Post by Gilvan Blight on Apr 30, 2012 15:01:06 GMT -5
Alhambra is a board game for two to five players. It has a very simple set of base mechanics which is combined with a solid amount of strategy that will keep gamers coming back time and again.
Alhambra was originally released in Germany where it won the prestigious Spiel de Jahres (Game of the Year) award in 2003. The international version, which was released by Queen Games later the same year, comes in a small but thick box. Inside can be found; building tiles, a cloth bag, a deck of money cards, pawns and player boards for up to five players, and a scoring track. Four full colour instruction books are included in a variety of languages. These are very clear with colour coded sections and ample examples. The components are all top of the line, full colour and printed on thick cardboard. The playing pieces are solid wood and in easily distinguishable colours.
In Alhambra each player builds their own version of the famous palace from Granada, Spain. They do this by hiring artisans to build various types of buildings such as: pavilions, manors, mezzanines, gardens, chambers and, towers. The Alhambra also needs to be protected and walls will need to be built. The fact that workers all come from different areas of Europe makes things interesting as players need to collect and then pay them the correct type of money.
The mechanics of Alhambra are simple and quick to learn. Each turn players make one of three choices: buy a building, take some money or rearrange their Alhambra. Through these actions players collect the proper type of money and build the buildings they need. There are three scoring rounds and each one rewards players who have the majorities in each building type. Players also score bonus points for the length of their defensive wall. The Game is played until all tiles are used up and then the player with the most points wins.
Alhambra is a fairly quick game that is very easy to explain. The simplicity of the rules is offset by the strategy in collecting the right money and trying to ensure that you have focused on the right types of buildings while not forgetting about the defensive wall. Alhambra has become pretty popular locally and will be one of the twenty-five games featured at this year's Great Canadian Board Game Blitz Windsor Championship.
Alhambra was originally released in Germany where it won the prestigious Spiel de Jahres (Game of the Year) award in 2003. The international version, which was released by Queen Games later the same year, comes in a small but thick box. Inside can be found; building tiles, a cloth bag, a deck of money cards, pawns and player boards for up to five players, and a scoring track. Four full colour instruction books are included in a variety of languages. These are very clear with colour coded sections and ample examples. The components are all top of the line, full colour and printed on thick cardboard. The playing pieces are solid wood and in easily distinguishable colours.
In Alhambra each player builds their own version of the famous palace from Granada, Spain. They do this by hiring artisans to build various types of buildings such as: pavilions, manors, mezzanines, gardens, chambers and, towers. The Alhambra also needs to be protected and walls will need to be built. The fact that workers all come from different areas of Europe makes things interesting as players need to collect and then pay them the correct type of money.
The mechanics of Alhambra are simple and quick to learn. Each turn players make one of three choices: buy a building, take some money or rearrange their Alhambra. Through these actions players collect the proper type of money and build the buildings they need. There are three scoring rounds and each one rewards players who have the majorities in each building type. Players also score bonus points for the length of their defensive wall. The Game is played until all tiles are used up and then the player with the most points wins.
Alhambra is a fairly quick game that is very easy to explain. The simplicity of the rules is offset by the strategy in collecting the right money and trying to ensure that you have focused on the right types of buildings while not forgetting about the defensive wall. Alhambra has become pretty popular locally and will be one of the twenty-five games featured at this year's Great Canadian Board Game Blitz Windsor Championship.