American theoretical physicist, mathematician, and string theorist, Brian Greene, said "Exploring the unknown requires tolerating uncertainty." In this game, you'll be exploring a dungeon in the blind. What lies ahead of you is unknown and always random. You might encounter a monster or more treasure than you could possibly carry. Fame and glory are yours to be found, but so is a gory death. Being an unprepared hero is hard work!
There are two types of people who go to buffets. Those who like variety and those who like bulk. We could argue that "more does not mean better", but try having that conversation when presented with 12 feet of assorted desserts. But sometimes you just want a cookie. Is there a best of both worlds? For buffets, probably not. On your gaming table, certainly. This game can be used as a single serving or the first of many, many games to consume.
You were one of the first. You saw the dawn of creation and have drifted among the stars for eons. You were content to simply observe and learn, but then something changed. You got bored. The more you knew, the more you started to feel you were missing something. Curious, you began visiting new realms and realities. You became stronger. Curiosity was replaced by greed and you became hungry for power. Now you fight for domination over all forms of reality, no longer content to simply watch. You want to rule.
American economist, George Reisman, said "Whoever claims that economic competition represents 'survival of the fittest' in the sense of the law of the jungle, provides the clearest possible evidence of his lack of knowledge of economics." In this game, the strong will not win, but the smart will and so will the patient. Prices will change as demand stays steady and goods become limited. You don't need to be lion to survive in this jungle, but don't be sheepish when it comes to making tough choices.
English writer, H.G. Wells, said "The crisis of today is the joke of tomorrow." For many lovers of board games who have many titles on their multiple shelves (me included), the ongoing crisis is storage. Individual games, no problem. Games with expansions? Many expansions? How the heck do we keep the core game and its expansions in one place? AEG, the publishers of Smash Up, have a BIG solution.
I remember looking out the car window when I was a kid as my family traveled from one end of the United States to another and seeing a long line of birds sitting on a telephone wire. I thought to myself, "what are they waiting for?" Years later, I would watch Hitchcock's The Birds and know the horrific truth. In this game, you'll be helping to organize a gaggle of grackles on multiple telephone wires. Lucky for everyone, these birds are here for fun, not for human blood.