Customer Reviews

Cathedral Classic

5 star:		(19)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

"Cathedral" is a simple game to learn and one that will be quickly picked up by anyone who tries it.

The idea is to take over as much territory within a medieval town's walls as possible. You do this by placing your various buildings in strategic places within the playing area.

The game itself is made from wood, and the pieces are quite a good size. As such, they are durable and will last ages before any wear and tear begins to show.

I personally found myself quickly becoming bored with the game, as it does not seem to have the endless variety that a game such as chess can provide. The relative movements and strategies you can develop are fairly limited, in that sense.

However, "Cathedral" is different and it is simple. If there are only two players, it makes a quick, fast game to fill a few minutes with. However, should your inclincations be toward longer, more in-depth games, this is not the best of them.

My son received this game as an 8 year-old. We played it for years, including during endless car trips, long after the cardboard box it came it had disintegrated. Eventually, we lost many pieces and put it aside. What a thrill to discover it is still being sold. Easy to learn, quickly played, always interesting, creates a level playing field for parents & kids. Two thumbs up for a great family game.

The only limit in the fun of this game is the skill of your opponent. The better your opponent is, the better your strategy must be, and the more you will enjoy the game. I had Amazon send this to my nephews six months ago, and I played it for the first time with them over Thanksgiving 2001. What a great time we had! They never wanted to stop playing, and when their cousins arrived, everyone wanted to play. So we built an identical game, complete with a board, out of LEGO bricks so everyone could have a turn. I can't get this game out of my head, and have even made models of the board and pieces on my computer to pass the time. It is very addictive. My younger nephew really enjoyed playing, even though it was harder for him to master the strategies needed to win. However, it was his older brother who really improved his play by having the opportunity to play against a better player. No two games are the same, and it's very hard to predict how the ever-changing board will impact what pieces you can play. The wood is beautiful and the game has a quiet, old-fashioned elegance about it. But it is a fast, ruthless game of strategy. You won't regret adding it to your collection of games.

Cathedral is a great game. It can be learned in five minutes or less, though mastering it takes a while. However, unlike many other games that require strategic thinking, the game is fun from the beginning. One of its best features is that it can be played very quickly; a full match typically takes ten minutes or less. It's one of those rare games that balance complexity, fun, and time almost perfectly. (The "official" web site at http://www.cathedral-game.co.nz/ offers strategy guides, history, etc.)

The bonus feature is that the game is very good looking. It's visually appealing enough that it becomes an element of your decor sitting on your coffee table.

I generally evaluate games based on the amount of fun I have per unit of money I had to spend, and I rate Cathedral very highly by that measure. I'm glad I bought it, and I'd happily do it again.

One hint: When you get the game, make a diagram of how the pieces fit into the frame. They'll probably go in more than one way, but trust me, it can take a while to figure it out on your own when you finish playing and want to put everything back into the frame.

My friends and I all play this game, it's a lot of fun. The rules are simple and easy to pick up, but the strategy is much harder. You can begin playing the game within five minutes of opening the box - playing it well takes quite a bit longer. I think the previous reviewer may have had a bit of bad luck - my set arrived intact and stayed that way for over a year, despite fairly heavy play. To date, I've had to repair one piece, following a week of play at Scout camp.

The game of Cathedral is fun and utilizes the same thinking and reasoning in chess, but the game plays much much faster than a game of chess. The one thing I did not enjoy doing way regluing 10 of the pieces that had come apart in shipping. There is a note inside the box that some of the pieces may have come undone due to shipping and humidity. However 10 pieces seems excessive. Other than that, I love the game.

Although I can't comment directly on the durability of this specific set since I have a different version (Polystone Edition), I can say that Cathedral is a great game. It reminds me of other classics in challenge - like Chess & Go - but the games are much shorter, averaging about 5-10 minutes each. The rules are simple enough for everyone to catch onto easily, and there are even simple tournament rules for when you have more than 2 players around.

Cathedral is alot of fun...my husband and I enjoy games that require strategic thinking(9 men's morris is the best!)
This game is alot of fun and quite addictive! It's also pleasing to have a beautifully crafted, high quality wood game. the only problem we had was that one of the pieces was received unglued but that was easily repaired!
I highly recommend this game for folks of all ages!!!!!

I first saw this game at a friend's house at a party, Once we got people playing it was in use most of the night as people kept wanting to try it for themselves. The kids and I like it, although as an adult I get beat regularly. The kids seem to focus a bit better and then its too late for me.

I also had two pieces come packaged unglued, a little elmers and a rubberband, and since then its held up fine.

Teaches spatial relationships. Good practice for packing a moving van?

And I'm glad to find it in time for my husband's birthday. I played it when I was younger, and now that I'm married I've been looking for games that are perfect for two people (many games are not). I'm even willing to risk the pieces coming apart in the July humidity (that's how much I like this game).