In 7 Wonders: Architects, 2-7 players race to become a leader of the ancient world by completing an architectural wonder that will last through the ages.
Players receive an unconstructed wonder at the beginning of the game and must collect resources to build their society, develop military might to navigate conflicts, oversee resource management, research science improvements, and collect civil victory points as they race to leave their mark on world history.
America in the 19th century: You are a rancher and repeatedly herd your cattle from Texas to Kansas City, where you send them off by train. This earns you money and victory points. Needless to say, each time you arrive in Kansas City, you want to have your most valuable cattle in tow. However, the "Great Western Trail" not only requires that you keep your herd in good shape, but also that you wisely use the various buildings along the trail. Also, it might be a good idea to hire capable staff: cowboys to improve your herd, craftsmen to build your very own buildings, or engineers for the important railroad line.
If you cleverly manage your herd and navigate the opportunities and pitfalls of Great Western Trail, you surely will gain the most victory points and win the game.
The second edition of Great Western Trail includes solitaire rules, making for a player count of 1-4.
Second Edition:
Remember the old days in the West? Well, the times they are a-changing’! From new solo opponent to incredible landscapes, you won't know where to start. And there is a new herd of cows for you to sell!
Great Western Trail is the critically acclaimed game of cattle ranching by Alexander Pfister. Players attempt to wrangle their herd across the Midwest prairie and deliver it to Kansas City. But beware! Other cowboys are sharing the trail with you. We invite you to saddle up!
The Changes in the Second edition:
Brand New Artwork by Chris Quilliams
Solo Mode: A New Challenger in the West
Dual-Layered Player Boards
Addition of a new breed of cows: The Simmental breed
Two new reversible buildings (#11 & 12)
Twelve Exchange Tokens, First introduced in the Rails of North Expansion, for more interaction with other players
Four new Master Tiles added for more strategy, replayability, and challenges
—description from the publisher
It's hammer time! Players are working to collect shiny gemstones in the mine. They'll knock the gemstones off the box using the hammer. To complete their tasks, they need to collect the right number and color of gemstones. But be careful – anyone who knocks too hard will wake Dragomir the Dragon and lose their loot! The first player to completely fill all four of their wagons wins the game.
—description from the publisher
Illumination is a game of Mad Medieval Monks and Illuminated Manuscripts.
You and your opponent are monks competing to become the new head of the Scriptorium. You do so by illuminating manuscripts with elaborate religious artwork. But not all is as peaceful as it once was! Possessed with eccentric enthusiasm, one of you has turned from the reverent to the irreverent by scrawling demons instead of angels and by painting fierce dragons instead of noble knights. Who will become the new master of the Scriptorium? Will it be the monk who reverently illuminates the page with monks, dogs, knights and angels; or the irreverent monk who whimsically draws the forces of rabbit, squirrel, dragon and demon? Play Illumination to find out!
OBJECT
Each turn, players create illuminations in three Books by placing one full row or column of tiles of their choice from their Player mat. With careful placement, players collect Coins that allow them to perform special actions or purchase Scriptorium cards. By placing tiles next to others of matching color, players collect Ritual tokens to score points at the Ritual stations in the Monastery when they are occupied by the Abbot.
As tiles are placed in Books, conflicts are set in motion: Angels wrestle with Demons, Knights skirmish with Dragons, Monks contend with Rabbits, and Dogs struggle with Squirrels. These conflicts are resolved only when they are bounded on all sides. Then, the player with more tiles on their side wins the
Bounded Battle, flips the losing side’s tiles facedown, and places their Marker on the matching Battle card.
When the game ends, players score points for the Rituals recorded on the Monastery mat and 1 point for each of their faceup Illumination tiles in each Book. Players also score points for placing more Markers on Battle cards and for defeated factions that match their Crusade card. The player with more points wins!
-description from publisher
From time beyond memory, a great evil overlord has plagued the land, his ruthless cruelty matched only by his ruthlessly poor decorating taste. That evil overlord has died, and numerous pretenders are vying to take over his throne. And everyone knows that the first step on the journey to becoming a legendary evil boss is to set up a nefarious lair.
That’s where you come in. You are a dungeon decorator who specializes in setting up cozy underground spaces with just the right “lair-y” feel for your clients. You will compete against your opponents to build the best dungeon with all the right accoutrements, so that your villainous clients can move in, feel at home, and get right down to evilling.
Dungeon Decorators is a competitive “light euro” tile-drafting strategy game for 2 to 4 players. Select tiles that give you the right combination of chilling chambers, harrowing hallways and dire decorations, then play goal cards to score points. The player who scores the most points achieves victory by impressing the client and setting them on their path to becoming the next legendary evil!
—description from the publisher