Games Category: SU&SD Recommends
Mexica
Mexica plots the development of the city of the same name on an island in lake Texcoco. Players attempt to partition it into districts, place buildings, and construct canals.
Districts are formed by completely surrounding areas of the island with water and then placing a District marker. The player who founds a district scores points immediately.
Canals and Lake Texcoco act as a quick method of moving throughout the city. Players erect bridges and move from one bridge to the next, which costs 1 action point regardless of the distance. They must also erect buildings. This costs action points, the exact number being dependent upon the building’s size.
In the scoring phases of the game, players score points (El Grande style) based upon their dominance in a District. In the 4 player game, players with the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd most buildings score decreasing numbers of points.
Only districts are scored in the first scoring round.
In the second scoring round at the end of the game, all land areas are scored, not just districts.
The player with the most points wins.
Read MoreCondottiere
“None of the principal states were armed with their own proper forces. Thus the arms of Italy were either in the hands of the lesser princes, or of men who possessed no state; for the minor princes did not adopt the practice of arms from any desire of glory, but for the acquisition of either property or safety. The others (those who possessed no state) being bred to arms from their infancy, were acquainted with no other art, and pursued war for emolument, or to confer honor upon themselves.” –Niccolò Machiavelli, History of Florence Book I, Chapter VII
It is 13th century Italy. Trade flourishes between the city-states and the Levant. Venice, Florence, and Genoa are bursting with wealth. However, each city-state is also plagued with a weak national army, leaving them defenseless against invasion from their envious neighbors. Enter the Condottiere.
Read MoreArchaeology: The New Expedition
You are an archaeologist working the dig sites of the Egyptian desert. Search for the right pieces to complete torn parchments, broken pots, and other priceless artifacts. Explore an ancient pyramid in the hope of uncovering a huge stash of treasure! Trade shrewdly at the local marketplace to increase the value of your collection. Sell your treasures to the museum at just the right time for maximum profit.
But beware, the desert also has its dangers! A devastating sandstorm can throw your expedition into disarray, and cunning thieves lurk around the dig site ready to steal your prize discovery!
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Food Chain Magnate
“Lemonade? They want lemonade? What is the world coming to? I want commercials for burgers on all channels, every 15 minutes. We are the Home of the Original Burger, not a hippie health haven. And place a billboard next to that new house on the corner. I want them craving beer every second they sit in their posh new garden.” The new management trainee trembles in front of the CEO and tries to politely point out that… “How do you mean, we don’t have enough staff? The HR director reports to you. Hire more people! Train them! But whatever you do, don’t pay them any real wages. I did not go into business to become poor. And fire that discount manager, she is only costing me money. From now on, we’ll sell gourmet burgers. Same crap, double the price. Get my marketing director in here!”
Food Chain Magnate is a heavy strategy game about building a fast food chain. The focus is on building your company using a card-driven (human) resource management system. Players compete on a variable city map through purchasing, marketing and sales, and on a job market for key staff members. The game can be played by 2-5 serious gamers in 2-4 hours.
Read MoreConcordia
Concordia is a peaceful strategy game of economic development in Roman times for 2-5 players aged 13 and up. Instead of looking to the luck of dice or cards, players must rely on their strategic abilities, watching their rivals to determine which goals they’re pursuing and where they can outpace them. Colonists are sent out from Rome to settle in cities which produce bricks, food, tools, wine, and cloth.
Read MoreStronghold (2nd edition)
Stronghold is a two-player game telling the story of a siege. Players take opposing sides: one has to defend the stronghold, and the other has to break into the castle as soon as possible. The game board represents the stronghold itself as well as the surrounding terrain, where enemy forces are placed and whence they proceed to the walls.
The defender has a small number of soldiers manning the walls, while the invader has an infinite legion of attacking creatures. A desperate fight takes place every single turn. The invaders build war machines, equip their soldiers, train them, and use black magic rituals to achieve victory. Meanwhile, defenders repair walls, build cannons, train soldiers, and do everything they can to hold the castle as long as possible.
If the invader manages to break into the castle before the end of seven rounds, they win; otherwise the defender wins.
This second edition of Stronghold features:
• Ten objective cards for the invader and ten hidden defense plan cards for the defender; each objective encourages the invader to consider a particular move, while each defense plan shows the defender different ways to surprise the invader • Shorter gameplay than the first edition, with attackers being placed on the board during set-up • Gameplay limited to two players only, replacing the team rules in the first edition • Streamlined rules and an enhanced rulebook • Improved components, such as a larger game board and new better artwork
Read MoreMafia de Cuba
Havana, December 29, 1955: At the end of the meal offered at his “faithful” henchmen, Don Alessandro evokes the “business” in progress. Suddenly, the phone rang in the back room of the restaurant. The Godfather is convened to the office of President Batista. He entrusted his precious cigar box to his henchmen. It must be said that the cigar box has a false bottom, under the first layer of cigars, the box is filled with diamonds!
In Mafia de Cuba, each player will take the cigar box, open it and choose to:
Betray and steal some diamonds, Remain a faithful and “honest” mafioso, be a driver, or act as an undercover CIA agent. In the evening, the Godfather recovers his cigar box. He blows a fuse when he finds the disappearance of diamonds. He must find his treasure and punish offenders by providing them cement shoes before throwing them in the bay. After heated debates and perilous deductions, The Godfather, with the help of is faithful henchmen will try to find all his stolen diamonds.
Does he lose his honor by accusing wrongly? Do the most cunning thieves win? Or is it the CIA that will send these thugs behind bars?
Read MoreFury of Dracula (third edition)
Eight years ago Mina Harker and her companions returned home from Castle Dracula believing that they had definitively banished the vampire Count’s evil presence from the earth. They were wrong. The King of the Un-Dead has now risen again to menace mankind. Throughout Europe wolves are behaving strangely, superstitious peasants are growing fearful, and mysterious deaths are proliferating. Tormented by uncanny dreams and haunting visions of nighttime travel and drinking blood, Mina has rejoined her former companions, now even more determined to find Count Dracula and destroy him once and for all.
In Fury of Dracula you undertake their perilous quest, hunting Dracula across Europe and battling him wherever he is revealed. Or you take on the role of the legendary Count Dracula himself as he seeks to thwart these pursuers and plunge the entire continent into an unrelenting and evil darkness.
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