So, Colonial Twilight has been out for a few months now, some reviews have appeared (Armchair General , Space-Biff! , No Fun Allowed , The Players Aid , Katie’s Game Corner) and the comments on Boardgamegeek.com have been piling up , for whatever they might be worth. They have been mostly very positive, but once in a while someone has said that […]
via Spielenexperiment II: turning 2 into 4 — brtrain
A new 4-player variant put forth by Brian Train for his 2-player only game Colonial Twilight. I understand why some think that the game will be better with 4-players as COIN Series games are always better with 4-players since you add player interaction in the areas of negotiation, dealing, alliance making and back stabbing, but to me, the beauty of the design was the 2-player only format with the updated and new Sequence of Play. It was different than the rest of the COIN and that is a good thing in my book. Innovation, change, different. These are things that we have a difficult time with. But, after all of that being said, I am intrigued and wanted to share this variant with our readers in case you are also.
If you haven’t had the chance, you can read my in-depth review of Colonial Twilight: The French-Algerian War, 1954-62 or check out our Video Review.
-Grant
The Players' Aid 
Thanks for the ping, Grant!
I had many reasons for making this variant, all somewhat facetious (you know me by now, can’t keep a straight face):
– People said that as a 2-player game, it did not have good 4-player game dynamics… well, of course it wouldn’t, because 2<4. But anyway here it is, an attempt at a 4-player game, in answer.
– People who felt that having only 2 factions in the game was a disservice to history, when clearly there were more identifiable, now have in this variant some reflection of the internal divisions on both sides. Because all factions are coalitions… which is why I had 2 factions in the first place, but never mind.
– I had found a way to make the 4-player COIN games into 2-player ones (https://brtrain.wordpress.com/2016/05/13/spielenexperiment-turning-4-into-2/), so why not do the reverse.
– I like making variants for games, even my own – like many others that's how I got into designing these things in the first place.
– Suppose it was Game Night and there was only one copy of the game, but three or four people wanted to play. I didn't want them to be disappointed!
Of course the essence and spirit of Colonial Twilight is its two-player structure, and everything new that flows from that… I am certainly not offering this variant as "Colonial Twilight: What I Meant To Say Was…."
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As a guy who plays a lot of 2-player and 4-player games solitaire, I think people need to use their imaginations a little more (yes, I can play a four player COIN game without using the solitaire bot chart/solitaire rules). Frankly, if four people wanted to play a two player game then they should just share a side and make their own coalition(share the decision making and actions). I guess people have a hard time with house ruling things and making their own variations.
Also, I have read a lot of the design info put out before the release of Colonial Twilight. I think the reasoning behind making only two factions was adequately and intelligently explained.
I also do not think that all COIN games have to be four different sides. I own several of the COIN games, including Colonial Twilight, and I am fine with not all of them being four factions.
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