2010-17: The Princes of Florence (-2)
I continue to really enjoy The Princes of Florence, despite its steep learning curve and hideous box art. Maroon. Not my favorite color.
Narrative Theme: 3. They tried with the art and the cards, but I'm sorry. If there is really a story being told here about a rich Florentine patron of the arts, I missed it.
Mechanical Theme: 6. I really like the idea that these artisans produce better works if you create an environment that supports their peculiarities. And the rules for laying out buildings make a good deal of sense. The theme helps me explain these rules. But the underlying game is an auction, where only 1 person each round can buy a particular good, and where goods are extremely limited. This makes some sense when we're talking about hiring a particular person's services, and no sense at all when we talk about anything else. Only 1 person can dig a lake at a time? After 3 people implement freedom of travel or build a chapel, the local supply runs out?
Price v. Component Quality: 5. The price point online is around $25. You get a box full of cardboard and a few wooden pawns. The art is mediocre, and rather uninspired. The script is period-appropriate, but hard to read. In other words, this is about as typical a euro-game as you can find. My definition of a "5".
Rule Complexity: 6. A typical euro, but for whatever reason people find it unintuitive. For some, it's having to choose between points or money. Others have trouble wrapping their heads around building placement, or what is needed to recruit an artist. Definitely not an entry-level game.
Depth/Replayability: 7. No game I rank this highly is going to go below a 7. This is a deep game. Much deeper than it looks. And the learning curve is punishing. One mis-cue early on means that more experienced players will soon be lapping you around the score track, recruiting 2 artists per turn, while you struggle to recruit even 1.
Mechanical Elegance: 7. Forcing you to choose between points or money every turn is brilliant and brutal, as is limiting the available resources to far below what the players need. Likewise, dramatically jumping the recruitment price of an artist every round leads to an elegant, nasty game, where the slightest mistake means dramatic failure.
Length vs. Enjoyment: 8. Every minute of the game is nail-biting, and with only 7 rounds of play the system doesn't wear out its welcome.
Other indefinables: It's the challenge level that keeps me coming back, but also keeps new players away.
Best for: Experienced gamers, with a few other auction games under their belt. Those new to the genre would be far better off starting with Modern Art, For Sale, or Ra.
Narrative Theme: 3. They tried with the art and the cards, but I'm sorry. If there is really a story being told here about a rich Florentine patron of the arts, I missed it.
Mechanical Theme: 6. I really like the idea that these artisans produce better works if you create an environment that supports their peculiarities. And the rules for laying out buildings make a good deal of sense. The theme helps me explain these rules. But the underlying game is an auction, where only 1 person each round can buy a particular good, and where goods are extremely limited. This makes some sense when we're talking about hiring a particular person's services, and no sense at all when we talk about anything else. Only 1 person can dig a lake at a time? After 3 people implement freedom of travel or build a chapel, the local supply runs out?
Price v. Component Quality: 5. The price point online is around $25. You get a box full of cardboard and a few wooden pawns. The art is mediocre, and rather uninspired. The script is period-appropriate, but hard to read. In other words, this is about as typical a euro-game as you can find. My definition of a "5".
Rule Complexity: 6. A typical euro, but for whatever reason people find it unintuitive. For some, it's having to choose between points or money. Others have trouble wrapping their heads around building placement, or what is needed to recruit an artist. Definitely not an entry-level game.
Depth/Replayability: 7. No game I rank this highly is going to go below a 7. This is a deep game. Much deeper than it looks. And the learning curve is punishing. One mis-cue early on means that more experienced players will soon be lapping you around the score track, recruiting 2 artists per turn, while you struggle to recruit even 1.
Mechanical Elegance: 7. Forcing you to choose between points or money every turn is brilliant and brutal, as is limiting the available resources to far below what the players need. Likewise, dramatically jumping the recruitment price of an artist every round leads to an elegant, nasty game, where the slightest mistake means dramatic failure.
Length vs. Enjoyment: 8. Every minute of the game is nail-biting, and with only 7 rounds of play the system doesn't wear out its welcome.
Other indefinables: It's the challenge level that keeps me coming back, but also keeps new players away.
Best for: Experienced gamers, with a few other auction games under their belt. Those new to the genre would be far better off starting with Modern Art, For Sale, or Ra.