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on April 24, 2012
Lords of Waterdeep is based in the Dungeons and Dragons world. More specifically, in the Forgotten Realms campaign setting. Unlike the other board games that have been released by Wizards of the Coast over the past few years that are also set in the D&D world (eg, Wrath of Ashardalon and Conquest of Norrath), this game is pure euro. For all intents and purposes, it is a worker-placement game with a pick-up and deliver mechanic (no, really, it's funner than that might sound!).
The idea behind the game is the following: Each player takes on the role of a lord of Waterdeep - one of several actors who essentially controls the politics and economy of the City of Splendor (as Waterdeep is known). To increase their influence, they hire adventurers to complete quests on their behalf. For example, you might hire a few rogues to infiltrate one of the many guilds composing Waterdeep's market economy. The more quests you complete, the better you do in the game - the player who completes the most (and most valuable) quests, wins.
Game play
The game play blends the theme with the mechanics almost seamlessly. The game plays over eight rounds, and each round players take turns assigning their agents to different buildings. Each building procures the player something, but most commonly a collection of adventurers. Adventurers come in four flavors: clerics, rogues, fighters, and wizards (in other words, classic D&D archetypes). After assigning agents to a building and collecting its benefits, a player can complete one quest per turn. To complete a quest, you must return a certain type and amount of adventurers to the general stock. In return, you earn victory points - and sometimes gold and more adventurers, or even advantages that last throughout the duration of the game.
That's basically how the game plays. There area a few extra things, however, worth noting. First, the game begins with several basic buildings that allow players to procure all necessary resources: the four types of adventurers, quest cards, money, and intrigue cards (more on this in a second). But players who visit the Builders' Hall can also build a new building for that turn. This creates more spaces and resources for players to use and collect, and also provides a benefit for whoever built that building: whenever another player assigns an agent to that building, the owner receives a reward, as well.
Intrigue cards allow players to mess with each other more directly than simply blocking one another when assigning agents to buildings. Sometimes they allow you to steal adventurers from other players, while other times you can force them to complete a quest before moving on to their own, more lucrative quest cards. Perhaps most importantly, when you play a quest card, you do so by assigning an agent to Waterdeep Harbor. At the end of each round, everyone who assigned an agent here, that is, played an intrigue card, gets at least one more turn to assign agents to buildings. This mechanic forces players to be in each others' faces.
Finally, at the start of the game, players receive a Lord of Waterdeep card that indicates their particular character. Each character is typically associated with a specific type (or types) of quest cards. For example, a lord may be associated with both Skullduggery and Piety (odd combination, but it happened to me with the character Nindil Jalbuck - an evil doppelganger of an otherwise honest and philanthropic halfling). For each quest of that type you complete, you earn bonus points at the end of the game.
Why we love this game
a. Lords of Waterdeep is easy to learn and pick up, and it goes quite fast. Our games clocked in at around 45-60 minutes. My current gaming group starts around 2200 and we usually poop out sooner rather than later. This means games that are quick to pick up and play, but strategically fun, are a boon. What's more, with the Lord of Waterdeep cards, each player starts out with a clear goal that helps shape their strategy.
b. I like the theme, a lot. I've never played D&D as an RPG, but I've enjoyed the literature and the D&D Adventure Games (we own both Wrath of Ashardalon and The Legend of Drizzt). This game evokes the D&D world in a very unique way. Although I wish the adventurers were something other than classic euro-cubes for thematic reasons (I insist that everyone call the cubes wizards, clerics, fighters, and rogues, and not purple, white, orange, and black cubes!), it still works: you get the idea that you are hiring people to go do stuff for you. Fun, dungeony, high fantasy stuff. I dig it. It just does not feel like a cube-pusher to me. Along with the theme, there's actually quite a bit of flavor text (and incredible artwork) on the cards and in the rules book that make it even more fun (and yes, I read my flavor text, out loud, too, when completing a quest!).
c. Although you keep track of victory points as you complete quests, you never quite know who wins until the end of the game, because it's only then that the Lord of Waterdeep cards are revealed. This means that the run-away front runner will not necessary win - and if they do, at least everyone else feels like they're still in the game and has a chance up until the bitter end!
d. Finally, this is a good game for all numbers of players (2-5) for which we've played (2 and 4). Strategy changes slightly between player counts, but, in our experience, anyway, the core feel and tactics of the game remain constant between 2 and 4 players - a rather rare and well done feat, in my opinion.
In short, Lords of Waterdeep is absolutely fun. I want to note, also, that within my gaming group, I am the only one with any D&D background or, shall we say, enduring and obsessive high fantasy/sci-fi interest. But that did not seem to matter: everyone loved the game and the theme, and this is one of the few games that got a call back from my gaming group.
The idea behind the game is the following: Each player takes on the role of a lord of Waterdeep - one of several actors who essentially controls the politics and economy of the City of Splendor (as Waterdeep is known). To increase their influence, they hire adventurers to complete quests on their behalf. For example, you might hire a few rogues to infiltrate one of the many guilds composing Waterdeep's market economy. The more quests you complete, the better you do in the game - the player who completes the most (and most valuable) quests, wins.
Game play
The game play blends the theme with the mechanics almost seamlessly. The game plays over eight rounds, and each round players take turns assigning their agents to different buildings. Each building procures the player something, but most commonly a collection of adventurers. Adventurers come in four flavors: clerics, rogues, fighters, and wizards (in other words, classic D&D archetypes). After assigning agents to a building and collecting its benefits, a player can complete one quest per turn. To complete a quest, you must return a certain type and amount of adventurers to the general stock. In return, you earn victory points - and sometimes gold and more adventurers, or even advantages that last throughout the duration of the game.
That's basically how the game plays. There area a few extra things, however, worth noting. First, the game begins with several basic buildings that allow players to procure all necessary resources: the four types of adventurers, quest cards, money, and intrigue cards (more on this in a second). But players who visit the Builders' Hall can also build a new building for that turn. This creates more spaces and resources for players to use and collect, and also provides a benefit for whoever built that building: whenever another player assigns an agent to that building, the owner receives a reward, as well.
Intrigue cards allow players to mess with each other more directly than simply blocking one another when assigning agents to buildings. Sometimes they allow you to steal adventurers from other players, while other times you can force them to complete a quest before moving on to their own, more lucrative quest cards. Perhaps most importantly, when you play a quest card, you do so by assigning an agent to Waterdeep Harbor. At the end of each round, everyone who assigned an agent here, that is, played an intrigue card, gets at least one more turn to assign agents to buildings. This mechanic forces players to be in each others' faces.
Finally, at the start of the game, players receive a Lord of Waterdeep card that indicates their particular character. Each character is typically associated with a specific type (or types) of quest cards. For example, a lord may be associated with both Skullduggery and Piety (odd combination, but it happened to me with the character Nindil Jalbuck - an evil doppelganger of an otherwise honest and philanthropic halfling). For each quest of that type you complete, you earn bonus points at the end of the game.
Why we love this game
a. Lords of Waterdeep is easy to learn and pick up, and it goes quite fast. Our games clocked in at around 45-60 minutes. My current gaming group starts around 2200 and we usually poop out sooner rather than later. This means games that are quick to pick up and play, but strategically fun, are a boon. What's more, with the Lord of Waterdeep cards, each player starts out with a clear goal that helps shape their strategy.
b. I like the theme, a lot. I've never played D&D as an RPG, but I've enjoyed the literature and the D&D Adventure Games (we own both Wrath of Ashardalon and The Legend of Drizzt). This game evokes the D&D world in a very unique way. Although I wish the adventurers were something other than classic euro-cubes for thematic reasons (I insist that everyone call the cubes wizards, clerics, fighters, and rogues, and not purple, white, orange, and black cubes!), it still works: you get the idea that you are hiring people to go do stuff for you. Fun, dungeony, high fantasy stuff. I dig it. It just does not feel like a cube-pusher to me. Along with the theme, there's actually quite a bit of flavor text (and incredible artwork) on the cards and in the rules book that make it even more fun (and yes, I read my flavor text, out loud, too, when completing a quest!).
c. Although you keep track of victory points as you complete quests, you never quite know who wins until the end of the game, because it's only then that the Lord of Waterdeep cards are revealed. This means that the run-away front runner will not necessary win - and if they do, at least everyone else feels like they're still in the game and has a chance up until the bitter end!
d. Finally, this is a good game for all numbers of players (2-5) for which we've played (2 and 4). Strategy changes slightly between player counts, but, in our experience, anyway, the core feel and tactics of the game remain constant between 2 and 4 players - a rather rare and well done feat, in my opinion.
In short, Lords of Waterdeep is absolutely fun. I want to note, also, that within my gaming group, I am the only one with any D&D background or, shall we say, enduring and obsessive high fantasy/sci-fi interest. But that did not seem to matter: everyone loved the game and the theme, and this is one of the few games that got a call back from my gaming group.
on April 23, 2017
THIS IS MY FAVORITE GAME!!!
My boyfriend and his friends are really into board games, and I've now played a ton as well, so feel more adept to comment here. This is honestly my favorite game. It takes about 90-120 minutes to play, and even if someone is doing really poorly, there is still the chance they can come back and win. I love that there is strategy, creativity, you can work with or against people, and while you're all working for points, you all have your own specific goals. I can't say enough amazing things about it. We first played it when I hadn't played a lot of board games and I loved it, and we now own it along with 100 other board games and I still love it!
My only suggestion is to get the expansion pack. It is worth every penny because of the extra things that it offers, and it can completely change many aspects of how you play!
My boyfriend and his friends are really into board games, and I've now played a ton as well, so feel more adept to comment here. This is honestly my favorite game. It takes about 90-120 minutes to play, and even if someone is doing really poorly, there is still the chance they can come back and win. I love that there is strategy, creativity, you can work with or against people, and while you're all working for points, you all have your own specific goals. I can't say enough amazing things about it. We first played it when I hadn't played a lot of board games and I loved it, and we now own it along with 100 other board games and I still love it!
My only suggestion is to get the expansion pack. It is worth every penny because of the extra things that it offers, and it can completely change many aspects of how you play!
on January 3, 2017
LoW is one of my groups favorite games for our weekly gaming night. In the core game, it's 2-5 players competing as secret lords vying for control of the city of Waterdeep. (The expansion, Scoundrels of Skullport Lords of Waterdeep: Scoundrels of Skullport Expansion Board Game, adds in a 6th player option with the addition of a new faction, as well as new quests and intrigue cards, two new location boards, and the corruption system - a high reward but potentially high penalty system of obtaining resources.)
The game is centered on sending out agent meeples to collect resources to finish quests and obtain victory points or build buildings (which further help in obtaining new resources or victory points). Once your agent is on a particular location, you block out everyone else from being able to land on that location. All players active quests are public knowledge, with the only hidden items being who your particular lord is (and conversely, what secret ability you have to score additional points at the end of the game) and what intrigue cards you have in your hand. On the way, you play intrigue cards to hinder or help other players, but mainly to benefit yourself. The game is always eight rounds, and the faction with the most victory points at the end of the 8th round is crowned the new Lord of Waterdeep.
This is a great game to initiate people into board gaming, especially competitive personality types (like athletes and athletic trainers), because it has some pretty simple mechanics, and the thematic elements are integrated well, but won't bog down anyone who isn't into fantasy or D&D elements. The core game is itself fun, but we almost always play the game with the expansion.
*Complexity: 4/5 out of 10.
*Strategy to Luck Ratio: Pretty evenly mixed. No one is out for the count if they played the first few rounds and fell behind in scoring. There are several 25 point quests in the core game, and several 40 point quests in the expansion, that have always proved, in our gaming sessions, that no one knows who will win until the last round is played and final scoring has occurred.
*Art and theme: Pretty well integrated.
*Physical Box: Probably one of the best uses of item management that doesn't involve thousands of plastic baggies or the use of a third party inventory cardboard/plastic tray system.
Also, the game uses, like most games, cardboard tokens to represent coins. Do not underestimate the use of metal coins if you can find them.
The game is centered on sending out agent meeples to collect resources to finish quests and obtain victory points or build buildings (which further help in obtaining new resources or victory points). Once your agent is on a particular location, you block out everyone else from being able to land on that location. All players active quests are public knowledge, with the only hidden items being who your particular lord is (and conversely, what secret ability you have to score additional points at the end of the game) and what intrigue cards you have in your hand. On the way, you play intrigue cards to hinder or help other players, but mainly to benefit yourself. The game is always eight rounds, and the faction with the most victory points at the end of the 8th round is crowned the new Lord of Waterdeep.
This is a great game to initiate people into board gaming, especially competitive personality types (like athletes and athletic trainers), because it has some pretty simple mechanics, and the thematic elements are integrated well, but won't bog down anyone who isn't into fantasy or D&D elements. The core game is itself fun, but we almost always play the game with the expansion.
*Complexity: 4/5 out of 10.
*Strategy to Luck Ratio: Pretty evenly mixed. No one is out for the count if they played the first few rounds and fell behind in scoring. There are several 25 point quests in the core game, and several 40 point quests in the expansion, that have always proved, in our gaming sessions, that no one knows who will win until the last round is played and final scoring has occurred.
*Art and theme: Pretty well integrated.
*Physical Box: Probably one of the best uses of item management that doesn't involve thousands of plastic baggies or the use of a third party inventory cardboard/plastic tray system.
Also, the game uses, like most games, cardboard tokens to represent coins. Do not underestimate the use of metal coins if you can find them.
on April 26, 2016
I LOVE THIS GAME!! If you are an avid games, buy this now! My husband and I play board games each night, and this is becoming our favorite quickly. My brother bought it a while back, and brought it on a trip where we all learned it together. We went about three days after my brother's departure before we had to buy it for ourselves.
BACKGROUND:
Our gaming history is extensive, but our favorites that are of similar caliber are: 7 wonders with expansions, rivals of catan, 7 wonders duel, and innovation.
If you like all of those games I mentioned above, you need to buy this game. So, the story goes my husband and I bought Sid Meier's Civilization, which is quite a beast of a game. We promised we would not buy another game until we mastered Civ. However, life came about and we just didn't have the time to learn Civ. My brother taught us lords of Waterdeep, we fell in love, and we broke our promise to Civ.
Lords of Waterdeep is easy to learn compared to Civ and other games with several components as long as you get over the fact it is based on a game, which is why everything has specific names. The terminology of the pieces isn't important unless you bought this board game because you love the original game. We just call the pieces by their color. We mostly play with two people, but we have played with up to four, and it is fun no matter the number of players! We love the game because it has several components and the strategy changes with each game.
GAME COMPONENTS:
There are lord cards, which allow you to get bonus points based on completing certain types of quests. There are quests, which come in four types. Each type has a certain cost theme. (more oranges for one type of quest, or more gold for other types of quests). There are plot quests, which give you a benefit throughout the remainder of the game.There are agents that you use to select the action you want to take for the game, and each player gets an additional agent about half way through the game to allow for an additional action. There are also buildings, which create a new action space, and offers certain benefits to its owner. (kind of like monopoly where if another player lands on your property, you get a benefit).
Strategies can range from building a lot of buildings, completing several small quests, completing a few big quests, going for only bonus point quests, and somewhere in between.
TIME/LENGTH OF PLAY:
We are planning on getting the expansion soon, but the game still isn't boring for us. We have played it almost every night for about a month. Usually we play best out of three. With two players and a full understanding of the rules, the game takes 30 min-1 hr. We like this because there is a set number of rounds (7), so we know the game won't take more than an hour. It is similar to 7 wonders, in that there is a limited amount of choices, which makes the playing time pretty consistent However, if we take our sweet time choosing something, the game will take longer (just as in 7 wonders). Our other go-to-game is Innovation, which can take anywhere from 30 min to 3 hours, so if we need to end a game at a reasonable hour, Lords is a much better choice.
The longest part of the game is putting it away. There are several components and each piece fits perfectly into the box with no room to spare. So, all the pieces have to be arranged in a specific way. There are instructions on how to organize the game within the box in the instruction booklet.
OVERALL:
Buy this game! It is fun for hours and for multiple people or just two players!
BACKGROUND:
Our gaming history is extensive, but our favorites that are of similar caliber are: 7 wonders with expansions, rivals of catan, 7 wonders duel, and innovation.
If you like all of those games I mentioned above, you need to buy this game. So, the story goes my husband and I bought Sid Meier's Civilization, which is quite a beast of a game. We promised we would not buy another game until we mastered Civ. However, life came about and we just didn't have the time to learn Civ. My brother taught us lords of Waterdeep, we fell in love, and we broke our promise to Civ.
Lords of Waterdeep is easy to learn compared to Civ and other games with several components as long as you get over the fact it is based on a game, which is why everything has specific names. The terminology of the pieces isn't important unless you bought this board game because you love the original game. We just call the pieces by their color. We mostly play with two people, but we have played with up to four, and it is fun no matter the number of players! We love the game because it has several components and the strategy changes with each game.
GAME COMPONENTS:
There are lord cards, which allow you to get bonus points based on completing certain types of quests. There are quests, which come in four types. Each type has a certain cost theme. (more oranges for one type of quest, or more gold for other types of quests). There are plot quests, which give you a benefit throughout the remainder of the game.There are agents that you use to select the action you want to take for the game, and each player gets an additional agent about half way through the game to allow for an additional action. There are also buildings, which create a new action space, and offers certain benefits to its owner. (kind of like monopoly where if another player lands on your property, you get a benefit).
Strategies can range from building a lot of buildings, completing several small quests, completing a few big quests, going for only bonus point quests, and somewhere in between.
TIME/LENGTH OF PLAY:
We are planning on getting the expansion soon, but the game still isn't boring for us. We have played it almost every night for about a month. Usually we play best out of three. With two players and a full understanding of the rules, the game takes 30 min-1 hr. We like this because there is a set number of rounds (7), so we know the game won't take more than an hour. It is similar to 7 wonders, in that there is a limited amount of choices, which makes the playing time pretty consistent However, if we take our sweet time choosing something, the game will take longer (just as in 7 wonders). Our other go-to-game is Innovation, which can take anywhere from 30 min to 3 hours, so if we need to end a game at a reasonable hour, Lords is a much better choice.
The longest part of the game is putting it away. There are several components and each piece fits perfectly into the box with no room to spare. So, all the pieces have to be arranged in a specific way. There are instructions on how to organize the game within the box in the instruction booklet.
OVERALL:
Buy this game! It is fun for hours and for multiple people or just two players!
on February 18, 2016
This is hands down my favorite board game. I never get tired of it. I recently learned of the iPhone version of the game which I play daily, but nothing beats having the actual game out playing with friends on a random night of the week. It even made it into our engagement photo (the game at the bottom)
Enthusiast: Board Gameson December 28, 2016
A definitive worker placement eurogame with a D&D theme. If you enjoy D&D you might never notice that you're playing a eurogame, though you'll definitely notice that this game is in no way comparable to a modified dungeon crawl like The Legend of Drizzt or Castle Ravenloft. If you're looking for a streamlined D&D fantasy experience try one of those two games.
If you're just excited by the general theme and interested in a different gaming experience this could be the one for you.
Should you find the mechanic of the game enjoyable, you may want to venture further into the worker placement genre.
If you're just excited by the general theme and interested in a different gaming experience this could be the one for you.
Should you find the mechanic of the game enjoyable, you may want to venture further into the worker placement genre.
on December 10, 2013
My wife got me Agricola b/c I told her it was a highly rated resource game. Unfortunately I really hated it b/c we typically only play 2 players and it mostly made me angry due to scarcity of resources. In response I got her Lords of Waterdeep b/c it was lauded as a resource game, but much less complex/easier than Agricola and it's been an absolute blast to the point my mother in law (50+) and niece (4) can follow and play this game with much enjoyment. We've played it so much the board is starting to come apart!
Note that I am the only one in the family that grew up on D&D styled IP. My wife typically hates fantasy and sci-fi type stuff, but she was able to pick this up w/o any problems. She doesn't really read the card or pay attention to the art and most wants 'orange guys or purple guys' as opposed to warriors or mages. Fans of the game will appreciate some quest names like Domesticate Owlbears.
Since we're a casual boardgame family we don't play with mandatory quests or practice resource denial strategies so it's more like a resource 'race' (like ticket to ride) so it's less intense towards the end of the game and easier to have runaway leaders, but due to the lord bonuses and just general randomness of which lord you get, quests, and buildings that are available, it's maintained it's replayability for us and since there's an expansion out, I don't see this game hitting the cupboard anytime soon.
We've taught this game to multiple friends with varying levels of boardgame experience (usually little to none or some settlers experience) and it has always been easy for them to pick up and often they'll want to play again after we finish.
We recommend playing with 3 people as 4 people matches take really long. There are limited rounds, which is good, but adding a fouth person increases the number of turns and agents quite a bit b/c there's also more competition over spots b/c you can only build a single building per round w/o intrigue cards or special spots.
Note that I am the only one in the family that grew up on D&D styled IP. My wife typically hates fantasy and sci-fi type stuff, but she was able to pick this up w/o any problems. She doesn't really read the card or pay attention to the art and most wants 'orange guys or purple guys' as opposed to warriors or mages. Fans of the game will appreciate some quest names like Domesticate Owlbears.
Since we're a casual boardgame family we don't play with mandatory quests or practice resource denial strategies so it's more like a resource 'race' (like ticket to ride) so it's less intense towards the end of the game and easier to have runaway leaders, but due to the lord bonuses and just general randomness of which lord you get, quests, and buildings that are available, it's maintained it's replayability for us and since there's an expansion out, I don't see this game hitting the cupboard anytime soon.
We've taught this game to multiple friends with varying levels of boardgame experience (usually little to none or some settlers experience) and it has always been easy for them to pick up and often they'll want to play again after we finish.
We recommend playing with 3 people as 4 people matches take really long. There are limited rounds, which is good, but adding a fouth person increases the number of turns and agents quite a bit b/c there's also more competition over spots b/c you can only build a single building per round w/o intrigue cards or special spots.
on November 20, 2013
Despite being a dungeons and dragons game this is not a pen and paper role playing game or any game of that sorts. This is what was stopping my gaming group from trying it (they arent big fans of D&D like I am). This is a worker placement type game. You have your agents which you have to place on certain locations to gather the resources needed to complete a task (quest). The resources in this game are wizards, warriors etc in the form of coloured cubes which can be easily though of like wood, stone etc. Once you have the necessary resources to complete a quest, you trade them in for the completed quest to get the points required to win the game. It has intrigue cards which will allow you to mess with other players, there are buildings you can build which will produce "resources" and as "owner" of the building you will get a benefit whenever someone uses it. It is pretty straight forward and easy to learn and teach. Do not get put off by the fact that is D&D themed if you do not like D&D as this is only the theme of it. It plays just like any worker placement / resource gathering game.
I enjoyed it and many members of the group were surprised they liked it as they started off thinking they wont because it was a D&D game.
To see how it is played you can search on youtube for the tabletop episode with Wil Wheaton playing it. You will know if this game is for you once you have seen it there.
I enjoyed it and many members of the group were surprised they liked it as they started off thinking they wont because it was a D&D game.
To see how it is played you can search on youtube for the tabletop episode with Wil Wheaton playing it. You will know if this game is for you once you have seen it there.
on April 11, 2012
I'm a big fan of games with good theme, so I was a reluctant to pick this game up after reading other reviews that were saying the theme was just added on to the mechanics. But... I'm fan of worker placement games... and I'm a D&D player from way back. So, I pulled the trigger...so to speak.
I'm glad I did. This game is fun, has good design elements, and great production value.
Production:
The box and insert for this game are just awesome. I have lots of games where the insert seems to be an after thought (I'm looking at you FFG). The box is unique but functional and the insert is one of the best I've seen. The insert holds all the bits and makes them easy to get to and easy to store and even has beveled sections that allow you to easily remove the components. The manual also has a section dedicated to showing you how to store the pieces. One of the best box designs ever.
Game Play:
There is plenty of player interaction unlike many Euro type games. Simply put, you are placing workers to collect resources that you turn in for points. However, you can see what every other player is attempting to collect and you have the option to delay and interfere with them if you want. Every turn has plenty of options and I didn't really get the feeling, like I do with a lot of Euros, that the game was playing me. The game is simple to teach and moves along pretty quickly.
Theme:
The theme is just a layer on top of the mechanics, but I did enjoy it. The resource collection aspect of the game manifests as "quests" that you complete/turn in. The resources are your typical D&D types: Clerics, Rogues, Wizards, and Fighters. As I was playing I found myself looking more at the items I needed to collect and not the quest itself. The game takes place in the very popular Forgotten Realms city of Waterdeep. I've read a number of the books and have enjoyed roleplaying in this campaign setting so I think that helped fill in some of the gaps that a tightly integrated theme normally fills.
Final Thoughts:
This game will have a permanent place on my shelf. It's easy to teach and play.... and I immediately wanted to play again after my first game. We are four months into 2012 and I think this is one of the best games of the year.
I'm glad I did. This game is fun, has good design elements, and great production value.
Production:
The box and insert for this game are just awesome. I have lots of games where the insert seems to be an after thought (I'm looking at you FFG). The box is unique but functional and the insert is one of the best I've seen. The insert holds all the bits and makes them easy to get to and easy to store and even has beveled sections that allow you to easily remove the components. The manual also has a section dedicated to showing you how to store the pieces. One of the best box designs ever.
Game Play:
There is plenty of player interaction unlike many Euro type games. Simply put, you are placing workers to collect resources that you turn in for points. However, you can see what every other player is attempting to collect and you have the option to delay and interfere with them if you want. Every turn has plenty of options and I didn't really get the feeling, like I do with a lot of Euros, that the game was playing me. The game is simple to teach and moves along pretty quickly.
Theme:
The theme is just a layer on top of the mechanics, but I did enjoy it. The resource collection aspect of the game manifests as "quests" that you complete/turn in. The resources are your typical D&D types: Clerics, Rogues, Wizards, and Fighters. As I was playing I found myself looking more at the items I needed to collect and not the quest itself. The game takes place in the very popular Forgotten Realms city of Waterdeep. I've read a number of the books and have enjoyed roleplaying in this campaign setting so I think that helped fill in some of the gaps that a tightly integrated theme normally fills.
Final Thoughts:
This game will have a permanent place on my shelf. It's easy to teach and play.... and I immediately wanted to play again after my first game. We are four months into 2012 and I think this is one of the best games of the year.
