Aroma – A Game of Essence is a board game that utilizes essential oils in its gameplay to create a new experience for gamers. With four different game modes at varying player counts, there are numerous ways to put your sense of smell to the test.
A copy of this game was provided for the purposes of this review.
As I stated there are four different modes that utilize the provided pieces. They are as follows:
Discover: First player to reach the center or add all of their aroma cubes to the board wins.
Survive: Eliminate other players by identifying their aromas in this last one standing game.
Revolve: Pass the oils and identify the most before your competitors to be victorious.
Collect: Collect all aromas that belong in your category
The use of essential oils is a big selling point of the game for sure. It is ultimately what led me to want to review this game. It is the centerpiece of the game and its incorporation into an enjoyable set of games is well done. The sensory experience is a fun addition to board gaming.
The creativity the designers put into making four different games around aromas is worth celebrating. You can tell they put a lot of thought into making worthwhile games. I appreciate that especially when Aroma could have ended up a so-so experience that was fueled by the incorporation of the essential oils. That isn’t the case here and the thought and effort put forth is a big plus for me.
I also like to highlight the graphic design of the game. I really like the simple and minimalist styling and use of colors. It does a beautiful job of setting a mood for a game like this. And the design of all of the game pieces are also done well since they have to be manipulated into different game modes.
Overall, Aroma is a wonderful collection of minigames that celebrate a new sensory experience not common in board games without sacrificing mechanics and strategy.
Would you play a sensory based board game? Let me know with a comment below!
This is so cool! I love games and oils but I’ve never seen something like this. I used to use my oils and diffuser ALL the time, but ever since I got my cats I’ve had to put them away 🙁
nataliepataliepolish.blogspot.com