The rules for Ascension are straight forward and printed on the game board/playmat. We were able to learn and play quickly and have immensely enjoyed every game. No two have been the same, and it rewards the player who is able to think on their feet and adapt their strategy based on the cards that come up. I like it because the gameplay is fast, and there is hardly any time between ending your turn and getting to take your next turn. Even in a four player game there was hardly any down time.

If you enjoy deckbuilding in M:tG or L5R, you will like this.

If you like shuffling the board in Settlers of Catan, you will like this.

Even if you've never played the above games, my bet is you will still like this.

The only detriment that we saw is that the card stock and printing is a little fragile. You should definitely buy quality sleeves from the start, and sleeve up carefully before starting your first game. I found it hard to relate the given story line to the actual gameplay, but really it's so fun to play that I won't let that bit detract from a 5 star rating.