Suspense or Strategy... Both?
- crosewales15
- Mar 24
- 4 min read
Would you prefer suspense in a game or being challenged and forming a strategy... Or perhaps both at the same time?
"A game is an interactive system where players engage in structured challenges, following set rules to achieve specific objectives. Games can take many forms: physical, digital, or social, and often involve strategy, skill, chance, or a mix of all three. More than just entertainment, games create immersive experiences that evoke emotions, encourage problem-solving, and facilitate social interaction. Whether competitive or cooperative, every game offers a unique blend of mechanics, theme, and engagement that shapes how players experience and interpret the world within it."
Games have always fascinated me, not just as entertainment but as an experience shaped by mechanics, theme, and interaction. Over the past three weeks, I’ve immersed myself in Rhino Hero, and Grifters Nexus. This isn’t a review but a personal reflection on how I engaged with these games, how they challenged me, and how they made me feel. From the thrill of balancing a precarious tower to the mental gymnastics of executing the perfect heist, each game offered something different.
Rhino Hero... Jenga On Steroids ?
First impression & learning the game
When I first sat down to play Rhino Hero, I honestly didn’t expect much. It looked like a kids' game, colorful, simple, and easy to grasp. But within minutes, I realized I had underestimated it. The game had me holding my breath, calculating every move, and praying the entire structure wouldn’t collapse under my shaky hands.
"Rhino Hero is a dexterity based stacking game published by HABA, a German company known for creating engaging family-friendly games. Designed by Scott Frisco and Steven Strumpf, the game features colorful, cartoonish illustrations by Thies Schwarz and is intended for 2-5 players, ages 5 and up. The game challenges players to build a wobbly skyscraper using folded cards while strategically placing action cards to disrupt opponents. Despite its simple mechanics, Rhino Hero requires steady hands, strategic placement, and a bit of luck to avoid toppling the structure."
Learning Rhino Hero was straightforward. You stack walls to build a skyscraper while strategically placing action cards to trip up your opponents. It was fun in the fact you could stitch up your friends, but then they could easily turn it back and you would be left praying to god. HABA Company really won me over with this one.
My Experience & Emotional Responses
The further I got into the game, the more I realized it was more than just stacking cards, it was about handling pressure. What I loved most was how Rhino Hero made me feel like I was physically part of the game’s challenge. Unlike strategy-heavy games, where my brain does most of the work, this one demanded full-body engagement. It was pure, chaotic fun, and I walked away appreciating the simplicity of a game that could make me so nervous yet so entertained.
Grifters Nexus... your newest challenge ?
First impression & learning the game
I went into Grifters Nexus with a completely different mindset. Unlike Rhino Hero, this one felt serious. The cyberpunk artwork, the theme of crime and deception, it all set up expectations of a strategic, cutthroat experience. I wasn’t wrong.
Jake Tlapek and David Fulton made the rules a bit more complex than I anticipated. It took a few minutes to set up the game and understand how to play it, we searched up a youtube video and this seemed to help.
"Grifters Nexus is a deck-building and engine-building strategy game set in a cyberpunk world of crime and deception. Developed by Jake Tlapek and David Fulton and published by Indie Boards & Cards, the game features dark, futuristic artwork by Luis Francisco and Jay Epperson. Designed for 2-4 players, ages 14 and up, it involves recruiting criminals, executing heists, and managing cooldowns before reusing cards. With a strong emphasis on bluffing and strategy, Grifters Nexus requires players to outthink their opponents and carefully time their moves to gain the upper hand."
After figuring out the game before we knew it we were recruiting criminals, pulling off heists, and managing cooldown periods before I could use my team again. I kept making the mistake of playing my best cards too early, leaving me with weak options when I really needed them. My first few attempts felt clumsy, like I was missing something everyone else understood.
My Experience & Emotional Responses
Once I got the hang of it, the real fun began. Unlike Rhino Hero, which made me feel the weight of every physical movement, Grifters Nexus made me feel the weight of every decision. Should I take a risk and pull off a big job now, or wait for a better opportunity? Should I sabotage another player, or focus on my own empire?
What struck me most was how much this game relied on reading people. Bluffing, anticipating moves, and outthinking my opponents became just as important as the mechanics themselves. At one point, I thought I had the perfect strategy, only to be completely outplayed by someone who had been baiting me into a trap for the last few rounds. The frustration was real, but so was the thrill. I left the game feeling both defeated and determined to do better next time. This game definitely wasn't my favourite but I appreciated how it challenged me, and how it pushed me to think more out side of the box in comparison to Rhino Hero.
Conclusion
Reflecting on these two games, I realized just how much design impacts engagement. Rhino Hero was about physical adaptiveness and shared moments of suspense, while Grifters Nexus was about strategy and deception. One made me hold my breath over a wobbly tower, the other made me second guess my every move.
What makes gaming so special is exactly this, the way different mechanics create entirely different emotional experiences all on the one table. For now, I can confidently say that whether it's balancing cards or executing the perfect heist, the best games aren’t just played, they’re felt.
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