PLAYED FOR YOU

The Last of the Independents

Models, Engineering, Car of the Year

Design and title of the game somewhat remind me of the Roaring Twenties and Prohibition, but topic of the game are small independent American car producers in the Fifties. Each player has a company chart and 20 disc markers, 10 of those he places the company chart as his capital. The rest is then assigned to sections in the categories models, engineering, and promotion, after which you can allocate any number of the markers previously placed on the company chart. Then you play cards fitting the active category, always one card in turn until all players have passed. Now each section of the active category is resolved, resulting in markers remaining or being relocated to the return pool. For majorities in the sections of a category you win a victory point marker. After completing all three categories, a random candidate for “Car of the Year” is drawn for each category, one of those is randomly drawn to win “Car of the Year” and a victory point marker. Then you get back markers from the return pool and use them to determine your fiscal status by placing the required markers on your company sheet. If six or more are left over, your company has been successful. If a player goes bankrupt at that stage, he starts with a new company. If a player goes bankrupt, he starts with a new company. After three such rounds you win with most victory point markers.

This is a tight little game with unusual and attractive retro design, but despite the topic an absolutely abstract game on successfully achieving majorities, which then results in absolutely random allocation of a victory points marker.

Players: 3-6

Age: 10+

Duration: 90+

Designer: Patrick Stevens

Artist: not stated

Price: ca. 35 Euro

Publisher: Numbskull Games 2010

Web: www.numbskullgames.com

Genre: Placement for majorities

Users: With friends

Version: en

Rules: en

In-game text: yes

Comments:

Abstract game despite the topic * idiosyncratic combination of planned placement for majorities and random results

Compares to :

Abstract majority games

Other editions:

Currently none

Chance: 2

Tactic: 2

Strategy: 0

Creativity: 0

Knowledge (yellow): 0

Memory: 0

Communication: 0

Interaction: 3

Dexterity: 0

Action: 0