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Maracaibo
30m - 120m
1 - 4 Players
Ages 12+
Hand management games are games with cards in them that reward players for playing the cards in certain sequences or groups. The optimal sequence/grouping may vary, depending on board position, cards held and cards played by opponents. Managing your hand means gaining the most value out of available cards under given circumstances. Cards often have multiple uses in the game, further obfuscating an "optimal" sequence.
Hand Management
The primary goal of a set collection mechanic is to encourage a player to collect a set of items.
Set Collection
64.00
€
58.00
€
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Kickstarter – Gamefound
Board Games
Strategy
Family and Children
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Adult
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Ελληνικα Παιχνιδια
LCG
Arkham Horror: The Card Game
Marvel Champions: The Card Game
The Lord of The Rings: The Card Game
RPGs
D & D
Pathfinder
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ajewo
Maracaibo is a tableau builder with a roundel that mixes elements from Great Western Trail, Mombasa, and Oh My Goods! by Alexander Pfister. [b]What makes it special?[/b] * Roundel action selection (Great Western Trail) * Indirect nation influence and area control (Mombasa) * Integrates a campaign and "story" in a Euro game (Oh My Goods!) [b]Pros:[/b] + Artwork: colorful, bright. However, the card layout and iconography could have been more clear (looks a bit overloaded). + Components are good: custom shaped wooden pieces, a lot of card board tiles, and cards. + Theme: Caribbean, Pirates, Colonization (not historical accurate). The story gives the rather abstract theme bit more legs, otherwise it would be as abstract as in Mombasa and Great Western Trail. + Multi-used cards: goods, utils, and assistant abilities. + Hand management: limited number of cards in hand and in above your tableau. Which cards to keep and which to use as goods / utils? You can either pay and pick a card from the public display or blindly draw new cards from the draw deck. + Tableau building: creating an engine with a lot of very different assistants. + Ship upgrades: unlock more options and actions, or collect just more victory points. + Meeple management: each player starts with two meeples. Some assistants require to place or discard a meeple. If you run out of meeple, you have to collect new meeples or some actions will not be possible any more. + Income management: each player can increase money and victory point income that is collected each round. + Nations influence: players compete for influence majority of three nations. Nation markers are also placed on the game board to collect boni. The area control is rather light in this game. + Many paths to victory: nations tracks, exploration track, victory points income track, money income track, collect assistants. + The combat is semi-deterministic: You pick a random combat card and choose which nation to support, however, some options provide boni / incentives. More influence provide more victory points, but since other players can have influence for each nation, you have to consider which nation to push: Who do you help more? Yourself or the other players? (similar to Mombasa). + Exploration where players can hop-scotch over each others meeples. Exploration feels nice because you always get some boni. + Huge variety / replayability: different cards each game, city tiles, quest tiles, story tiles, prestige buildings, legacy campaign. + Race game: The length of each round is determined by the players: one player may rush to finish the round early and put the other players under pressure. + Personal goals for each player which is optional but provides some nice boosts. + Light legacy game (non destructive components). Game can be played standalone. + Good player aids. [b]Neutrals:[/b] # Language dependent: text on action cards and story cards. # For some people a controversial theme (only white people on cards, slavery, exploitation). The theme is addressed in the rulesbook like in Mombasa. # Indirect player interaction: players compete for influence of the three nations, collecting quests, and assistant cards. # Some luck of the draw: finding the right goods / utils on time. Quests a randomly drawn each round. # Solo mode. # Story is very simplified (usually two short lines on a card). However, the story cards provide different scenarios and tasks each game which may change the game board and add new cards to the game (variability, replayability). # Potential for analysis paralysis (many options). # The colors of the cards are a bit hard to distinguish (in low light) which can make set-up difficult. # 3 cards had errors in the first edition. [b]Cons:[/b] - Many interwoven mechanics, options, and iconography can be overwhelming. - Rulesbook is okay. It is missing examples and pictures. [b]Tipp:[/b] I feel some strategies like comat, rushing, and ignoring exploration by land work very well in the standalone "medium" setup scenario. A bgg user found that playing the "hard" scenario offers more viable strategies. Unlike the name of the scenario suggests, it does not make the game harder. See: https://boardgamegeek.com/thread/2798897/hard-setup-improves-game [b]Similar games:[/b] * Great Western Trail: shares the roundel game mechanics, deck building, no area control or faction influence, less game mechanics / more streamlined / more focused. * Sid Meier's Pirates! on the Amiga: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sid_Meier%27s_Pirates! * Egizia: Shifting Sands: uses a one-way ship to trigger different actions.
ande9249
Point salad is not appropriate here, all three main categories support each other directly unlike GWT. This means your diversity come more from the cards you see rather than choices you make.
alphaamigo
I would describe this game as almost perfect. The weight, the interactions, the decisions, the varying strategies, everything about this game screams best game ever. I had a hard time believing the designer would out design Great Western Trail (another favorite), but he truly has made a magnum opus.