Howdy! I’m back to tell you about a new Kickstarter project that needs your help to get published. With a Smile and a Gun comes to us from Jon Vallerand at Subsurface Games and is a two-player dice-drafting and area-majority game set in a fantastical noir reimagining of the Prohibition era. I was sent a hand-assembled prototype copy with rules and art that were not yet final. I have a LOT I want to say, so let’s dive in!

When Mr. Vallerand first reached out to me, I honestly had to temper my excitement. The game has a cool name and hits a LOT of my buttons: dice, drafting, noir, strategy, and variable setup. I warned Mr. Vallerand that I only do reviews, that I’m a bit of a critical snob because of my background and experience, and that I will *only* offer honest feedback. I am incapable of flowery, hype-building documents for the sake of making a game sound good. But that just seemed to make him even more determined to get the game in front of me. 

Figuring I could at the least, maybe, help him out, I jumped in to see what he had. Honestly, my hopes were high but my expectations were low. This is Mr. Vallerand’s first venture into the world of publishing. The core mechanic of the game (moving around a square grid and sequentially distributing markers for territory control) is something I’ve seen before in a few old abstract games and puzzles. The original rules were pretty sparse and a little ugly. The component count is WAY higher than I expected for the size, weight, and time frame of the game. Basically, I had several small red flags that gave me reason for concern. 

THE BIG SHOW:

Now that you have an idea of my worries going in, let’s talk about what the game actually IS: 

This thing is SEXY. The box cover is arresting. I promise you I would snatch that thing off a shelf if I saw it in a store. The cards are the same level of stylized gorgeousness. I just want to decorate my office with this game’s illustrations. Even the map – probably the least critical art asset in the game – is so freaking pretty. Remember when I said I’m a snob? Reused, tiled, and recycled assets are an actual pet peeve of mine. EACH DISTRICT IS DIFFERENT! Did they need to be? NO. But they are and I can’t tell you how much I appreciate that level of care. I fully expect to see a lot more games in the future adorned with Justin Lanjil’s work.

The rules are impressively clean. Normally, I have to play prototypes with the open rules in my hand as I stumble through the first half of the game because the poorly written rules leave me strruggling to figure out how everything is *supposed* to work. With a Smile and a Gun just makes sense. I used a player aid in the beginning to remind me briefly of turn order and to “Settle the Score” at the end of the round. As I continued playing it over the course of a couple weeks, I only used the Player Action Aid to make sure my drafted dice did what I needed. I own a LOT of published games which aren’t this clear and easy to learn. 

I was not prepared for how engaging this little beast is. Like Santorini, With a Smile and a Gun grabbed me right away because the control and engagement are subtle – sneaky even. The core mechanic, as mentioned above, is straightforward. Simple. No real conflict. However, special powers, the way control is settled at the end of each round, and even the way final scoring is handled lead to some dirty-dirty shenanigans. Rotten shenanigans like boosting police presence to force a tie in a district you just can’t gain control of in order to keep your opponent from scoring there. Or taking / rerolling dice just to keep your opponent from drafting them. Or setting up the Shadow to steal the one Business Control Token that would’ve allowed your opponent to block your monopoly. It’s simple but clever, underhanded, and so tasty to pull off.

RIDING SOLO

With a Smile and a Gun has an impressive THREE ways to play on your own: a basic mode against an automated rival gang, a mission-centric mode, and a beat-the-high-score mode with no rival gang. Unfortunately, these solo rules only became available during the last few days I had with the game. So, please understand that I did not get to play solo as much as I wanted nor did I play with the final version of the rules. 

Solitaire rules were easy to understand and buttery smooth. I’ve played plenty of solo variants which are awkwardly challenging to keep track of turn progress without that other player. With a Smile and a Gun’s turn tracking system of drafting dice and placing them on a “clock” perfectly fixes this common challenge. You can feel the turn progress and watch your control wax and wane. It is just as easy to learn as the rest of the game, buttery smooth, and easy to operate.

Although impressive, I did not really enjoy my initial plays with the solo system. Keep in mind that I am a SNOB who plays and designs a LOT of solitaire games and variants. The system featured a process of following you and doing basic actions better than you can. It was very easy for me to “game” the system and have my way with the town. In my plays, I controlled the only monopolies and completely blew away my rival’s score. 

::UPDATE:: However, during the online tournament that Subsurface hosted to prepare for the Kickstarter launch, I was able to try out some updated solitaire rules that Mr. Vallerand excitedly shared with me. The team kept most everything the same and added 1 single important rule: if the rival controls a district, they gain 1 credit with every business present through control tokens. How the game prioritizes taking control tokens didn’t change. How the Rival leader chooses dice didn’t change. BUT that one tiny rule ABSOLUTELY changed how I had to play. Before, if the Rival was looking to lead a district over the Police or lead a district with a Hat (points) and a business, I didn’t have to worry because my monopolies were safe. Simply, I didn’t need to actually *stop* the Rival in order to win. I spent the game gifting the Rival and Police small victories while I scooped up the businesses. 

NOW, multiple businesses in a single district is a nightmare scenario because I have to make sure the Police and I lead at the end of the round. Moreover, let’s say that you, like me, feel bored by an AI that will always move as close to you as they can. You feel like every turn is the same decision of trying to move *just* short or far enough that the AI can’t move exactly the same and thereby win you some space to breathe. Good news: there’s a Shadow card that will shoot that plan in the face! If you catch the attention of the Gumshoe, she’ll block you from taking the highest value die for movement OR actions. This doesn’t just foil *your* plans. This also severely inhibits your ability to control the dice available for the Rival to use. Seriously, I went from repeated, embarrassing victories with the old system to losing by HALF under the new system with a Gumshoe following me all over town. It was humiliating. And very very enticing. 

I hope Mr. Vallerand and Carla Kopp continue to fine tune the rules as they race toward publication. From what I’ve already seen, though, this will be fantastic for anyone who enjoys the base game. Solitaire is just as smooth and can be just as challenging as a 2 player session. Overall, the aim is deliciously ambitious and I can’t wait to play more.

CONCLUSION

Sorry this has been so long winded. I wanted to convey just how much of a surprise this game was for me and give you a feel for how much it has captured my heart. I was only able to spend a few weeks with a prototype version of With a Smile and a Gun, but I think I love it. Like, most every weekend of the month since I had to give it up has seen me ANGRY that I couldn’t keep playing. I hate that I can’t keep diving into that solo system. My wife and I have started hosting patio parties where we have a distanced-dinner with friends under trees in our backyard, AND I’M ANGRY I DON’T HAVE THIS TO PLAY OUTSIDE. I am DEFINITELY backing this on Kickstarter and cannot wait to play again. 

TLDR:

Crazy pretty game. Tricksy and puzzley with subtle, clever tactical play. Not mean in a “take-that” way, while still providing player engagement and agency. Super ambitious solo system. I WILL back the Kickstarter because I want a lot more of this in my life.

With a Smile and a Gun is on Kickstarter NOW! Please, head over and lend your much needed support. You can also find Subsurface Games on Twitter and on the web.