Worker Placement

In Alchemists, two to four budding alchemists compete to discover the secrets of their mystical art. Points can be earned in various ways, but most points are earned by publishing theories – correct theories, that is — and therein lies the problem.

The game is played in six rounds. At the beginning of the round, players choose their play order. Those who choose to play later get more rewards.
Players declare all their actions by placing cubes on the various action spaces, then each action space is evaluated in order. Players gain knowledge by mixing ingredients and testing the results using a smartphone app (iOS, Android, and also Windows) that randomizes the rules of alchemy for each new game. And if the alchemists are longing for something even more special, they can always buy magical artifacts to get an extra push. There are 9 of them (different for each game) and they are not only very powerful, but also very expensive. But money means nothing, when there's academic pride at stake! And the possession of these artifacts will definitely earn you some reputation too. Players can also earn money by selling potions of questionable quality to adventurers, but money is just a means to an end. The alchemists don't want riches, after all. They want respect, and respect usually comes from publishing theories.

During play, players' reputations will go up and down. After six rounds and a final exhibition, reputation will be converted into points. Points will also be scored for artifacts and grants. Then the secrets of alchemy are revealed and players score points or lose points based on whether their theories were correct. Whoever has the most points at the end of the game wins.

Flavor text:
Mandrake root and scorpion tail; spongy mushroom and warty toad — these are the foundations of the alchemist's livelihood, science, and art.

But what arcane secrets do these strange ingredients hide? Now it is time to find out. Mix them into potions and drink them to determine their effects — or play it safe and test the concoction on a helpful assistant! Gain riches selling potions to wandering adventurers and invest these riches in powerful artifacts. As your knowledge grows, so will your reputation, as you publish your theories for all to see. Knowledge, wealth, and fame can all be found in the murky depths of the alchemist's cauldron.

Agricola: Farmers of the Moor is the first big expansion for Agricola.

This expansion adds to the base game with a large set of new improvements, and adds a number of new features. Horses are introduced as a new type of animal. In addition, you not only have to feed your family, but you must keep them from becoming "ill" by heating each room in your house. You can get fuel to heat your home by chopping down the forests on your farmyard, or by harvesting peat.

Agricola: Farmers of the Moor was released at Essen 2009.

Coal Baron – or Glück Auf in German, after a greeting German miners use when wishing one another luck – has players sending meeple miners underground to dig tunnels and acquire coal, which comes in four levels of quality and which is used to fulfill contracts.

The game lasts three rounds, and in each round players take turns placing their workers on action spaces; you can go on a space occupied by another player, but you need to place additional workers in order to do so. Each player has an individual elevator shaft, and he'll need to use workers to extract coal and bring it to the surface, while also competing for contracts and scrounging for cash in order to do everything else that needs to be done!

Game description from the publisher:

The Empire of the Moon faces many threats. The Rift has reopened, providing passage for the creatures that have lurked in Shadow for millennia. But the danger also comes from within as the Emperor, son of the Moon, is getting old, and his formerly loyal lords are now trying to seize power. In order to do this, they make their appeal to the warriors known as ninjas, adepts of the way of Shinobi. The clans are finally prepared for war!

As a lord with a thirst for power, in Shinobi WAT-AAH! you plan to place your honorable posterior on the imperial throne. In order to do this, you will appeal to the large clans of ninjas, who will enable you to impose your military strength upon your enemies. To put it simply, your goal is to put a big WAT-AAH! in your enemies' faces!

Shinobi WAT-AAH! includes two game modes:

Grasshopper Mode lets you get started right away in the art of Shinobi with short games.
Grand Master Mode trains you over the course of three rounds, leading up to a most surprising final confrontation!

Smash Up: Monster Smash consists of four new factions for Smash Up: vampires, mad scientists, werewolves and giant ants. Tremble before the power of the ants!

Vampires gain power as they destroy your opponents' minions
Mad Scientists have released death in the form of powerful creations and can empower various minions
Werewolves have explosive power to beat down opponents
Giant Ants work as a great hive mind, spreading their power around as necessary to ensure their atomic-age victory

Smash Up: Monster Smash can be played on its own as a two-player game or combined with other Smash Up titles to allow for up to four players to compete at the same time.

Integrates with:

Smash Up