Territory Building

Set in the Italian countryside, this game features various city-states vying for population. Each player is given two cities to start with, and is charged with expanding the different aspects of the cities to attract larger populations.

Players build farms to feed their people, quarries to finance their expansions, marketplaces to allow growth in their cities, and bathhouses to keep their people clean and healthy. Additionally, structures can be built that give the city influence in one of three categories. Superiority in one of these categories will cause population to shift from other nearby cities when the Voice of the People is decided at the end of each turn.

At the end of six turns, the player with the most victory points, which are determined from well-rounded cities, well-fed populations, and overall size of population, will be the winner.

Note: The correct pronunciation is like "Cheetah", but with the accent on the last syllable: "La Chee-TAH".

Players move their workers around the board (which is composed of variable groups of hexes) building houses along the banks of two rivers. Each turn certain hexes along the river pay out, either in money (which you use to build houses) or lumber (used to make dams). The first player to construct all five of their buildings (four houses and one hacienda) or a hacienda and three houses that are all on a riverbank, wins. Players build dams to change the flow of the rivers.

The game is set in the Burgundy region of High Medieval France. Each player takes on the role of an aristocrat, originally controlling a small princedom. While playing they aim to build settlements and powerful castles, practice trade along the river, exploit silver mines, and use the knowledge of travelers.

The game is about players taking settlement tiles from the game board and placing them into their princedom which is represented by the player board. Every tile has a function that starts when the tile is placed in the princedom. The princedom itself consists of several regions, each of which demands its own type of settlement tile.

The game is played in five phases, each consisting of five rounds. Each phase begins with the game board stocked with settlement tiles and goods tiles. At the beginning of each round all players roll their two dice, and the player who is currently first in turn order rolls a goods placement die. A goods tile is made available on the game board according to the roll of the goods die. During each round players take their turns in the current turn order. During his turn, a player may perform any two of the four possible types of actions: 1) take a settlement tile from the numbered depot on the game board corresponding to one of his dice and place it in the staging area on his player board, 2) take a settlement tile from the staging area of his player board to a space on his player board with a number matching one of his dice in the corresponding region for the type of tile and adjacent to a previously placed settlement tile, 3) deliver goods with a number matching one of his dice, or 4) take worker tokens which allow the player to adjust the roll of his dice. In addition to these actions a player may buy a settlement tile from the central depot on the game board and place it in the staging area on his player board. If an action triggers the award of victory points, those points are immediately recorded. Each settlement tile offers a benefit, additional actions, additional money, advancement on the turn order track, more goods tiles, die roll adjustment or victory points. Bonus victory points are awarded for filling a region with settlement tiles.

The game ends when the last player finishes his turn of the fifth round of the fifth phase. Victory points are awarded for unused money and workers, and undelivered goods. Bonus victory points from certain settlement tiles are awarded at the end of the game.

The player with the most victory points wins.

The rules include basic and advanced versions.

This game is #14 in the Alea big box series.

Do you have what it takes to be a deep space colonist? An alien frontier awaits the brave and daring! This new planet will be harsh, but if you have the skills to manage your resources, build a fleet, research alien life, and settle colonies, the world can be yours.

Alien Frontiers is a game of resource management and planetary development for two to four players. During the game you will utilize orbital facilities and alien technology to build colony domes in strategic locations to control the newly discovered world.

The game board shows the planet, its moon, the stations in orbit around the planet, and the solar system’s star. The dice you are given at the start of the game represent the space ships in your fleet. You will assign these ships to the orbital facilities in order to earn resources, expand your fleet, and colonize the planet.

As the game progresses, you will place your colony tokens on the planet to represent the amount of control you have over each territory. Those territories exert influence over specific orbital facilities and, if you control a territory, you are able to utilize that sway to your advantage.

The planet was once the home of an alien race and they left behind a wondrous artifact in orbit. Using your fleet to explore the artifact, you will discover amazing alien technologies that you can use to advance your cause.

Winning the game will require careful consideration as you assign your fleet, integrate the alien technology and territory influences into your expansion plans, and block your opponents from building colonies of their own. Do you have what it takes to conquer an alien frontier?

Roll and place your dice to gain advantages over your opponent and block them out of useful areas of the board. Use Alien Tech cards to manipulate your dice rolls and territory bonuses to break the rules. Steal resources, overtake territories, and do whatever it takes to get your colonies on the map first! Don't dream it'll be easy, though, because the other players will be trying to do the same thing.

Game description from the publisher:

The Rivals for Catan: Age of Enlightenment contains three expansion sets (125 Cards Total) for The Rivals for Catan (released in Germany as Die Fürsten von Catan). These theme sets – "The Era of Explorers", "The Era of Sages", and "The Era of Prosperity" – offer new variety for the base game and bring new elements into play.

• In The Era of Explorers, players set sail from Catan to explore the world and discover new lands. Your explorer harbor serves as the starting point for your exploration of nine adjacent sea cards. Pirates, islanders, and shipwrecks await across the waters. Embark on missions and try to be the best explorer. Ship tokens chart your position. Victory awaits the most skilled and intrepid sailor!

• In The Era of Sages, the wisdom of many and varied sages – a currency in its own way – gives you the opportunity to influence the strength and frequency of events. Fend off famines, deflect attacks, and promote peace. Connect with nature and balance prudence, power, foresight, and vigilance in your struggle for Catan!

• In The Era of Prosperity, you strive to be a good prince and govern wisely, in order to build schools and a hospital – and even promote the arts. Raise your people's spirits and spur expansion. But beware as discontent dooms prosperity!