Sometimes, there are moments that you need something more then just a quick filler game, but you don’t want/have enough time to play a big game. When you’re at a gaming club at such moments, you just got to walk besides the tables, and look for small boxes boxes that are just a bit bigger than a regular card-game-box. Normally the gaming club we visit, bring a couple of those every time. They are not very popular games. Why? I don’t know. We found a few surprises among those small boxes, like Cornucopia. But that game wasn’t appealing at all. To make a long story, short. Today there was such a moment again. No time for a big game, because we wanted to have some dinner in something less then an hour, but we didn’t feel to play 3 or 4 filler games. We started to walk besides the tables, and suddenly we noticed a small box. Hidden between big boxes. The art on the box was just fantastic, and we started to read the back of the box. As it were just a few lines, it was difficult to know from the box if it could be nice, so we decided to give it a shot, and expect nothing of it.
First problem with this game, is the rulesbook. The rules are written (or at least translated) bad. From the beginning the rules talk about Caravels. What are they? Where do they come from? After reading it a couple of times, it becomes clear, that Caravels are a specific kind of ship, (research on The Internet teaches us, that it was developed in the 13th century, and was used widely in the 15th & 16th century.) Also some other words, are very old-fashioned, and had to make think us twice before we could understand what was meant exactly. Then the game itself. Just one word for it. WOW. This is fun. Very easy to play and teach. The trading mechanism just works very easy, and brings in some tactics. The drawing on the cards are just fantastic, and the developments that can be gained, are very usefull during the game. There is only one thing, this game is missing, and that is a board. Just because this feels like it’s bigger then just a card-game. Adding a board doesn’t add nothing to the themeplay, but it could add lots of thing to the theme of the game. And also a board would justify the pricing.
But, to be short, this game is a hidden jewel
First problem with this game, is the rulesbook. The rules are written (or at least translated) bad. From the beginning the rules talk about Caravels. What are they? Where do they come from? After reading it a couple of times, it becomes clear, that Caravels are a specific kind of ship, (research on The Internet teaches us, that it was developed in the 13th century, and was used widely in the 15th & 16th century.) Also some other words, are very old-fashioned, and had to make think us twice before we could understand what was meant exactly. Then the game itself. Just one word for it. WOW. This is fun. Very easy to play and teach. The trading mechanism just works very easy, and brings in some tactics. The drawing on the cards are just fantastic, and the developments that can be gained, are very usefull during the game. There is only one thing, this game is missing, and that is a board. Just because this feels like it’s bigger then just a card-game. Adding a board doesn’t add nothing to the themeplay, but it could add lots of thing to the theme of the game. And also a board would justify the pricing.
But, to be short, this game is a hidden jewel