by W. Eric Martin • Philippe Mouchebeuf's Fief has had a long lifespan, debuting in 1981 from International Team, transforming into Fief 2 in 1989, re-emerging in the 21st century as Fief from ASYNCRON in 2011, and picking up...
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Now in December 2023, International Team (albeit a different publisher with the same name) and Academy Games will crowdfund the 2-4 player game Fief: England:
In this game, you take control of the destiny of a family of lords in a revisited medieval era and try to make them the most powerful in the kingdom. To win, you must make good use of:
— your political strength, by building alliances through marriage, giving titles to your lords and ladies, and convening parliament to raise taxes,
— your economic strength through income from mills and abbeys, and taxes on towns, and
— your military strength, by raising troops (knights, sergeants, archers, crossbowmen) and by making good use of your siege engines (bombards and trebuchets).
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Life would be a long, quiet stream if it were not for the calamities that can befall the kingdom: bad weather that spoils the crops; famine, which suppresses the income of mills and abbeys and leads to revolts; the Black Death which decimates your troops and can take the lives of your lords; and Viking invasions, which destroy cities, castles, abbeys, and other relics if they're not well defended.
— your political strength, by building alliances through marriage, giving titles to your lords and ladies, and convening parliament to raise taxes,
— your economic strength through income from mills and abbeys, and taxes on towns, and
— your military strength, by raising troops (knights, sergeants, archers, crossbowmen) and by making good use of your siege engines (bombards and trebuchets).
Life would be a long, quiet stream if it were not for the calamities that can befall the kingdom: bad weather that spoils the crops; famine, which suppresses the income of mills and abbeys and leads to revolts; the Black Death which decimates your troops and can take the lives of your lords; and Viking invasions, which destroy cities, castles, abbeys, and other relics if they're not well defended.
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The game I was reminded of today was Triominos, mostly because I ran across a new take on the design that Goliath Games released in November 2023: Triominos Conquest, which plays as follows:
Triominos Conquest features the classic Triominos gameplay with a twist! Score the most points by conquering the largest area.
In addition to the triangular Triomino tiles that feature numbers at each corner, the game includes three types of "conquest" cover pieces: Triohex, Triotri, and Triodia — that is, a colored hexagon that covers six tiles, a colored triangle that covers four tiles, and a colored diamond that covers two tiles. Each player has their own set of conquest pieces.
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On a turn, you must place a Triomino from your hand next to one or more Triominos in the playing area so that the numbers on the Triomino you place match the numbers on each adjacent edge it touches. If this placement creates the shape of one of your conquest pieces, you can place that conquest piece on these tiles to claim them; if your tile placement creates a shape that includes a smaller conquest piece, you can replace the smaller conquest piece with your larger one and return the smaller piece to its owner.
Once all the tiles have been placed, sum the numbers on the tiles under your conquest pieces to determine your score. Whoever has the most points wins.
In addition to the triangular Triomino tiles that feature numbers at each corner, the game includes three types of "conquest" cover pieces: Triohex, Triotri, and Triodia — that is, a colored hexagon that covers six tiles, a colored triangle that covers four tiles, and a colored diamond that covers two tiles. Each player has their own set of conquest pieces.
On a turn, you must place a Triomino from your hand next to one or more Triominos in the playing area so that the numbers on the Triomino you place match the numbers on each adjacent edge it touches. If this placement creates the shape of one of your conquest pieces, you can place that conquest piece on these tiles to claim them; if your tile placement creates a shape that includes a smaller conquest piece, you can replace the smaller conquest piece with your larger one and return the smaller piece to its owner.
Once all the tiles have been placed, sum the numbers on the tiles under your conquest pieces to determine your score. Whoever has the most points wins.
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Throughout history, the Mediterranean was inhabited by many different peoples and city-states. In EPOS: A Gentes Game, you lead your people to prosperity to secure a fitting place in history. EPOS is a "game collection" set in the Gentes universe that consists of:
— A base game
— Eight scenarios
— A campaign game (with different lengths and challenges)
You can play the scenarios in any order, repeating them or skipping them as you like, or once you're familiar with the base game, you can dive into the campaign. The scenarios are:
1. Kingdoms
People start to establish their first settlements, cities, and eventually kingdoms. Help your people grow and expand, and send your pioneers to as many territories as possible.
2. Tributes
The competition among your different peoples for resources and power steadily increases, so ask your gods for their help. Whose achievements will find a place in history?
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3. Infrastructure
After the founding of cities, trading posts are important for the exchange of goods on important trade routes. Increasingly, these routes alone become lucrative sources of power and wealth, surpassing some cities in their importance.
4. Expeditions
Curiosity and the need to discover new regions lead brave explorers to distant lands where they create new opportunities for their own glory and for the benefit of their people. Expeditions and the development of your population propel your people to unprecedented prosperity and increase your wealth.
5. Trade
As you start to transport increasingly valuable goods over long distances, they become a popular form of currency. Depending on the demand, prices of goods fluctuate, so make sure you trade at the right time to prevent shortages.
6. Progress
Kingdoms are connected by trade networks. Your people continuously develop new technologies and improve skills.
7. Turbulent Times
After years of prosperity, times get a bit tougher for your people. Enemies at your borders and internal unrest, natural disasters, and plagues afflict them — truly turbulent times! Only together can you fight and overcome these problems, which require you to invest time and resources.
8. New Era
Your people have experienced several changes in fortunes and survived turbulent times. Now they stand on the threshold of a new era! It is time to explore new paths, but each people must find its own way. Only those who keep their population in good spirits, using culture and luxury goods, will acquire eternal glory: Panem et Circenses! Embark on the new era in the Mediterranean for generations to come!
For the EPOS campaign game, you play either all eight scenarios or a random selection of four.
— A base game
— Eight scenarios
— A campaign game (with different lengths and challenges)
You can play the scenarios in any order, repeating them or skipping them as you like, or once you're familiar with the base game, you can dive into the campaign. The scenarios are:
1. Kingdoms
People start to establish their first settlements, cities, and eventually kingdoms. Help your people grow and expand, and send your pioneers to as many territories as possible.
2. Tributes
The competition among your different peoples for resources and power steadily increases, so ask your gods for their help. Whose achievements will find a place in history?
3. Infrastructure
After the founding of cities, trading posts are important for the exchange of goods on important trade routes. Increasingly, these routes alone become lucrative sources of power and wealth, surpassing some cities in their importance.
4. Expeditions
Curiosity and the need to discover new regions lead brave explorers to distant lands where they create new opportunities for their own glory and for the benefit of their people. Expeditions and the development of your population propel your people to unprecedented prosperity and increase your wealth.
5. Trade
As you start to transport increasingly valuable goods over long distances, they become a popular form of currency. Depending on the demand, prices of goods fluctuate, so make sure you trade at the right time to prevent shortages.
6. Progress
Kingdoms are connected by trade networks. Your people continuously develop new technologies and improve skills.
7. Turbulent Times
After years of prosperity, times get a bit tougher for your people. Enemies at your borders and internal unrest, natural disasters, and plagues afflict them — truly turbulent times! Only together can you fight and overcome these problems, which require you to invest time and resources.
8. New Era
Your people have experienced several changes in fortunes and survived turbulent times. Now they stand on the threshold of a new era! It is time to explore new paths, but each people must find its own way. Only those who keep their population in good spirits, using culture and luxury goods, will acquire eternal glory: Panem et Circenses! Embark on the new era in the Mediterranean for generations to come!
For the EPOS campaign game, you play either all eight scenarios or a random selection of four.
• In 2024, Gamelyn Games, in co-operation with The Op, will run a crowdfunding campaign for Tiny Epic Game of Thrones, a Scott Almes design for 1-4 players:
Prepare to navigate the perilous world of Westeros with Tiny Epic Game of Thrones, where alliances are fragile, betrayals are common, and the fate of your House hangs in the balance. Players will assume the roles of the mighty houses of the Seven Kingdoms, each vying for power, influence, and control of the Iron Throne.
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As you step into the shoes of iconic characters, you'll face challenging dilemmas, engage in intricate political maneuvering, and wage epic battles for supremacy. Will you forge powerful alliances with other noble houses, or will you plot their downfall to seize their lands and resources? The choices you make will have far-reaching consequences, affecting not only your House but the entire realm. Can you outwit your rivals and ensure the survival and prosperity of your House in the unforgiving "Game of Thrones"?
In Tiny Epic Game of Thrones, players utilize an innovative limited-action dice mechanism to strategically choose actions such as plot, whisper, event, march, and sail. With the option to follow other players' actions, players will be engaged every turn.
Furthermore, players will wield the immense power of their respective Houses through a versatile hand of multi-use cards that allow players to plot against the influential houses of Westeros, orchestrate grandiose events, and partake in exhilarating battles. They will wage war across all of Westeros, sieging castles, taking lands, and forging crucial alliances, all for a chance to sit upon the Iron Throne. After six rounds of play, one player will emerge as the Lord of the Seven Kingdoms and be crowned the winner!
As you step into the shoes of iconic characters, you'll face challenging dilemmas, engage in intricate political maneuvering, and wage epic battles for supremacy. Will you forge powerful alliances with other noble houses, or will you plot their downfall to seize their lands and resources? The choices you make will have far-reaching consequences, affecting not only your House but the entire realm. Can you outwit your rivals and ensure the survival and prosperity of your House in the unforgiving "Game of Thrones"?
In Tiny Epic Game of Thrones, players utilize an innovative limited-action dice mechanism to strategically choose actions such as plot, whisper, event, march, and sail. With the option to follow other players' actions, players will be engaged every turn.
Furthermore, players will wield the immense power of their respective Houses through a versatile hand of multi-use cards that allow players to plot against the influential houses of Westeros, orchestrate grandiose events, and partake in exhilarating battles. They will wage war across all of Westeros, sieging castles, taking lands, and forging crucial alliances, all for a chance to sit upon the Iron Throne. After six rounds of play, one player will emerge as the Lord of the Seven Kingdoms and be crowned the winner!