The Quest for El Dorado is a game we really enjoy, so its dice-based counterpart had a lot to live up to. We were curious to see how Reiner Knizia had translated the journey through the jungle onto player sheets and replaced cards with dice. The goal remains familiar—reach the legendary city before your rivals. This time, however, we mark our route with a pencil, and the success of our expedition depends on the available dice results and the supplies we have prepared along the way.
A forest growing on the table, competition for territory, and a game designed for two players — these were the things that drew us to “Aspens”. Designed by Luke Roberts and Neil Edwards and published by Ludivore Games, it lets us guide the growth of aspens or pines. Using sun and wind, we add to our existing clusters of trees and claim new spaces. There needs to be room for two forests, though, and our opponent will gladly cut off our access to the most promising areas.
In “Minikin City”, we build small cities inhabited by Minikins, but simply adding more buildings is not enough to win. We also need to provide residents and balance the development of our city with competing for rewards. This card game by Simone Luciani and Matthieu Verdier, published in Polish by Portal Games as “Skrzatowice”, is designed for 2–5 players aged 10 and up, with a playing time of around 30 minutes.
An ornamental pond, water lilies and colourful carp gliding lazily beneath the surface: “Koi” invites us to slow down before we have even started playing. Designed by Rosaria Battiato, Massimo Borzì and Martino Chiacchiera, and published in Poland by Rebel, it lets us create a water garden of our own. Emiliano Castellano provides the painterly artwork. Beneath those beautiful illustrations lies a spatial puzzle in which we expand our pond and gradually increase the number of actions we can perform.
The rats believe the Moon is made of cheese. Having found a comic about space travel in the junkyard, they now have both a destination and enough scientific evidence to start building a rocket. All that remains is to gather materials, stock up on supplies and prepare the crew. First Rat, published in Polish by Nasza Księgarnia as “Pierwszy szczur w kosmosie”, invites us to join this endeavour, although a shared dream soon turns into a contest over who has contributed the most to rat space exploration.
There are many ways to develop an artistic workshop of your own. You could take up ceramics, try metalwork, explore glasswork, or focus on painting and textiles. In “Artistry”, a game by Amy and Dusty Droz published by Dux Somnium Games, we can combine all these interests. We gather materials, buy patterns and recruit artisans who expand our options. All of this takes place against a backdrop of Art Nouveau illustrations that catch the eye from the very first encounter.
Witchdom is a family card game designed by Michal Peichl and published by Albi. We lead a witch clan, recruit promising apprentices, gather magical ingredients, and brew potions worth victory points. It all comes in an accessible package that is easy to explain while still offering several clever decisions.
“The Elements” is a light card game designed by Filip Barcik and published by Elementorum Studio. Fire, water, earth, and air compete for dominance, while players develop their own card stacks in a race to become the first to create two Elementals.
Uwe Rosenberg is best known for his extensive economic games. These include Agricola, Caverna, Atiwa, and the monumental A Feast for Odin, which can be considered the designer’s magnum opus. His portfolio also contains abstract games such as Nova Luna and Patchwork, as well as acclaimed card games including Bohnanza and Mamma Mia!
Fields of Arle belongs to the first of these groups. It is an economic game for one or two players in which we develop a farm in East Frisia. We grow grain and flax, raise animals, drain moors, build dikes, process materials, and transport goods to nearby towns and villages.
Reiner Knizia has designed many excellent games. A considerable number of his designs combine simple rules with one small idea that makes the gameplay much more interesting than it might initially appear. “Blooming Sea”, published in Poland by Red Square Games, is no exception.
This time, our task is to restore a coral reef. By placing tiles, we will connect corals into increasingly large groups and create habitats for the fish swimming among them. Beneath the calm and colorful theme, however, lies an engaging competition for points and space on a shared board.