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265 of 269 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
If you loved Settlers of Catan this a must!, December 4, 2003
Durability:5.0 out of 5 stars Fun:5.0 out of 5 stars Educational:4.0 out of 5 stars
Most people come to this game after they have already been introduced to the European Designer Games by Settlers of Catan. This is a different kind of game than Settlers but in some senses it shares a lot of commonalities.The game is easy to learn for a wide audience, it is reasonably quick to play (30 - 40 minutes) and is a very "immersive" game i.e. there aren't long periods of boredom. There are elements of strategy and luck, which makes for a "fun" game experience. This game is fun for children and adults. For children the "farmers" are a little too complex, but the game works very well without that element. The game consists of laying tiles to build cities, roads and monasteries in the South of France. Points are gained by creating long roads, building large cities or farming multiple farms. It draws elements of building jigsaw puzzles together with a strategy game of competing for territory.
I have played this game with family members who aren't really into board games and they enjoyed it just as much as gamers. There are many expansions to this game which add a few more dimensions as you get more advanced. There is a very high replay-ability. I would high recommend this game to people who are bored with standard Monopoly or Cranium type board games that are popular in the US. If you loved Settler's of Catan this a "must"! Summary:
General
o 2 - 5 Players
o 30 - 40 minutes Playing time
Audience -
o Children & Adults
o Serious and Casual Gamers
Format
o Tile Laying
o Combines Strategy & Luck
Longevity
o High Replay-ability
o Quality Components
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147 of 149 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Where has this game been?, January 12, 2005
Durability:5.0 out of 5 stars Fun:5.0 out of 5 stars Educational:5.0 out of 5 stars
Okay, so the game has been around for awhile, I was just looking in the wrong places. I don't remember how I was led to this game, I was looking at a game site on the Web and they said how this game is consistently rated #1. So I clicked on it, and in a carefree mood I purchased it. I LOVE IT. Even my husband who usually rolls his eyes when a game is pulled out , has said he enjoys this game. We often play it with a 9 and 11 year old, and they are easily able to grasp the concepts, although their strategies could use some work.
What is so nice about this game is that there are no dice, no money to count and no constantly moving a piece around a board. Instead each player on his turn picks a cardboard tile(nice thick quality) and places it on the table, which acts as your board. You basically create your own puzzle each game, so it is never the same. Rivers match up to rivers, or city to city, road to road. You have to decide the best place to put the piece you just picked.
Sometimes the games are lopsided, with one person building a huge city and getting tons of points, but that is often due to the other players error and not a game fault. We have only been playing it 2 weeks, but so far I have learned/figured out something new after each game to help with future strategies. It's a quick game, and high quality. I have been so impressed with this one, that I have already purchased some expansions and Rio Grandes new game of Ark of the Covenant and Hunters and Gatherers, both using the same concept of Carcassonne but with variations.
This game definitely beats out the common store favorites of Clue, Monopoly, Life, Stratego and blah blah blah. There is a reason why it has been a #1 game, try it out!
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49 of 51 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Claim the Country, June 12, 2006
Durability:5.0 out of 5 stars Fun:4.0 out of 5 stars Educational:4.0 out of 5 stars
This is a tile-placement game. Square tiles have roads, monasteries, cities and farmland printed on them. Each player in turn reveals a tile and places it such that all edges match edges already placed. For instance, a road has to connect to a road, it can not just stop. Once a player places a tile, they can claim part of the tile (road, farmland, city, or monastery). As these features grow the player gets more points. Monasteries do not grow, points are gained by filling in the nine surrounding spaces.
The skill comes from knowing just what to claim. Each player has a limited number of claim tokens. Once a feature is completed (road, city or monastery), the points are collected and the claim token becomes available for use again. Players must balance their use of the tokens and work to complete features so they can claim even more. One trick is to complete a short road or small city (just two tiles, sometimes three) and then claim it, thus getting the points and getting the claim token back immediately.
This is a quick game. Playing time is relatively short (thirty minutes or so) and play is easy. No two games are ever the same thus keeping the game fresh. A fun game for two to six players. The game is reasonably small and easy to transport. Pieces are cardboard tiles and wooden claim tokens. If you are looking for a fun game that doesn't take hours, then this one might be for you.
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