Thurn and Taxis

Based on 1 play. I liked the game, but found the strategy hard to grasp at first - I was distracted by the various points on the board and trying to play for them. On reflection I think at first its just best to focus on maximising the number of towns you can get blocks on.

Nothing to do with taxis but a very good set collecting and route laying game in a similar vein / weight to Ticket to Ride.

Nice intro game with easy rules and nice flow. It's one more game that I like but never seem to find a way to win. I'm glad it's part of my growing collection.

We like this one quite a bit.

Very light set collection and route-planning, but has some light strategy to it.

I had to buy this game mainly for the wife, as it seemed to be a non-confrontational, relatively light game, with a bit of luck that played well with 2. Well the game certainly fit all of those criteria, and it gets bonus marks, as it actually has some subtle strategy to it, and it's a game that will get regular playtime.

If you like games like Elfenland, where you have to plan out your routes, and Showmanager, where you have to manage your hand carefully (plus it also has the "clear the board" aspect to it), and if you like variable player powers (which I certainly do), then this is a solid lightweight game for 2-4 players. Nothing terribly original, but it works. The theme neither adds to nor detracts from the game, except maybe if you're from Germany.

If this game ends up winning the SdJ (turns out it did, surprise, surprise), it's more a reflection of the weakness of the award rather than the greatness of this game. That said, this is still a fairly safe and solid purchase, assuming you know you're not getting a "gamer's game".

Own the [boardgame=27690]Power & Glory[/boardgame], [boardgame=33261]All Roads Lead to Rome[/boardgame], and [boardgame=25293]Courier[/boardgame] expansions.

The Power & Glory expansion adds a new map which is great for replay value; you can either play with the original rules or with a new, significant rule change (horses). I only play with the original rules, as the new rule change removes one of the main aspects of the game (tension).

at the kid's home

reviewed on my blog.