PLAYED FOR YOU

Craftsmen

Guilds and Helpers

The mayor of a little town is looking for an administrator- candidates are assigned five helpers and have three years to prove themselves - then progress is assessed and the administrator selected. You collect appreciation points from setting up and connection production buildings in which you produce resources and consumer goods; you can also buy those points or acquire them by exporting goods. 12 rounds make up 3 years of 4 seasons each.

Spring, summer and autumn comprise three phases each: 1) Place helpers into guilds. 2) Use helpers in guilds, one action per helper; get money from the Bankers, build with the Builders, acquire Building permits from the Notaries, acquire and/or use work points from the Craftsmen or produce/ship raw materials, half-product or final products; buy half-products from the Traders or acquire privileges or work points or change turn order at the Town Hall. 3) In the Final Phase you get Privilege markers for fewest helpers on the board and the turn order is changed according to helpers present. In winter there is no Phase 1 for placing helpers; each player in turn order can do a building action for the Builders' Guild and one producing action for he Craftsmen's Guild; you can also use privilege markers at that stage.

This is followed by Year Change with scoring appreciation points for ships, town development, stores and investments, that is, buying appreciation points.

Craftsmen is a very complex and ambitious game, unfortunately with too many details like color sets for money for more value or colors in builds; less would have been more and better!

Players: 2-5

Age: 10+

Time: 180+

Designer: Krzysztof Matusik

Artist: Krzysztof Matusik

Price: ca. 25 Euro

Publisher: ST Games / G3 2013

Web: www.g3poland.com

Genre: Resources, worker placement

Users: For experts

Version: multi

Rules: de en pl

In-game text: no

Comments:

Good basic ideas, but too many mechanism details, e.g. money colors

This results in too long a game

High chance element in buildings

No chance to make up leeway

Compares to:

Complex worker placement and resources management games

Other editions:

Currently none

Chance (pink): 2

Tactic (turquoise): 2

Strategy (blue): 0

Creativity (dark blue): 0

Knowledge (yellow): 0

Memory (orange): 0

Communication (red): 0

Interaction (brown): 2

Dexterity (green): 0

Action (dark green): 0