy everything but the Amazon or Hero) always made those face down cards a risk.

Overall, I would give Hera & Zeus a B+. The game moved rather quickly. While it is only a two-player game, I think it is a good pick-up game between other larger games.