From the beginning I knew this would be a game I either really liked or disliked depending on if I won or not, which is extremely rare for me. To me, this is a game of luck and risk, two mechanics that I don’t mind separately, but together makes for a game that has me on the edge of my seat trying to stop myself from rolling one more time. The hardest part of Can’t Stop is knowing that there’s some balance to knowing when to wait and when to keep rolling and that I just can’t figure it out.

My group’s main strategy was to roll until you couldn’t, or at least until you had at least one cone on the other side. I started with a more conservative approach. At first, as I inched slowly across the board the risky strategy seemed to be failing, and then within a couple of turns someone else would win. I tried to adjust my strategy to add more risky movements but it seemed that even two or three rolls would be too many and I’d be back where I started. I think that this game is good for those that like being able to risk a lot without having to deal with consequences outside of the game.

Knowing when to stop risking everything and when to keep trying is a critical skill in leadership. I tend to err on the side of precaution and that can be good in certain circumstances, and as I explained above, not so good in others. Making the decision to stop or continue can absolutely make or break a situation. Can’t Stop requires players to be constantly making that decision. Stop now and maybe someone else wins, or keep going and lose all your progress. The pros and cons of both choices change as you move forward and see other’s progress and as the cones get a greater and greater distance between them. The assessments of the risk versus the reward in the game that the players have to make are more immediate than ones outside of the game which only highlights their importance. The fewer risks, the fewer rewards.