Legends of Andor (Thames and Kosmos)

I was first introduced to Role Playing Games (RPGs) when I was in college with the RPG books Vampire the Masquerade. It was only one night and the game group fizzled fairly quickly, but it was a fun experience of pretending to be someone else and uniting against a common enemy. I never tried an RPG again after that, not for lack of interest, but lack of finding a committed group and no desire to be a storyteller. Recently, I discovered the game Legends of Andor. It is technically classified as a cooperative adventure board game, but I have heard many people describe it as an RPG in a box. Therefore, I knew I had to buy it. The game plays 2-4 people, ages 10+. It takes between 60 and 90 minutes to play, and retails for $60. Normally, I'd tell you how to set up and play the game, but the manual has an introductory adventure that does that, so I'll leave that for you. Instead, I will tell you about the game in general.

The Base Game
The game takes place in a typical fantasy realm with your tried and trusty roles - a human warrior, an eleven archer, a sturdy dwarf, and a wizard from the north! There are also brutish monsters with new names - gors, skrals, trolls, and even a massive dragon. Within the box is a massive deck of cards that form five different adventures. These range from an introductory mission to familiarize yourself with the game to searching and mine and culminating in fighting a dragon. Each game you will set up the board, give people their player boards and dice, and follow the deck of cards to embark on your adventure. Unlike a traditional adventure story, where the main goal is to slash your way through your enemies as quickly as possible, this game requires a balance. You have a limited amount of time each day to perform actions and certain actions (like killing enemies) can speed up your game. Therefore, the game is like a puzzle that you must solve to prevail. You'll win some games and probably lose more than you win, but it has an epic feeling to it, and can be played with children and adults alike. What I like about it, is that it has a bit of a Tolkien-feel to it, and it gives you an experience of living out a story he could have written. Now, if this game was all that the Andor universe had to offer, I think it would be a fun place to visit with your family or friends and once you'd played the five adventures several times, move on. Thankfully, Andor has both sequels and expansions, which I will briefly touch on.

New Heroes
New Heroes is a "small box expansion" that retails for $20. Within this box are four new heroes - a guardian, a tracker, a protector of river lands, and a Taurean fighter. These four characters not only give you new ways to mix and match your adventurers from the base game, it also adds the ability to play with up to six players. There are also some twists on the game (fending off a drunken troll) and a way to increase difficulty if you find the game too easy (not a problem I have encountered). Even if you don't have six people you normally play with, this is a good buy to give you variety among adventures.

The Star Shield
The Star Shield is another "small box expansion" that retails for $20. Within this box is an adventure called The Era of the Star Shield. The story goes that all the records were lost from this time period, so there are a number of different events that could have happened including a dark temple, a siege tower, or a water monster. Therefore, this adventure is a giant deck of cards which will make up a different adventure every time you play it. You will be writing the history books of Andor and trying to save the castle from any of the aforementioned perils. This was a nice box to have and it is compatible with the New Heroes. It gives your base game and all the pieces in it a little more life and replay value.

Journey to the North
Journey to the North is a "big box expansion" and sequel to the base game that retails for $50. I classify it as both because you need the base game so you have access to heroes to play, but you also are embarking on a different journey with a different map and different monsters to face. With the exception of your faithful dwarf companion, you can use all the heroes from the base game. There was apparently a Battle for Cavern waged and Kram is the new prince of Cavern. (I'm still waiting for an official English translation of this adventure.) Never fear, he has been replaced with a Sea Warrior. The Sea Warrior is a welcome addition, because the majority of this map is made up of water. In the Journey to the North, you have a new way to travel (boat), but it comes with complications of its own. The wind will be your friend or your foe at various times, and if you want to beat the four new adventures in this game, you better properly harness it or you'll find yourself losing repeatedly. Unlike the base game, combat is a bigger deal. You will fight aboard the ship, upgrade your ship, position your people on the ship strategically, and live or die by the choices you make. This adds a fresh concept to the game and makes it a new challenge which I thoroughly enjoyed!

Other Expansions and Sequels
Recently, Thames and Kosmos released another "small box expansion," called Dark Heroes and a "stand-alone sequel" called The Last Hope, which is the finale to the Andor trilogy. Dark Heroes is going to add four more characters to play with, but I don't know what is in The Last Hope, but I am eager to find out. There are also several different single card mini-expansions you can find at the BoardGameGeek Store, which adds some more wrinkles to the game play.

Thoughts
I really love this game, and I can't wait for my son to get a little bit older so that I can play this with him. If you love adventure and high fantasy, this is the game for you and your family. The stories are great. The replay value is high. And the artwork is brilliant and well though out. Don't let the price tags intimidate you, as most of these boxes are generally on sale. However, don't also dive in head first, buying everything. Start with the base game, and make sure you love it enough to get everything.

Kerala (Thames and Kosmos)

Kerala is a state in the country of south India. There are over 10,000 religious festivals held here each year, which usually involve fireworks and elephants. Yes, elephants. Kerala has the largest domesticated population of Indian elephants (approximately 700), which are owned by both temples and individuals. It is for this reason that the elephant is state animal of Kerala and also the emblem of Kerala's government. Thames and Kosmos recently published a game called Kerala in which up to five players are trying to build the most elegant and colorful platform for their elephants. The game takes approximately 30 minutes to and retails for $40.

Setup
1. Have each player pick a color. Give each player two elephants and a start tile of the same color. Return any unused elephants and starting tiles to the box.
2. Each player stands their two elephants up on the starting tile. This is the beginning of your festival platform.
3. Remove a certain number of the 100 game tiles from the game, depending on the number of players (20 in a two-player game, 10 in a three-player game, and 4 in a four-player game). Note: The tiles you remove can't be any player's color. Place the remaining tiles in the fabric bag.
4. The youngest player is the starting player.

Game Play - The game is played over many rounds, until the bag of tiles is empty. On your turn, the active player draws a number of tiles from the bag equal to the number of players. The first player takes one of the drawn tiles and places it orthogonally next to the starting tile. They then move one of their elephants to the new tile. The remaining drawn tiles are passed to the next player and they perform the same action. After everyone has placed a tile, the bag passes to the next player and they perform the same action, following placement rules. (Placement rules are that you must place a tile orthogonally next to one of the two tiles you have with an elephant on it. You are allowed to place a tile over an existing tile, and you are also allowed to pass two times in a game.) There are also special tiles in the game that score bonus points, let you move one of your elephants, or move one of your tiles.

Scoring - You may only have one continuous area of each color, with the exception of your color, where you can have two continuous areas. If you have any extra areas of a color, you must remedy this by removing tiles until you have one area of each color (and two of your color). Subtract two points for each tile. For each color you are missing in your platform, lose five points. Score one point for each time you didn't pass. Score five points for each special tile you matched to its color. Score one point for each elephant symbol. High score wins.

Review
When I first opened this box and was reading through the rule books, I thought that this was essentially Lanterns with elephants. You are placing colored tiles. You are preparing for a festival in an Asian country. On the surface, it seems very similar, but once you start playing, you realize that the game play is much different. For starters, you are not playing tiles to a communal grid. You are instead making your own grid, thus making the player interaction minimal. When the tiles come to you, you are going to look at them and then look at your board. The first decision you have to make is which colors can I place that are next to tiles I have with elephants on them. You also have choices (unless you are the last player), but some tiles will work better than others for you. If you have multiple good choices, then you can take the time and see what your opponents can optimally use and what would be a negative for them. That is the bulk of the player interaction. Other than that, it is essentially multiplayer solitaire, and I don't say that as a criticism.

What I like best about the game is the puzzle-like nature of it. Yes, you can place your tiles anywhere (as long as it is next to an elephant), but you don't always want to, because it could create multiple areas of the same color, which is bad. You then have to decide, do I want to use one of my two passes? Do I want to build over a tile I have already played and negate some points? Or am I just going to be stuck playing this tile and losing two points at the end of the game? I also really liked the special ability tiles. The game could have been very unforgiving and what you get is what you get, but instead there are two tiles that let you fix your board at multiple times throughout the game. One lets you move your elephant to a more strategic position, so he isn't color-locked. The other lets you move a tile, so that you can try and consolidate multiple areas of color into one area.

The game is frustrating to play (in a good way). You think everything is going well, and then you get a string of tiles that you don't want to play. This means each decision you make matters, and sometimes you are going to have to sacrifice a three point tile, just so you can clean up your area a little bit. I also like that the player count is five players, as opposed to four players. This means I can get the game to the table more often. Add in the simple game play and quick playing time, and you have a winner for both children and new gamers.

This game was provided to me for free by Thames and Kosmos in exchange for an honest review.

Lost Cities: The Original Card Game (Thames and Kosmos)

Lost Cities: The Original Card Game is a game that has been around almost 20 years. It is a two-player game for ages 10+. It takes approximately 30 minutes to play and retails for $20. In this game, you and your opponent are rival archaeologists seeking to mount the most profitable expeditions by unearthing civilizations from long ago.

Setup
1. Lay out the game board.
2. Shuffle the 60 playing cards, comprised of five colors with each color made up of cards numbered 2 through 10 and three wager cards.
3. Give eight cards to each player face-down. Place the remaining 44 cards in a face-down draw pile next to the board.

Game Play - The goal of each player is form expedition routes that after subtracting expedition costs (20 for each expedition started) earn you the most points. On your turn, you take two actions:
1. Place a Card:
a. Place a card in one of your own columns. Each card placed in a column, must have a higher value than the previously placed card. (Note: If placing a wager card, it must be placed before you playing any numeric cards. You may also place multiple wager cards in the same column.)
b. If you don't want to or choose not to play a card in one of your columns, you must discard a card from your hand (face-up) into the corresponding color's discard pile.
2. Draw a card and place it in your hand. The card can come from the face-down draw pile or one of the five discard piles.

The game ends when the last card from the face-down draw pile has been drawn.

Scoring
Add up the value of each card in the column. Subtract the expedition costs of 20. See if a column has any wager cards in it. If one, two, or three wager cards were placed in the column, then multiple the results by 2, 3, or 4 respectively. (Example: One column is composted of two wager cards, the 8, 9, and 10. 8 + 9+ 10 = 27 - 20 = 7 x 3 = 21 points.) Do this for each column. Some columns might net you negative points. (Note: Any column with eight cards in it, gets you a bonus 20 points. Any columns with no cards in it scores zero.) Add up all five of your columns and the highest score wins. Play two more games and then sum all three of your game scores. Highest score is the winner.

Review
This game, rightfully so, is one of the best and highest rated two player games, and has been for a while. With only 5 columns of colors, you usually figure out early on which two colors you are focusing on and which two colors your opponent is focusing on. Then, you and your opponent basically fighting over that fifth color, providing just enough tension to be enjoyable without overburdening. The game play is simple enough and the game is quick enough that you can teach it to kids younger than the recommended 10. This will teach your child number sequences, risk management (wager cards), and when its better to not pursue something, over pursuing something. However, what I really liked about this game was the artwork. It's got a nice, classical archaeological feel to it. And when you arrange each set of colored cards in numeric order, they form a complete picture of what exactly it is you're on your expedition for. If you're looking for a fun two-player game that will stand the test of time, I highly recommend Lost Cities: The Original Card Game.

Imhotep (KOSMOS)

The 2016 Spiel des Jahres (Game of the Year) was a hotly contested battle with three very fun games - Codenames, Karuba, and Imhotep. Codenames ended up winning, but the other two were equally worthy in the discussion. I have already reviewed Codenames and Karuba, so today I would like to tell you about Imhotep. In Egyptian history, Imhotep was the legendary architect responsible for creating amazing structures. In the game, named after him, you and your fellow opponents will take on the role of Egyptian architects. You will try to outsmart and outmaneuver your opponents and carefully contribute to the building of ancient structures. The game plays 2-4 players, ages 10+. It takes approximately 40 minutes to play and retails for $40.

Setup
1. Place the five Site Boards in the middle of the table, arranging them top to bottom in this order: Market, Pyramids, Temple, Burial Chamber, and Obelisks. For your first few games, put them on their A side, not their B side.
2. Place the Scoring Track Board to the right of the Site Boards.
3. Place the eight Ship Tokens next to the Site Boards.
4. Shuffle the 34 Market Cards, making a face-down pile next to the Market Board.
5. Take the seven Round Cards specific to the player count. Remove one at random, and shuffle the remainder. Place them face-down in a stack next to the Ship Tokens.
6. Have each player choose a color Stone, and give them a Supply Sled Token in that color. All the Stones are then placed in a pile to form the Stone Quarry. Have each player take one of their Stones and place it on the 0/40 space of the Scoring Track Board.
7. Randomly determine a starting player. That person gets takes two Stones of their color from the Quarry and places them on their Sled. Each subsequent player gets one additional stone, so Player Two would get three Stones. Player Three would get four Stones. And Player Four would get five Stones.

Game Play - The game is played over six rounds. At the start of each round, you flip over the top Round Card to determine what four Ship Tokens will be used. You then turn over the top four Market Cards, and place them face up on the Market Board. Players then take turns performing one of the four actions, and the round ends when all four Ship Tokens have sailed to the Site Boards.
1. Get new stones - Take three Stones of your color from the Quarry, and place them on your Sled. (Note: You may have a maximum of five Stones on your Sled.)
2. Place one stone on a ship - Take one Stone from your Sled and place it on any empty space on a Ship Token that has not sailed to a Site.
3. Sale one ship to a site board - Slide one Ship Token to a Site Board. The ship must be loaded with the minimum number of stones, which is indicated on the front of the ship. (Note: You may sail a ship that you don't have any stones on, and the site you sail to must not already have a ship located there.) You then unload the ship from front to back and follow the rules of the site you visit. The Market and Pyramid are scored immediately. The Temple is scored at the end of the round. The Burial Chamber and Obelisks are scored at the end of the game.
4. Play one blue market card - If you have a blue Market Card, you may play it and gain its benefit. These benefits allow you to break the normal rules of the game, i.e., placing two Stones on a Ship or sailing a Ship and deciding the order the Stones are unloaded.

After all four Ships have sailed, discard any remaining Market Cards on the Market Board. Flip over, the next Round Card and gather the designated four Ships. Lastly, reload the Market Board with four new Market Cards.

When the sixth round ends, the game has ended. Score the Burial Chamber and then the Obelisks. Lastly, score the Decoration and Statue Market Cards according to the chart printed on them. All unused blue Market Cards are worth one point each. The highest score is the winner.

Review
Modern board games, particularly Euros, are known for better or for worse, as cube pushers. You take a cube, which is supposed to symbolize something, and put it in a spot. The game stereotypically has little theme and bland artwork. Well, at its heart, Imhotep is a literal "cube pusher," because the cube is your main piece. However, the cube is appropriate, because it represents what it is, a building block. Also, these aren't your normal tiny cubes in other games. These are monster cubes, which have both a nice feel in your hands and make for good building pieces, because they don't fall over when stacking. As for the theme, it comes through with some of the sites, particularly the Pyramid and Obelisks, which are built as such. The other sites, you are just unloading stones, which don't bring the theme out as much.

As for the game play, it is a very simple game with a decent amount of strategy. Do you sail a ship that isn't all the way full, so that you can get the best spots at a site? Or do you maximize the ships and get as many stones to as many sites as possible, even if you don't get the best spot at every site? These are the decisions you have to make every round. If you can get to the Market, you definitely want to pick first, so you can either complete your set or get the rule-breaking cards, which help eliminate one tough decision per round.

The game seems like a simple, family-friendly game, but it can get pretty cutthroat moving ships that people have stones on where you don't or to a place they have no interest in visiting. Because of the nature of this game and the rules, I would say that the ideal player count is three players. At two players, you can basically each focus on two ships and leave the other person alone. At four players, it gets a bit chaotic, feeling like there is no strategy to stone placement, and you'll just end up where you end up. Three players adds the right amount of tension with much less chaos. This was a deserving nominee to game of the year, as it is simple without being able to master it, fun if you don't get your feelings hurt over moved ships, and has a good replay value.

This game was provided to me for free by Thames and Kosmos in exchange for an honest review.

Tumult Royale (Thames and Kosmos)

Press your luck games tell you a lot about the type of person you are playing with. Some people are a bit more cautious and will only take minor, well-calculated risks. Other players are a bit more daring and will take wild chances that sometimes have only a 20% chance of working. When it works, they are brilliant. When it doesn't, they lose it all. Today, I would like to tell you about a press your luck game called Tumult Royale. Tumult Royale plays 2-4 people, ages 10+. It takes approximately 40 minutes to play and retails for $40. In Tumult Royale, you and your opponents are greedy nobles trying to erect statues of yourself throughout the kingdom. To do this, you must take bread, marble, and tools from the starving peasants. However, the peasants have had enough and will only let you take so much! Take what you can, but remember the greediest of you will be punished!

Setup (For a four player game)
1. Give each player their Castle Board and 25 Statues that match their color. Have each player place their Statues at the bottom of the Castle Board in their appropriate spot.
2. Give each player a Mercy Card and place it to the left of the Castle Board. Put the card face up, where it says, "The people show no mercy."
3. Give each player an assortment of Supporters. In a four-player game, each person gets fifteen Supporters.
4. Place all the Commodity Tiles in the center of the playing area.
5. Shuffle the Nobility Tiles (King/Queen, Duke/Duchess, Prince/Princess, and Earl/Countess). Have the oldest player take the top one on the stack. Then distribute the others in a clockwise manner.
6. Assemble the Frame. Shuffle the ten Region Tiles. Put four face up in the center of the Frame and two face down on either side of the four in the center.
7. Give the oldest player the 20 second hourglass and the Tumult Spinner.
8. The lowest-ranking player (Earl/Countess) places their first statue on an unoccupied pasture field. Then, every other player in rank order, places their first statue as well.

Game Play - The game is played over several rounds with each round having seven steps.
1. Gauge the people's sentiment by spinning the Tumult Spinner. The number it lands on tells you how many of each commodity (bread, marble, and tools) must remain after you collect taxes.
2. Collect taxes - First, have each player randomly remove three Commodity Tiles. Then, each player (with only one hand) picks up one tile at a time and decides whether to keep the tile or return it to the middle. Keep doing this until the 20 seconds are up.
3. Resolve potential tumults - Flip over the remaining Commodity Tiles not taken by the players and for each commodity, see if enough remain based on the people's sentiment. If three landed on the spinner, and there are three of a commodity left, no tumult occurs. If there are less than three, the person who took the most (tie going to the highest nobility) loses three Supporters and may only keep the lowest value Commodity Tile.
4. Place statues (one, two, or three depending on where you want to build) horizontally or vertically next to your other statues by paying the cost in Commodity Tiles. (Note: You can't split tiles, and if you pay more than necessary, you receive change in the form of Supporters.) Each player gets a turn to build and then another turn to build after everyone has had a chance to build.
5. After placing statues, redistribute the Nobility Tiles based on who has the most Supporters.
6. The new king must return five Supporters to the supply. They also get to take their next statue and place it in the Royal Chronicle.
7. The player(s) who have placed the least statues receive the People's Mercy.

When you reach a point in the Royal Chronicle where there are numbers underneath. Subtract the number of statues played by the person with the most from the person with the fewest. If it is greater than that number, the game ends and the person with the most statues placed wins. If a player ever places all 25 of their statues, the game ends immediately and they win.

Review
Tumult Royale is a fun game of controlled greed. You want to be able to take as many resources as you can so that you can build the most statues, but you also don't want to take so much that the peasants revolt and you end up losing nearly all of the resources you stole, I mean "worked so hard to get." I don't normally gravitate to games with a real time element, but the mechanic in this one was necessary and didn't feel like it dominated the game. I really liked the theme in this game too. It did not feel pasted on, and it was silly/nonsensical enough that it still makes me chuckle just thinking about it. Seriously, a race to build the most statues of yourself while stealing from your "loyal subjects?" Those peasants would burn you alive after the first handful of statues went up. You'd never be able to erect all 25! Lastly, I'd like to comment on the component quality. Of the several Thames and Kosmos games I own, the components have always been pleasantly illustrated, of good quality, and more than just generic wooden cubes. This game is no different. I really enjoyed this game and it scratches an itch I didn't know I had. I try to play this game with my regular group or family at least once a month, as it is fun and frustrating at the same time. It also teaches a good lesson to kids about risk-management and knowing when enough is enough.

This game was provided to me by Thames and Kosmos in exchange for an honest review.

Steam Time (Thames and Kosmos)

Transport yourself back in time. The year is 1899 and strange things are happening in monuments around the world. Powerful crystals have also been discovered that when harnessed correctly can help the user to travel through time and space. The industrialized nations of world, never one to miss an opportunity, are in a race to exploit these powers to their advantage. This is the game Steam Time! Steam Time is a worker placement game for 2 to 4 players, ages 12+. It takes 60-90 minutes to play (depending on the number of players) and sells for $40-$60 depending on the retailer you buy from. Let's set up the game for two players.

Setup
1. Take the three Game Board tiles and connect them to form the upside down L-shaped section Game Board,
2. Take the six Monument Boards labeled with the number two (for two players) and arrange them randomly in a column to complete the Game Board.
3. Separate the Upgrade Tiles by age (I-V) and shuffle them. Then, populate the Upgrade Tiles on the board in their appropriate location.
4. Shuffle each of the following three decks (Encounter Cards, Mission Cards, and Expedition Cards) separately, and form a separate draw pile for each. Match the cards from each deck with their appropriate locations on the board and populate those locations. (Note the Expedition Cards are arranged by age so bear this in mind when shuffling.)
5. Put the clear crystals (wild) at the top of the board, along with Mr. Time token.
6. Put the remaining colored crystals in the bag. Shake up the bag and then find the holes on the game board and put a random colored crystal in each hole.
7. Put two Alpha and three Omega Effort Cards at the top of the board in their proper location.
8. Give each player an Airship Board, three wooden Airships, and three Control Discs all of the same color. Put one Control Disc on the zero of the Esteem Track (score), one on the one Steam Track, and one on the start space of your Time Portal Track.
9. Give Player One a green, blue, black, pink, and grey crystal. Give Player Two the same amount plus an orange crystal. These will go in the first open spot in their matching colored area on your Airship Board.
10. Lastly, give each player eight coins.

Game Play - The game takes place over five rounds and you can take one of two actions.
1. Take the first player token. Convert one Steam into one clear crystal and/or Convert up to ten Steam into Esteem Points. (Note: You cannot take the first player token if you are the first player and it is your first turn.)
2. Take one of your Airships and place them on one of six different locations on the board and execute the action:
a. Green - Take the Mission Card associated with this square and place it face down next to your Airship Board.
b. Blue - Take the shown number of Encounter Cards on the square and pick one to perform.
c. Black - Buy colored crystals located in the square for two coins each and place them in your Airship Board.
d. Pink - Buy an Upgrade Tile with the proper gems designated on the Effort Card. You immediately receive the bonus listed on the tile.
e. Grey - Take the number of coins listed on the square.
f. Orange - Take the Expedition Card associated with this square and pay the proper gems designated on the Effort Card.
3. Each colored square has a bonus action associated with it that you get to perform after taking the main action. The amount of your bonus action reward depends on the number of crystals you have of that color.
a. Green - Esteem Points
b. Blue - Steam
c. Black - Clear Crystals
d. Pink - Move along the Time Portal Track, which will eventually get you Mr. Time and a free bonus action.
e. Grey - Extra coins.
f. Orange - Receive up to five additional rewards, i.e., crystals, points, steam, etc.
4. Turns alternate between players with the only placement rules being that you can't land on a spot where there is already an Airship and you have to move up on the Game Board when you place subsequent Airships.
5. After each round, the top Monument Board shifts to the bottom and pushes the other Monument Boards up a space.

Review
Looking at recent games, it is clear that the steampunk theme is one that has grown in popularity in recent years. This was my first venture into that theme and I can see why it is so popular. There's something interesting about encountering historical figures such as Tesla, Edison, and Watt. Another popular theme employed in this game is time travel. I have played a few time travel games and while none get the idea exactly right, it is always a theme I take great pleasure in.

After looking at the themes, I examined the components more closely and I think that Thames and Kosmos did a first rate job. The game board is massive and modular, which makes for a stunning presentation. Given that there are different sides for the number of players (two, three, and four) and that the game board moves and changes, the game and your strategy must be fluid. In addition to a well-designed game board, the pieces are well made also. They aren't generic cubes, but blimp-shaped, and the little gem stones have a nice feel to them with colors (particularly the blue and green ones) that really pop!

The game, as I said earlier, is a worker placement game, and anyone familiar with the board gaming hobby is no stranger to this game mechanism. I would say that Steam Time took that mechanism and put it on steroids. In a standard worker placement game, you put your pawn on a square and no one else can take that action. This holds true in Steam Time, but there are multiple iterations of each action so someone can't completely block you from an action. The mechanism is also enhanced, because in addition to carrying out a standard action when placing your Airship, you also get a bonus action that varies in strength depending on the number of gems you have. Brilliant!

Lastly, the replay value is high in this game. The base game has enough moving parts, different cards, different upgrades, etc. that you can play this game many times over and it have a bit of a different feel each time. However, if you feel that you need something a little different to enhance the game or add a challenge, there are two optional modules you can add to it. One is called the specialist module and the other is called the sabotage module. The former can help enhance your turns even further, and the latter adds a "take that" mechanism to the game. I like the specialists, but the sabotage is a bit too cutthroat for my gaming group.

Rüdiger Dorn, the game's designer, is no stranger to making successful games. Looking back at his track record (Roa, Istanbul, Genoa), it is no surprise that this game plays as great as it does. If you are looking for a quality game that sneaked in under the radar in 2015, then you can't go wrong with this game!

This game was provided to me by Thames and Kosmos in exchange for an honest review. If you found this review helpful, please click here and hit Yes!