Sagrilarus

Settlers is a game like Bridge where you learn new things each time you play. There’s enough chatter in the board setup and the die rolls to make unexpected events occur, and you need to hedge your bets and keep your options open as best you can. All this is packaged into a game that you can play when the cousins come over. Easy to learn, easy to teach, time to master.

The game can be played with food and drink on the table, and it actively encourages conversation and interaction. Always a good play, and always a good post-game review of the action. Just a lot of fun.

This the the Granddaddy of euro and not to be overlooked.

S.

I would drive three hours for a game of El Grande with five players.

Each way.

Essentially a perfect game. I’m not just talking gameplay — I’m talking the entire execution of the product. This is a game designed to appeal to ages 3 through 100, has magnificent components that are designed to be brutalized by small children with little or no damage resulting, and to appeal to all on three levels — building, role-playing, and competing. Nothing in the marketplace is at the same level as Heroscape from an overall packaging perspective.

Available for $18US for a period of time, I simply don’t think any other game has ever provided this level of value at this price point. Or even close. None ever will again, because the nature of the World’s economy has fundamentally changed. The door has closed on this level of material for that kind of price.

Great for boys between five and ninety-five. I’ve played the advanced rules with my five-year-old twins. A bit of patience was required, but they had fun. The big pieces make for an impressive look and feel which is not lost on kids. Many expansions — you could drop a few buckazoids on this critter, but you don’t have to. Requires a bit of time and space to set it up, but once it’s there it is positively glorious. The quality of the components is simply magnificent — gorgeous AND tough.

My kids love all aspects of it — playing pretend, setting up the boards like a puzzle, playing. This is THE game for young boys of this generation to own. This is the one they’ll talk about with each other on the golf course fifty years from now.

This basic set is the one to go for — nice variety of pieces and plenty to play with — you need never buy an expansion. Simple rules means thirty minutes to master the concepts, then you can play for hours. Short quick battles, huge drawn-out campaigns . . . anything is possible given the modularity and variability of the pieces and their basic concepts.

Simply the best birthday present you’ll ever give a seven-year-old boy. If you see this grab two copies — you’ll likely have grandsons someday.