The box for this game is quite large. It’s not too wide to fit on a Kallax shelf, but long and thick. The front cover is colorful and grabs your attention immediately. Interestingly, the artwork is divided between the base game and the three expansions included in this big box edition. The back of the box shows a game setup using all the expansions. It highlights the solo mode and new components, but feels more targeted at players who are already familiar with the game rather than complete newcomers.
Inside, the game comes with a plastic insert that holds every component and expansion piece in place. However, there’s quite a bit of space beneath the insert, which makes me think the entire game could have been packaged in a smaller box, about a third of the current size, that would fit nicely on a standard shelf.
The quality of the components meets the expectations for this type of game. The cards are sturdy, and the wooden pieces are well-made. The resource tokens have clear and distinct artwork, making it easy to tell them apart at a glance. They also vary in shape and color, which helps with recognition during play. The market tiles, while a bit plain visually, are straightforward to understand. The cubes used as tokens are mostly easy to differentiate, but I do wonder if players who are color-blind might struggle to tell some of them apart.
The main game board is vibrant with plenty of color, and each section is distinct. Despite this, the entire board flows together nicely and has a cohesive look that resembles a lively village setting. One neat touch is the chronicle book, which opens flat and has recessed spots to hold meeples firmly in place, so they don’t move if the table gets bumped.
Player boards follow a similar design style. They include designated areas for storing various components, making them functional and visually appealing. The meeples themselves are screen-printed and feel solid in quality. Overall, the materials are durable and the artwork bright, adding to the game’s charm.
Gameplay Overview
The objective of the game is to earn the most victory points by the time the game ends and final scoring happens. The game continues over several rounds until either the village chronicle or the graveyard area is filled.
Each round has three main phases: seeding the board, taking actions, and ending the round with a mass event. During the seeding phase, cubes are added to a draw bag based on the number of players. Then, action spaces on the board are randomly seeded with cubes pulled from this bag according to the setup card.
In the action phase, players take turns drafting one cube from any of the seeded action spaces. Alternatively, a player can spend three cubes to perform a special well action, allowing them to take an action of their choice. After taking a cube, the player may carry out the action associated with that space if they want.
For example, if a player drafts a cube from the grain harvest space, they can collect grain and place it on their player board, but only if they have at least one worker already present there. Owning a plow or certain animals can help them gain additional grain. The family space lets players add the next numbered worker of their color from the supply.
The crafting space lets players produce goods by either spending time or cubes. If they use cubes, they simply return those cubes to the supply and take the matching good. If they pay on time, they need a worker on the relevant goods stand. Placing a worker there costs a certain amount of time, which is a key resource tracked by a wheel on the player board. For every 10 times spent, the player must kill their lowest valued worker.
Black plague cubes add a thematic element here. When drafted, they’re discarded immediately, but the player’s time advances by 2 spaces, forcing a worker’s death. This worker is then placed either in the village chronicle or the graveyard near the church, if there’s no space in the chronicle.
The market action allows players to fulfill customer orders shown on market tiles. By paying the required goods or grain, a player can take a market tile face down for scoring at the end. After this, players can pay a green cube and time to fulfill more orders in turn until all players pass. Then the market is replenished with new customers.
The council chamber action has several options. Players can place a family member on the first stage, move a worker up one of the four stages to gain bonuses, or take a bonus without moving anyone. Moving workers costs resources such as scroll goods, green cubes, and time.
Travel lets players move a worker between locations by paying a wagon good, 2 time, and required cubes. They place a disc of their color on the location to mark the move and get the listed bonus. The church action involves placing a worker into a black bag by paying a brown cube or 3 times.
At the end of each round, a mass event happens. Four pieces are drawn from the black bag, which contains all the workers placed there. Players can pay coins to remove their workers from the bag beforehand, ensuring their workers enter the church track that round. Workers enter at the lowest church space, and players may spend grain to move their workers up the church track. The player with the most workers in the church after this earns 2 victory points.
The game ends when the village chronicle or graveyard is full. Everyone gets one last turn, then a final mass occurs before scoring. Points come from various sources: spaces visited on the travel board, workers in the chronicle, workers in the church or council chamber, customer tiles collected, and leftover coins. Ties are broken first by remaining grain, then by the number of living workers.
Turns are quick, with players simply drafting cubes and optionally taking the action. The market phase keeps everyone involved on others’ turns. Players must consider which cube to draft to activate or prepare future actions. This balance keeps the game moving and downtime very low. Actions themselves are simple with minimal chaining, speeding up gameplay.
The game supports 1 to 5 players, adjusting the number of cubes and setup based on player count.
Solo Mode
The game includes a solo mode where you compete against yourself. The AI opponent takes cubes from the same action spaces you use and decides whether to kill a worker based on its player board. This mode runs smoothly and works best when combined with the included goal cards. Using these turns the solo mode into an objective challenge where you must complete certain tasks to win. It’s a great way to learn the game and offers a satisfying solo experience.
The expansions included in this collection add a variety of new mechanics and components that build upon the base game experience. Each expansion introduces fresh elements that enhance strategy, increase player interaction, and deepen thematic immersion. While the base game offers a solid core gameplay focused on drafting cubes and managing time and workers, the expansions expand the decision-making pathways and give players additional ways to earn points. The expansions also introduce new locations on the board, new types of goods, and additional modules that increase replayability. This part will review each expansion individually, looking at how they affect the gameplay flow, complexity, and enjoyment.
Expansion One: The Bell Tower Module
The Bell Tower expansion adds a new area to the village where players can place workers and gain unique bonuses. This expansion introduces a tower with several levels that workers can climb. As workers ascend the tower, they collect rewards such as extra cubes, goods, or victory points. The tower adds a vertical element to the game, contrasting with the mostly horizontal layout of the base board. Players must decide when to invest time and resources to move their workers up the tower, balancing this against other actions available. The tower’s spaces often require specific resources or conditions, which adds a layer of planning. This module rewards players who can time their moves to gain maximum bonuses while also considering the risk of losing workers to the chronicle or graveyard.
The bell tower also introduces a new kind of cube that players must manage alongside the original cubes. This addition increases the complexity slightly but keeps the gameplay smooth and accessible. The artwork and components for the tower fit well with the rest of the game, maintaining the colorful and detailed aesthetic. The tower is a welcome addition that offers an alternative route to points without overcomplicating the main game.
Expansion Two: The Tavern Expansion
The Tavern expansion introduces a social hub into the village where players can gather workers to perform special actions. This area is focused on trading goods and recruiting new workers with unique abilities. Players can use the tavern to gain advantages such as discounts on certain actions, extra time resources, or immediate victory points. This module encourages interaction between players as some tavern actions affect others or require players to compete for limited spots.
The tavern also brings new cards that provide ongoing bonuses or one-time effects. These cards can be acquired through tavern actions and add variability to each game session. They also add a mild engine-building aspect, allowing players to tailor their strategy based on the cards they obtain. The tavern’s presence on the board is visually distinct and helps break up the gameplay, giving players a fresh focus.
While the tavern introduces more decisions per turn, it does not slow the game down much. The actions are clear and the benefits obvious, so players can quickly decide if visiting the tavern fits their current plan. The tavern expansion is particularly rewarding for players who enjoy tactical flexibility and a bit of player interaction.
Expansion Three: The Market Expansion
The Market expansion enhances the existing market mechanics by adding more customer tiles and new ways to fulfill orders. It brings in a dynamic market board that changes during the game, presenting players with fluctuating demands and prices. Players must monitor the market carefully and time their deliveries to maximize points.
This expansion also introduces new goods that must be crafted and delivered, expanding the range of resources players manage. The new goods have distinct shapes and colors, making them easy to differentiate, and the artwork remains consistent with the base game’s style. The added complexity requires players to plan their resource production more carefully and decide which orders to pursue.
One of the most interesting features of this module is the ability to block opponents from fulfilling certain market orders by denying them the required goods or cubes. This competitive element adds tension and strategic depth, encouraging players to watch each other closely. The market expansion suits players who enjoy direct competition and strategic denial tactics while still fitting well into the overall game flow.
Impact on Gameplay and Strategy
Each expansion modifies gameplay in ways that keep the base game’s fast pace but add layers of depth and variety. The new locations and actions require players to adapt their strategies, balancing new opportunities with the existing core mechanics. With the additions, players need to manage resources, time, and worker placement more carefully. The expansions encourage more interaction, whether through the tavern’s social actions, the competitive market, or positioning on the bell tower.
The expansions collectively increase the game’s complexity but not to the point of overwhelming players. Instead, they provide meaningful choices and new tactical challenges that enrich the overall experience. Players familiar with the base game will find fresh content that revitalizes each session, while new players can enjoy a fuller, more detailed village atmosphere.
Time management remains a central challenge. The added modules introduce more ways to spend or gain time, as well as new consequences for how time is used. Players must weigh the risk of advancing their workers too quickly, risking early death, against the rewards of aggressive play. The interaction between time and worker management is one of the game’s most compelling features, and the expansions deepen this dynamic.
Component Quality and Presentation
The quality of the components in the expansions matches that of the base game. Cards have clear, easy-to-read text and vibrant artwork. New cubes and wooden pieces are distinct and maintain the game’s colorful aesthetic. The expansions come with well-designed tiles and boards that fit neatly into the existing box insert, keeping the game organized.
The inclusion of additional cards, tokens, and boards does not clutter the game space excessively, as the expansions are designed to integrate smoothly. The player boards remain functional, with enough space to accommodate the new resources and cards. The expansions’ artwork continues the village theme effectively, making the entire package visually cohesive and attractive.
Replayability and Player Count
The expansions significantly increase replayability by introducing different modules that can be combined or played separately. Players can customize the game experience based on their preferences or gradually add more complexity as they become comfortable. This modular approach ensures the game remains engaging over many plays.
The game supports 1 to 5 players across the expansions, with setup adjustments to accommodate different player counts. The solo mode remains solid, and the expansions add new solo objectives and challenges that keep the single-player experience fresh. At higher player counts, the game can become longer but still maintains a reasonable pace thanks to the streamlined turn structure.
Overall, the expansions offer great value, giving players more strategic choices and thematic immersion without sacrificing the accessibility or speed of the base game.
Final Thoughts on the Expansions
The three expansions included provide distinct but complementary enhancements to the base game. Each adds new ways to interact with the village and the game mechanics, keeping gameplay varied and interesting. Whether focusing on climbing the bell tower, socializing in the tavern, or competing in the market, players have multiple paths to victory.
The expansions are well-designed and thoughtfully balanced, respecting the core mechanics while enriching the player experience. They add meaningful depth without bogging down the flow, making the game more rewarding and replayable. The high-quality components and cohesive artwork make the overall package visually appealing and satisfying to play.
For players looking to deepen their experience with this village-building and worker-management game, these expansions offer excellent options. They bring fresh ideas and strategic challenges that will keep the game engaging for many sessions. The modular nature also means players can introduce the expansions at their own pace, tailoring the complexity and length to their group.
In conclusion, the expansions successfully enhance the base game by adding strategic variety, player interaction, and thematic richness. They complement the core gameplay and maintain the quick, enjoyable playstyle that makes this game stand out. The result is a robust and versatile package for anyone interested in village-building and resource management board games.
Player Experience and Learning Curve
The player experience in this game, especially when enhanced by the expansions, strikes a strong balance between accessibility and strategic depth. New players often find the base rules easy to pick up due to the clear iconography and straightforward core mechanics. The game encourages learning by doing, as players discover how to best manage their workers and resources through actual play rather than extensive rule memorization. The expansions add layers that gradually increase complexity, which keeps players engaged over multiple sessions.
While the base game sets a solid foundation with its simple worker placement and time management systems, the expansions introduce new concepts such as vertical movement, dynamic markets, and social interaction hubs. These elements encourage players to think beyond basic resource collection and point accumulation. For example, deciding when to climb the bell tower or invest in the tavern’s special actions requires planning and situational awareness. This layered approach creates a rewarding learning curve where players deepen their understanding and tactics the more they play.
Veteran players will appreciate the added strategic choices and the need to adapt to ever-changing board states, especially with the market expansion’s fluctuating demands. The dynamic nature of the expansions means no two games feel the same, which is a significant strength. The game also benefits from intuitive iconography on cards and boards that assist players in quickly grasping new mechanics without slowing down the flow.
Interaction and Competition Among Players
Player interaction is a vital aspect of the gameplay, growing stronger with the introduction of the expansions. The base game already encourages competition through worker placement, where blocking opponents from certain spots can be a decisive tactic. The expansions build on this foundation by adding new ways to engage with others and affect their progress.
The tavern expansion increases interaction by providing actions that can influence other players, such as stealing bonuses or gaining advantages that deny others access. This social hub creates tension as players compete for limited tavern spots, and the special cards acquired here can alter the course of the game. Players must balance their advancement with watching their opponents’ moves and reacting accordingly.
The market expansion introduces another competitive layer by allowing players to influence the availability and profitability of orders. Players can block rivals by controlling resources needed for lucrative market demands, creating a strategic tug-of-war. This interaction adds intensity, especially in games with higher player counts, where keeping an eye on others’ strategies becomes crucial.
Despite the competitive elements, the game maintains a friendly atmosphere. The interaction revolves mostly around strategic positioning and resource management rather than direct conflict. Players often find satisfaction in clever blocks or well-timed moves that disrupt others, making the game social without being confrontational.
Solo Play and Cooperative Potential
While primarily designed as a competitive game, the expansions also provide a rich solo play experience. The solo mode includes specific objectives and challenges that test the player’s ability to optimize resource use, time management, and worker placement. The added complexity from expansions offers more solo scenarios and varied goals that enhance replayability for single players.
In solo mode, players face an automated system that simulates opponent actions, making decisions to compete for resources and market demands. This system adds pressure and forces players to think carefully about every move. The solo challenges include time limits and scoring targets that create tension similar to multiplayer games. This mode is well-loved by those who want to enjoy the game without waiting for a group.
Although the game is not designed as a cooperative experience, some groups create house rules to adapt the mechanics for teamwork. For example, players might work together to meet market demands within a shared time pool or coordinate worker placement to achieve communal objectives. These cooperative variants offer an alternative way to enjoy the game and encourage communication and shared strategy.
Accessibility and Component Design
Accessibility is a strong point of this game and its expansions. The design uses clear symbols and intuitive layouts to help players quickly understand the available actions and resources. The components are designed to be tactile and visually distinct, which helps players with different learning styles and abilities enjoy the game without confusion.
The expansions maintain this accessibility by integrating new elements in a way that feels natural rather than forced. For instance, the bell tower’s vertical movement is straightforward, with spaces marked to indicate costs and rewards. The tavern’s cards use simple language and icons to communicate their effects, and the market’s shifting demands are presented in an easy-to-read format.
The physical quality of the components also supports accessibility. The cubes, tokens, and cards are sturdy and pleasant to handle, while the boards and tiles are well-sized to avoid overcrowding. The expansions come with inserts and organizers that keep all pieces neatly arranged, reducing setup time and maintaining a smooth gameplay experience.
Theme and Immersion
One of the game’s strengths is its ability to immerse players in the thematic setting of a bustling village full of artisans, traders, and workers. The base game’s vibrant artwork and colorful components create a lively atmosphere that makes resource management feel meaningful rather than abstract. This thematic richness is expanded upon by the new modules, which add locations and narrative elements that draw players deeper into the world.
The bell tower, for example, feels like a prominent village landmark, giving a sense of place and progression as workers climb higher. The tavern serves as a natural social hub, fitting the theme of gathering and exchanging favors. The market’s dynamic demands reflect a lively economy that shifts based on supply and demand, reinforcing the game’s immersive qualities.
These thematic touches help players connect emotionally with their actions, making choices more engaging. Players are not just moving cubes and spending time; they are shaping the life of the village and competing to become its most successful citizen. This immersion is enhanced by the expansion’s ability to add variety and flavor without disrupting the core narrative.
Conclusion:
The expansions significantly enhance the player experience by adding complexity, variety, and interaction in a balanced and accessible way. They build upon the solid foundation of the base game, offering new mechanics that deepen strategy without overwhelming new players. The gradual learning curve provided by the expansions ensures that players can grow into the more advanced aspects at their own pace.
Interaction among players becomes more meaningful with the expansions, introducing competitive and social dynamics that enrich gameplay. The expansions also improve solo play, making the game a versatile choice for different gaming groups. Accessibility remains a priority, with thoughtful component design and clear iconography aiding understanding.
Finally, the thematic immersion is elevated through the new modules, connecting players more deeply to the village setting. The expansions turn the game from a simple resource management exercise into a rich narrative experience filled with interesting choices and lively competition. For players seeking a well-rounded and evolving board game, these expansions provide valuable content that will keep the game fresh and exciting for many plays to come.