go to Gold Games
by Martin Wallace
Rating: 9/10 after 2 plays
by Martin Wallace
art Tanja Donner
published 2004 by Kosmos / Mayfair
players: 2-4 / (best 2-4 [2 players using "Danger-style" rules])
duration: 20-30 mins.
type: medium strategy board game
PACE: MEDIUM. Not the fastest game in the world, but a turn consists of connecting to a couple of cities which is easy, but deciding which ones to grab early, and how to get to them in such a way as to block your opponents is what can bring players to think on their turn a little bit.
COMPLEXITY: LOW. The game is very thematic, and the rules all make logical sense (even the 'Danger-style' vairant for 2 players.) A small child could play this with a bit of help, but smart players will make this game a rip-roaring light strategy game. Very easy to pick up and play, but definitely an edge to good players.
LUCK: LOW. The only random factor is choosing start player. But some people feel going first is a huge advantage, so that is worth mentioning here.
TENSION: HIGH. Trying to find a way to expand your network while leaving yourself lots of options and excluding your opponents is VERY tricky and will keep you on your toes. This game is very tense for such a 'little' game.
CONFLICT: HIGH. One key part of the game is denying people access to certain parts of the board whenever you can afford to do so. For families, thankfully, it doesn't feel like a vicious game, but in practice...
INTERACTION: MEDIUM. Every tile you place is going to affect everyone else, but the interaction is in the form of denying access.
VISUALS: GOOD. I like the look of the visuals very much. The problem is the colors. The cities, the roads, the terrain, the warehouses: they all look way to much alike using an earth tones pallette. This towns should have been easier to tell apart, and the player colors need to stand out more. Those quiblles aside, the game does look quite niec. Just make sure your have bright lights when you are playing.
THEME: HIGH. Expading a road network throughout a feudal land. And it works very well considering the game is short and fairly light.
GAMER APPEAL: YES. What I like to call 'killer filler'.
NON-GAMER APPEAL: YES. The theme, the light but interesting tactics, the short rulset and duration -- this ought to be a smash hit. Try it as a step up from Ticket to Ride.
PLAYERS SCALING: GOOD. Plays best with 2 or 3 players, but you must use the "Danger-style" variant when playing with 2 players. I have heard 4 players makes it near impossible for the 4th player to win, and though I haven't yet played with 4, I can definitely see this being the case. The board is just too small with 4 players.
REPLAY: EXCELENT. So far this is one of my favorite games of 2004. I am predisposed to like tile-laying games.
RATING: 9/10 after 2 PLAYS
Part of this game seems as simple as connect the dots. On the other hand, it feel a bit like a train-networking game. What it is is genius. Players start with a warehouse on the board and try and place road tiles onto the board to connect themselves to cities. Players must place tiles that mtach the terrain they are building over with plains being cheap to build, hills being expensive, and forests being in between. The larger the city the more points it is worth; the less opponents on the city, the more points its worth. Players can use their roads to not only get them access to a city, but also to block other players' access to other parts of the board! The board is a bit small for 4 players, but a great network game for 3, and if you use the "Danger style variant" it's a great game for 2 players too.