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Play Overview
You choose a city for your circus crew to visit in the hopes of putting on the best possible show. Each city has unique types of spectators and side-quests where you can help people with their lives. Once you are set up you select three performers from your troupe and which of their five cards you use in their performance.
You need to balance which tricks you select. Some are better at impressing the audience, while others can boost your performer's morale, or help them ignore hecklers and prepare for the big finale. Choose well and you can maximise not only the show but look after your troop at the same time. You only get one chance at the show, so taking your time to get to know the people and gain allies can really benefit your troupe. All the while you must carefully manage your limited resources.
As you progress you gain gifts or curses from audience members who loved or hated the show. You also acquire special quirks or ailments as well as learn new twists on the tricks to make each of your performers unique. This helps you not only in shows but with the optional side-quests. Take these on and you find yourself in regional adventures like using circus performers for a train heist or even taking on a gang of bandits in their mountain hideout.
It's a game as much about the (antagonistic) role of the audience as it is about the performers. The audience members serve as the enemies in this game, but rather than battling against them you are trying to impress them enough that they enjoy the show and spend lots of money. This results in an unusually entertaining puzzle where you must find the combination of performers and tricks to best win over a particular audience.
The result is a deck-building card game that focuses on performances rather than battles. It’s the novelty of non-combat conflict and the strength and integration of the overarching narrative, character stories, and side quests that give the game heart and make it stand out in the genre.
Our examiner, Angela Hickman Newnham, first checked The Amazing American Circus 15 months ago. It was re-examined by Jo Robertson and updated 13 months ago.
Play Style
You can play this game in the following styles:
Duration
Benefits
This game is good if you want to:
Age Ratings
Skill Level
9+ year-olds usually have the required skill to enjoy this game. Still, it's important for parents and guardians to consider the maturity required to process the game content. The non-combat play works well with younger players. However, you do needs skills in communication, forward planning and strategy to really enjoy this game. You also need to be able to cope if a city's audience doesn't like your hard-won performance.
Game Details
Release Date: 16/09/2021
Out Now: PC, PS4, Switch and Xbox One
Skill Rating: 9+ year-olds
Players: 1
Genres: Adventure, Sequencing (Battle, Narrative, Role-Play, Simulation and Strategy)
Accessibility: 29 features
Components: 2D Side-On and Hand-Made