Take on the role of Egyptian nobles at the time of the pharaohs, preparing for their death and burial in the valley of the kings. Using an innovative deck-building mechanism with a crumbling pyramid, players fill their tombs with jewelry, chambers, weapons, tomb art and other treasures. The player who collects the most valuable artifacts in their tomb wins the game!
Valley of the Kings: Afterlife is a standalone game that can also be combined with Valley of the Kings to allow for play with up to six player
The ancient Romans called the Mediterranean Sea "mare nostrum", which is Latin for "our sea".
Mare Nostrum is an empire-building game in which 3-5 players [or 2-6 with the 'Atlas' expansion] lead their individual ancient empires to dominion of Mare Nostrum. You grow the fame and glory of your empire by expanding your influence into new Provinces, then extending your Trade Caravans, building Markets, and founding new Cities and Temples. You can recruit Heroes and create Wonders to help your cause. But beware of your "friends" because they may look upon your gains with envy and greed...
Mare Nostrum is a re-introduction by Academy Games and Asyncron of the original 2003 release with updated rules, counters, and map board. This edition includes many new components and multiple new ways to win!
In more detail, you choose an empire to lead, which begins with three Provinces. You can lead with Caesar of Rome and its powerful Legions, or with Pericles, the prominent Greek statesman and orator, with the great Babylonian lawgiver and healer King Hammurabi, or with Queen Cleopatra of Egypt, whose engineers led in the development of grain storage and irrigation, or with Hannibal, leader of the Carthaginians, whose merchants thrived on trade and commerce. Now you decide how you will grow your empire. You can do this by:
- Expanding your Trade and creating Wonders.- Concentrating on Culture and building the great Pyramids.- Developing a strong and powerful Military to occupy the Provinces of other empires, or-Exerting Political Leadership by claiming the titles of Trade Leader, Cultural Leader, and Military Leader.
Hands in the Sea is a two-player deck building wargame on the First Punic War, between Rome and Carthage, 264-241 BC.
Each player has a starting deck of cards they use to perform various actions, up to two per round. Actions range from colonization, to naval movement, to battle, with most activity centered in and around Sicily and Sardinia/Corsica. Players may also purchase additional cards from their own custom decks, or from a set of neutral cards that either player may purchase. There are also Strategy cards that each player can purchase (one, max) that give the owning player some special advantage.
The game is played over the course of several turns, up to a maximum of twelve. At the end of each turn, players resolve random events, collect income and score victory points. There are several paths to victory, ranging from simply having the highest score at the end of the game, to capturing the opposing player's capital.
Inspired by A Few Acres of Snow, this game features several new elements, including navies, naval battles, cavalry superiority, mercenaries, field battles, sieges, manpower, strategy cards, random events, turn based scoring, bribery and tactical bonuses.
The name of the game is based on a quote from a Carthaginian commander, who claimed at the outbreak of hostilities that the Carthaginian control of the seas was such that the Romans would not even dare wash their hands in the sea.
Description: You take on the role of Alexander the Great in his world-conquering quest to extend the Macedonian empire and achieve personal glory.
When playing the game, you are placed in Alexander’s footsteps when he comes of age in 338bc, just before the battle of Chaeronea. From that point on, you get to decide where to travel, when to battle, when to negotiate, and when to seek out divine prophesies to guide your actions.
You are supplied with soldiers and advisers to help you navigate the dangers of the battlefield and the negotiating table. These include Infantry, Archers, Phalanxes, Cavalry, Advisers, Scholars, Courtesans, and Spies. You will craftily combine these resources with your own plans to achieve victory, and glorification. And if you do well, you will be remembered as one of the greatest leaders ever to walk the earth.
The life of Alexander is divided into several campaigns, each spanning several years. During each campaign, you are given goals, but how you achieve those goals is up to you. Do you enter into battle? Or negotiate? How strong are you? How strong are they? What can you gain? These are all decisions you get to make, and must make well, if you are to live up to the immortal standards set before you.
The campaigns can either be played stand alone, or linked to play through his entire life. When played as one on-going life, the outcome of one campaign affects your starting situation in the next campaign.
Please note: This article covers the 2002 release of Sid Meier´s Civilization: The Boardgame by Eagle Games. This game is unrelated to the similarly named 2010 FFG game Sid Meier's Civilization: The Board Game.
Finally, a boardgame version of this award-winning PC strategy game. Create a civilization to stand the test of time! The game begins in 4000 BC where the players found a pair of villages of a fledgling people.
Each player’s civilization :- Explores the world around them, discovering resources and the native people that defend them.- Expands by sending settlers out to create new cities.- Researches new technologies to gain advantages over the other players.- Builds unique “Wonders of the World”.- Increases the size of their cities (4 sizes from village to metropolis) to increase production.- Builds military units to defend what’s theirs, and to conquer what’s not.
Features:- 2 sets of rules (standard, and advanced) allow anyone to play the game.- 784 plastic pieces featuring 22 different, professionally sculpted playing pieces that represent cities, settlers, armies, navies, artillery, and air units from 4 different eras.- Over 100 full color Technology and Wonder cards.- A giant 46” x 36” gameboard featuring the artwork of Paul Niemeyer.It's a good looking game and maybe it just requires a larger number of players than the three we had to make sure everyone is kept in check. I'd give it another try at some future gameday or convention.
In Spartacus: A Game of Blood & Treachery, an exciting game of twisted schemes and bloody combats inspired by the hit STARZ Original series, each player takes on the role of Dominus, head of a rising house in the ancient Roman city of Capua. Each house is competing for Influence to gain the favor of Rome. Through a combination of political schemes and glorious battles on the arena sands your house will rise in fame and stature. As Dominus, you have a variety of resources at your disposal. Guards protect you from schemes launched by rivals. Slaves run your household and earn gold. Gladiators compete to bring glory to themselves and influence to their Dominus.
Three main phases occur in each game round of Spartacus: A Game of Blood & Treachery.
The Intrigue Phase is when players launch their Schemes, hoping to raise their fortunes while undermining their rivals. Schemes and Reactions are represented by cards in the Intrigue Deck. Players wield their Influence to put their Schemes into play, often asking for (or bribing) another player’s help in hatching the most complex plots.
The Market Phase is when players buy, sell and trade Assets (Gladiators, Slaves, Equipment and Guards). Players also bid against each other to acquire new Assets at Auction. Wealth is not the only path to success as players bluff and bargain with each other to acquire the Assets they covet.
The Arena Phase is when the bloody games are held. Gladiators from two rival Houses are pitted against each other in a brutal fight for glory. The spectacles of the games are represented by miniature combat on the arena board. Fighters pit their Attack, Defense and Speed dice against one another to determine the victor. All players seek to increase their fortunes by betting on the outcome of the gruesome conflict. Fighters who emerge from the arena victorious gain Favor and their Dominus gain Influence.
The goal of the game is to become the most influential house in Capua, securing your family’s power for years to come. During the game, players will bribe, poison, betray, steal, blackmail, and undermine each other. Gold will change hands again and again to buy support, stay someone’s hand or influence their decisions. Will you be the honorable player whose word is their bond or the treacherous schemer whose alliances change with the wind?For myself, the Intrigue phase presented some difficulty. I kept balking at using one of my special abilities though in retrospect I needn't have been so sheepish. It was someone else's special ability that allowed them to slip into a victory. I would be surprised to find that a majority of games are won that way. While Intrigue cards can be opposed, and even opposing Intrigue cards (Reaction cards) can be opposed by a couple of special cards, I don't recall seeing anything that can thwart a special (character) ability. I can also see a number of games ending from arena combat but it seems to me the key is the Intrigue phase of the game. I'll need to play some more to be sure. Until then, keep your Dominus clean and active.
Just last week, the offspring of the authors of Chainmail (1971) got together at Lake Geneva Games to play the classic Battle for the Brow...
