Viticulture

Respect, viticulture (incl. Tuscany) is a wonderful charming game.... I love also the artwork very much...

I need to give this a couple of more plays. Seems like a game that ages well.

Will prefer to only play Tuscany.

Gateway+ level worker placement, but compelling. Flows really nicely, theme well integrated, a few different routes to victory. Plays 1-6p without getting bogged down. Love it!

A very thematic, scalable, easy to learn, worker placement strategy game about developing your personal winery.

Yes yet another worker placement, and yes even another wine making game, but this game is good, very good. The artwork is pleasing, the components are high quality and unique, the theme is strong, to play is easy to play well is challenging, it plays 2-6 players, and it has a plethora of expansions.

The goal of the game is to be the first player to 20 points (or to score even higher in the round when someone scores 20). Each round you choose turn order, with each position being provided a benefit for the round, the better the benefit the later you go as going first is very important. On your turn you place a worker and execute the action, with each action having more than one space but limited space and with each having a bonus for the first person to take it. The big twist is that each game round occurs in two major seasons, summer and winter, and if you use all of your workers during summer, you will have none left during winter as you don't get workers back until the end of the year, also there are different and valuable actions in both seasons. There is a pause in between seasons (fall) where you acquire a bonus card.

There are a couple of odd/disconcerting aspects to the game. There are bonus cards available in both summer and winter but there are not at all balanced. Also money is very tight during most of the game but then you are often cash flush late in the game and there is no longer any real use for it. Going first is absolutely critical late in the game and you can get completely locked out through no fault if your own due to the rotating turn order selection. Apparently some of the expansions and new updated rules address some of these issues and the designer seems very in-tune with the gaming community and he is always looking for feedback and making improvements.

This is an example of what all kick starters could and should be (too bad I missed the original kick starter but at least I got on board for the expansion); a top quality game with tons of extras and a designer always communicating and looking to make a better product. Overall it's a very solid light to mid weight strongly themed euro strategy game that I would recommend by a first time designer.

Own the [boardgame=147101]Tuscany[/boardgame] expansion, which is an absolute must-have, making a very good game a great one, as well as the [boardgame=360226]Viticulture World: Cooperative expansion[/boardgame], the [boardgame=193823]Moor Expansion[/boardgame], [boardgame=214463]Special Worker Promo cards[/boardgame], and the [boardgame=248929]Visit From the Rhine Valley[/boardgame] mini expansions.

Have cobbled together an essential edition from 1st ed and the expansion and now have the perfect wine-making game. Seriously.

Fairly straight-forward worker placement that is more about drawing strong visitor cards than it is about strategically building your winery. There is too much dependence on drawing the right cards, which can be frustrating if you luck out. Despite my issues with the gameplay, The beautiful production and accessible theme has been a hit with everyone I have introduced it to, so it earns it's place in my collection.

rate 8 with Tuscany expansion, 6.5 w/o

Wine making in a nice package... I love (and own) Vinhos. this would be a nice addition.