Network and Route Building

  • Review: Watergate

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    In June 1972, five men were arrested at the Watergate building in Washington. Newspaper reporters launched a deep investigation that uncovered one of the greatest scandals in U.S. history, culminating in Richard Nixon’s resignation as President.

    This is the premise behind Watergate, a design by Matthias Cramer (Glen More, Lancaster, Kraftwagen). The game was published in 2019 by Frosted Games in German and English editions. The illustrations and graphic design were handled by Klemens Franz (Orleans, Agricola, Oh My Goods!) alongside Alfred Viktor Schulz.

  • Review: Brass – Birmingham

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    Brass: Birmingham tells the story of the entrepreneurs who competed in Birmingham and its surroundings during England’s Industrial Revolution, between the years 1770 and 1870. In this reimplementation of the original masterpiece, Brass: Lancashire, you will expand your empire by constructing canals and railway lines, and you will build and develop various types of industries, such as cotton mills, coal mines, manufactureries, breweries, iron industries, and potteries.

    This is how Brass: Birmingham is presented to us, a new version of Martin Wallace’s classic (Age of Steam, A Study in Emerald, A Few Acres of Snow) with the collaboration of Gavan Brown and Matt Tolman, both responsible for designs like Super Motherload or JAB: Realtime Boxing. The game was published in 2018 by Roxley Games after a successful crowdfunding campaign via Kickstarter. The artwork is handled by Lina Cossette, David Forest (the duo behind the look of games like Santorini or Charterstone), and Damien Mammoliti (The Witcher Adventure Game, Edge of Darkness).

  • Review: Barrage

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    And so the Water War begins… The year is 1922. The cannons of the Great War have remained silent for four years; the world is recovering, rising from its ashes powered by the new hydroelectric technology, a legacy of the great Nikola Tesla. A new conflict, fought across the Alpine valleys, is about to begin: will you be able to crush your rivals and build the greatest hydroelectric empire humanity has ever witnessed? Barrage is an epic worker placement strategy game. Up to four players compete over five rounds, planning their actions to build hydroelectric infrastructures on an intricate, cutthroat board. You must place your structures wisely, preventing your opponents from stealing the most precious resource: water. If you control the water, you will be able to produce power and fulfill lucrative contracts. Plan every move carefully and get ready to make bold strategic decisions: this is Barrage!

    This is the premise of Barrage, designed by Tommaso Battista (in his debut published design) and Simone Luciani (Grand Austria Hotel, Lorenzo il Magnifico, Tzolk’in: The Mayan Calendar). The game was published in 2018 by Cranio Creations following a controversial crowdfunding campaign on Kickstarter. Antonio De Luca handled the art, having previously illustrated games such as Dojo Kun, Sine Tempore, or Lancelot.

  • Review: Clans of Caledonia

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    19th-century Scotland. The country undergoes a transition from a predominantly agricultural economy to an industrialized one, heavily dependent on trade and export. As a result, food production increased to support the growing population, cheap cotton imports replaced flax, and livestock farming expanded. When European wine and brandy production was devastated by an insect blight in the late 19th century, Scotch whisky emerged as a substitute for cognac. The whisky industry came alive, establishing itself as the premium alcoholic beverage of choice across Europe. Players represent historic clans competing to produce, trade, and export their agricultural goods, as well as their famous whisky!

    This is the premise behind Clans of Caledonia, the debut design by Juma Al-JouJou. The game was published in 2017 under the Karma Games imprint, created specifically for the occasion following a successful crowdfunding campaign on Kickstarter. The artwork is handled by the dependable Klemens Franz (Agricola, Le Havre, Orleans).

  • Review: Gaia Project

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    In Gaia Project, the successor to the acclaimed Terra Mystica, each player controls one of fourteen distinct factions fighting to peacefully colonize the galaxy. Each faction has different environmental needs to survive on the seven different types of planets, and each faction is bound to its home planet. These needs have led the factions to master terraforming, as in order to grow and develop, they must terraform neighboring planets into their native environment, competing with other players. During the game, you will colonize new planets, upgrade mines to create better structures, and unite planets to form federations, all while needing to research and discover new technologies to improve your abilities.

    This is how Gaia Project is presented to us, designed by Jens Drögemüller and Helge Ostertag, the minds behind Terra Mystica, a game they have given a couple of twists to for the title at hand today. It was published in 2017 by Feuerland Spiele in a German edition and by Z-Man Games in its English version. The illustrations are once again handled by Dennis Lohausen (The Voyages of Marco Polo, Qin, Helios).

  • Review: Through the Desert

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    When crossing the scorching desert, strategy is essential to decide how and where to lead your tribe’s caravan. Should you build the longest caravan or dominate the desert oases? What if you tried capturing more territory? Keep a close eye on your opponents’ caravans, or you might find yourself cut off from the vital water holes scattered across the desert sands.

    This is how Through the Desert presents itself to us, a game designed by the great Reiner Knizia that forms part of his famous Tile-Placement Trilogy (alongside Tigris & Euphrates and Samurai). Originally published in 1998 by KOSMOS in German, the most recent edition has been published by Allplay. The artwork for this latest edition is by Damien Mammoliti (The Witcher: Old World, Foundations of Rome).