Flash Review — Kanban EV

Players: 1-4
Works well with just 2: Yes!
Solo quality: ? (haven't tried it yet!)
Age: 14+
Playtime: 60-180 min
Complexity: 8.5/10

As a worker in a car factory, you need to stay on top of every aspect of production and make sure the manager, Sandra, is satisfied with your performance.
Pick the right car designs, confirm that the required auto parts are in stock, manufacture the actual automobiles, put them to the test, and don’t show up at the next meeting without something positive to share!

Kanban EV is the latest edition (2nd? 3rd? There was kind of an in-between edition somewhere…) of the car-production game by designer Vital Lacerda. The first edition was already a joy to play; the second edition brings that joy to a whole new level, with great components and a new board that scares the hell out of everyone at first, but becomes second nature in no time.

We’re talking about a worker-placement game with just one worker per player. This means you have to move your worker from action space to action space, and in turn that action spaces become available—and then occupied again—in an accelerated cadence. You score points when you test cars, but you must first obtain those cars; however, you have to provide specific parts before a car can roll off the assembly line; and don’t forget you also need car designs, otherwise, how will you know what you’re ultimately making and testing? Oh and did you remember to get the proper amount of training in each of those departments?
On top of it all, Sandra, the factory manager, will amble along the entire factory and check up on player performance. If said performance is lacking and training is insufficient, penalties will be doled out. (You do not want to get penalized by Sandra.)

So there’s a lot going on here. There’s no doubt Kanban EV is one of the heaviest Eurogames you’ll ever learn (and a bitch to teach, I can tell you that). But it’s well worth the effort: once the mechanics have been internalized, the game runs smoothly and what’s left is the good stuff—figuring out how to make the most out of limited time and resources. The result is a favorite in my collection.

(I haven't touched the small expansion that comes with this edition. The game's already great without it.)

Most easily forgotten rule: In a 2-player game, you cannot move to a department occupied by Sandra. (But she can still move to any department with a free spot in it.)

# # #