PLAYED FOR YOU

Palenque

Who controls Yucatan?

As Maya princes players strive for control over Yucatan. To achieve this goal you build temples, change borders and control resources. 14 kingdoms are divided into areas, each area produces two resources. Score cards are shuffled into the resources cards and - depending on the number of players - you place 2-4 control markers in the start-up phase of the game.

A move comprises drawing a card and scoring or actions. Scoring cards are executed immediately. Otherwise, you play a card and spend three actions on: Placing a marker, placing a marker adjacent to one of yours already on the board, placing a second marker adjacent to the first one just placed, relocating a border marker, switch any two markers, build a temple or reserve a control marker for a later round. The resource on the card you played determines the location where you act. When you relocate border markers a new kingdom may originate, a kingdom can never have fewer than two squares. This action is resource-independent. When you must score you can use the score card before the scoring for one action or use it after the scoring as an addition action points for a normal move. In the scoring you receive 1 point per marker in a kingdom, if you have the majority of markers in this kingdom. When all markers are placed or the last resources card is drawn, the game ends with a final scoring.

Palenque is a beautiful game, a good game, a rather abstract game despite the topic, and a game that is good to plan with up to four players. Saving points for later and relocating borders are intriguingly used mechanisms that can have surprising results.

Players: 2-6

Age: 10+

Time: 60+

Designer: Alan D. Ernstein

Artist: Chechu Nieto

Price: ca. 50 Euro

Publisher: Z-Man Games 2011

Web: www.zmangames.com

Genre: Placement game on majorities

Users: With friends

Version: en

Rules: en

In-game text: no

Comments:

Good combination of resources management and majority mechanism

Not really projectable when 5 or 6 are playing

Scoring optically difficult due to irregularly shaped, changing areas

Special rules for 2 players

Good mix of standard mechanisms

Compares to:

Löwenherz/Domaine and other games with placing markers, extend borders and all games with majorities in areas

Other editions:

Currently none

Chance (pink): 2

Tactic (turquoise): 3

Strategy (blue): 2

Creativity (dark blue): 0

Knowledge (yellow): 0

Memory (orange): 0

Communication (red): 0

Interaction (brown): 2

Dexterity (green): 0

Action (dark green): 0