(Photo credit to Credit to Klaus Teuber)
Written by Ed Carter, Staff Writer
There are two schools of hobby gamers: Ameritrash and Euros.
Ameritrash gamers tend to prefer theme over the mechanics: Dice rolling and luck with storytelling trumps over more complex gameplay. Zombicide, Arkham Horror, and Imperial Assault are some examples.
Euro games prefer player decisions and strong crunchy mechanics over theme. Settlers of Catan, Agricola, and Splendor are some of the most famous. I was more of an Ameritrash gamer until I tried Century Spice Road. An elegant in-its-simplicity game of set collection with deck building. This simple colorful game introduced me to a whole new world of games. With that said, here are some of my favorites.
So I came late to the party, but I finally played Settlers of Catan. I found it challenging and enjoyable so I kept playing. I lost terribly my first time, but it sparked me to investigate what could I do better. The game consists of a randomly set up board of resources and tokens. On your turn, you roll 2 dice. Whatever number is rolled, those areas generate resources. Resources are traded and collected to build villages, roads, and cities. These earn points and the first player to earn 8 points is the winner. Points are won or lost by the robber mechanic so keeping your resource reserves light is always a good idea. It plays quickly in well under 2 hours even with 4. It is not a 2 player game, so you will need at least 3. It’s definitely a classic and I can agree it still holds its own.
No list of Euros should ever be without a Stefan Feld game. He has designed so many but the one that I come back to is Castles of Burgundy. Gathering tiles to design the most efficient duchy in France, may not sound like a fun way to spend an evening, but I challenge you to try it. This is a game of careful planning and decisions. What tiles do you develop? What goods do you sell? These things determine the victory. It is played in a specific number of rounds and turns; so there is no time to lose. Every turn is important. Take a break from killing zombies for a night and you might challenge yourself in striking new ways.
Another giant in Euro games style is Jamey Stegmaier and Stonemaier games. From Viticulture and Euphoria, he has created some of the most stunning-looking Euros on the market. It is Scythe, however, that tops my list. This is a gorgeous-looking engine-building masterpiece. People either love it or hate it, I have not heard a lot of it’s just ok.
Scythe is set in an alternate Europe where 5 empires are gathering resources to become the sole leader. Players recruit workers, generate resources and build mechanized machines to protect and invade territories. Each faction uses the same actions but in a different order. Each major achievement earns a star; after the first player earns their sixth star, the game ends and players earn points, the player with the most points wins.
I close my list with probably the most crunchy Euro I have. It is hard to get to the table as it demands the right type of player, and that is Brass Birmingham. Redesigned by Roxley Games, this new take on the Martin Wallace original Brass, has been said to outshine the original. It is the turn of the century in Europe and you are a wealthy industrialist wanting to make your mark. Investing in industries like pottery and cotton mills as well as more traditional markets for coal, iron, and beer, each player chooses their own path to wealth during two eras; the boat and the rail Era. The player with the most wealth and profitable industries wins. The game has improved dramatically; with stunning artwork and components, I absolutely love this game and wish I could find others who would like to play it.
So there are some of my favorites, I know there is a whole lot more I could have chosen. Please leave your comments; what did I miss, and what else should I try? I look forward to your comments. Next up– my favorite science fiction games.
Ed Carter
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