Nova Roma

Downtime the Game

It has the same type of decision each turn as Barcelona – which of the available intersections (combination of 2 actions) do I need to take before it’s gone – but with a way lower rules barrier to entry. Also without all the chained actions so turns go faster. You’re filling out your board and getting resources to get new character powers, move up tracks and compete for area majorities (all dressed up with theme). I like how different actions are ramped up in power each round, and the lure of ramping them up even further if you can get the same action more than once (leading into an evaluation of what action are others less likely to take this round). There aren’t as many paths to explore as Barcelona but each of your 15 turns provides a hard choice (and some groaning beforehand if your preferred spot is taken, but luckily you have backup plans!) and it's definitely solid in its own way.

The central action selection mechanism here is engaging & competitive enough as you really don't want people to take the spot you want! Having said that, there seems to be one too many mini-games and not all of them are equally engaging. It seems they have been added just so the math of the action-selection grid works out but it just ends up adding to the cognitive load. Merv remains my favorite game of this genre. There, the central city-building mechanism is not only more interesting but it does a great job of tying up all the mini-games thematically as well as mechanically. Playing Nova Roma only made me want to play Merv again... too bad I traded it away! face palm

More, on my ⟣⧗First Pass⧗⟢ Blog: https://boardgamegeek.com/blogpost/164631/anim8rs-new-to-me-in-august-2024

Good mid-weight point salad euro.

Nova Roma is a heavier Euro point salad. It features an action selection mechanism reminiscent of Targi and Calimala. Players have 30 actions in the whole game, and efficiency is key. Players have a "mosaic board" that behaves like a bingo card, and players are rewarded for completing rows, columns, or diagonals on it.

At the end of the day, Nova Roma is a touch heavy for my tastes, and I will stick with Calimala for a game that scratches a similar itch. Nova Roma is definitely worth playing though, and it works great with 3 players.

Picit a Merv-re emlékeztet az akcióválasztás benne, ugyanakkor engem ez a játék sokkal jobban szórakoztatott. Az akciók szerintem nagyon ötletesek, kicsit olyan "játék a játékban" feelingjük van. Könnyen megérthető a működésük, hála a nagyszerű szabálykönynek. Mihajlo Dimitrievski grafikáit nem szoktam szeretni, de szerintem itt teljesen rendben van a design. Több, mint valószínű, hogy beszerzem, mert ilyen jó grid akcióválasztós játékból nagyon kevés van a polcomon.

From Essen 2024. Thanks Alex.

Great game : for a evening filling game, the rules are clear and straightforward. Very good way of picking your actions and the power you get for the actions. At this moment it sees that most actions are eleborated.