Tag: Open Drafting

Games with Open Drafting mechanics allow players to choose new resources from a shared pool. The pool of resources is public, meaning all players will see available options.

Faraway

| T3d-1978

Welcome to Alula, a mysterious continent with ever-changing geography, shaped after the rhythm of the seasons. Beyond the Sea of Mists lies the mysterious continent of Alula. Roam across the land in search of its secrets, meet its inhabitants, and list its wonders in order to gain more fame than your opponents.

Throughout a game of Faraway, you will play a row of 8 cards in front of you, from left to right. These cards represent the regions you will come across while exploring the lands. Characters on these cards will grant you victory points if you later fulfill the conditions they demand. At the end of the game, you walk back the same way, scoring cards in the opposite order you played them. There lies the heart of the gameplay. Throughout the game, the cards you play will serve both to set new objectives, and to meet the ones you played previously.

Each turn, you play a card from a hand of 3. Then you pick a new card from a face-up river. As play is simultaneous in Faraway, you must take into account a clever priority system in all of your choices – being last to pick a card leaves you with fewer options and often less profitable choices for the next turns.

—description from the publisher

Game Mechanics:

  • Constrained Bidding
  • End Game Bonuses
  • Hand Management
  • Open Drafting
  • Selection Order Bid
  • Set Collection
  • Simultaneous Action Selection

Game Specifications:

  • 2 – 6 Players
  • 15 – 30 Minutes
  • Difficulty Weight 1.91

Fantasy Realms: Deluxe Edition

| T3d-1978

Bruce Glassco’s Fantasy Realms is a modern classic, and this new Deluxe Edition has updated every card with a sleek, intuitive graphic design. The base game cards have also been updated to include new art from Anthony Cournoyer to match his beloved work on The Cursed Hoard expansion, giving the entire game a fresh look!

It includes:

The original base game with all new art and graphic design!
The Cursed Hoard, which includes two expansion modules, also with new graphic design!
The Jester and Phoenix cards, previously only available as promo cards!
100+ art sleeves to protect all the included cards, plus some extras!
In Fantasy Realms, you build your Realm, one card at a time, as you collect Beasts, Armies, Wizards, and more! Each card is unique and scores points based on the other cards in your hand. You start with seven cards, and each turn you’ll draw a new card from the deck or discard, and discard one card from your hand, always trying to improve your Realm! Whoever’s realm scores the most points is the winner!

—description from the publisher

Game Mechanics:

  • End Game Bonuses
  • Hand Management
  • Open Drafting
  • Set Collection

Game Specifications:

  • 3 – 6 Players
  • 20 Minutes
  • Difficulty Weight 2.05

Fado: Duetos e Desgarradas

| T3d-1978

“The Great Day of Fado” is coming.

There is no memory of such an event, thousands of tourists and fado lovers from all corners of the world are expected. Managers from all over the country are working on the organization of the event. From north to south of Portugal, one, two and even three shows are planned simultaneously. It will be days, nights and, sometimes, even early morning parties!
Failure is out of the question, and to organize the perfect show, it is necessary to choose the best artist, the right alignment, the perfect melody and the most appropriate of the scenarios. It is the ideal time for some managers, hitherto unknown, to show how much they are worth.

No one will miss and this is your moment to shine!

—description from the publisher

Game Mechanics:

  • Hand Management
  • Open Drafting
  • Set Collection

Game Specifications:

  • 2 – 4 Players
  • 20 – 30 Minutes
  • Difficulty Weight 1.75

Everdell Farshore

| T3d-1978

The Forever Sea is calling…

The rugged coast north of Everdell Valley is a land brimming with adventure and mystery. Stalwart sailors search for bountiful islands and valuable treasures. Dutiful monks inhabit abbeys and scriptoriums, meticulously translating and illuminating. Hard-working folk gather resources and build their cities in unison with the ever-changing waves of the mighty ocean.

Welcome to Everdell Farshore, a standalone game set in the country of Farshore. Through each season, you lead a crew of critter workers to build up a prosperous city and to explore the enchanting ocean beyond. You must plan your actions carefully in order to build and to sail, for only by adapting to the winds of change will you succeed.

The wind is high. The sun is breaking the horizon. It is time to set sail for adventure!

—description from the publisher

Game Mechanics:

  • Hand Management
  • Open Drafting
  • Set Collection
  • Worker Placement

Game Specifications:

  • 1 – 4 Players
  • 40 – 80 Minutes
  • Difficulty Weight 2.82

Everdell Duo

| T3d-1978

In Everdell Duo, you either compete against your single opponent or play co-operatively with another player to earn the most points. You accomplish this by placing workers to gather resources, then use those resources to play cards face up in front of you, creating your own woodland city.

Cards may be played from your hand or from the face-up area on the board called the meadow. However, only cards touching the sun or moon token may be played from the meadow, and players move these tokens each time they perform a turn. Therefore, planning for and timing which cards you play is critical.

Each game you try to achieve various events, the requirements of which differ from game to game, making certain cards and combinations more important to pursue.

The game lasts for four seasons, then players add their scores to determine the winner. If you’re playing co-operatively, check the requirements for the chapter you are playing to see whether you have won.

—description from the publisher

Game Mechanics:

  • Contracts
  • Cooperative Game
  • Income
  • Open Drafting
  • Scenario / Mission / Campaign Game
  • Set Collection
  • Solo / Solitaire Game
  • Variable Set-up
  • Worker Placement

Game Specifications:

  • 1 – 2 Players
  • 30 Minutes
  • Difficulty Weight 2.70

Ethnos: 2nd Edition

| T3d-1978

In the faraway land of Ethnos, a new Age is dawning. The ashes of the old Age have left the Six Regions empty, and the twelve Clans scattered to the winds. Now is the time for a clever leader to unite them into a powerful alliance, skillfully using the unique talents of each Clan to control the Regions.
Do you have the wit and the wisdom to become the next Emperor of Ethnos and usher in a Golden Age?

Unite the Clans to Control Ethnos

What was old has been made new again. The land of Ethnos has been rendered empty and a new Age is beginning. Someone must take up the mantle of Emperor. Will it be you?

In Ethnos 2nd Edition, players must take control of the various clans of Ethnos, gathering members and unleashing them into the six regions. Each clan has different special abilities, and depending on who you choose to lead your groups, different strategies can be employed. 2nd Edition includes updated rules and rules for Solo mode.

STRATEGIC AREA CONTROL GAME — In Ethnos 2nd Edition, players gather members of various clans and compete for control of six regions, utilizing each clan’s unique abilities to dominate the land.
UNIQUE CLAN ABILITIES — Each clan in Ethnos offers distinct powers, adding deep strategy and diverse playstyles as you choose which clan leaders will guide your groups to victory.
COMPETITIVE OR SOLO PLAY — Whether you’re challenging friends or conquering regions solo, Ethnos 2nd Edition provides endless strategic opportunities for players of all experience levels.
FOR 1-6 PLAYERS — Perfect for game nights or solo sessions, Ethnos 2nd Edition is designed for 1-6 players, offering dynamic and exciting gameplay for ages 14 and up.
UPDATED RULES & SOLO MODE — The 2nd Edition features updated rules for streamlined gameplay and introduces a new solo mode, allowing players to enjoy the game on their own.

Game Mechanics:

  • Area Majority / Influence
  • Hand Management
  • Open Drafting

Game Specifications:

  • 1 – 6 Players
  • 60 Minutes
  • Difficulty Weight 2.20

Epochs: Course of Cultures

| T3d-1978

In Epochs: Course of Cultures, you will lead your civilization and plan a path through the crossroads of history across three epochs. Be a pioneer to expand territories, be an innovator to foster study and research, or be a warmonger to raid using superior armaments. The choice is yours, and it is your strategic acumen that will shape the course of cultures and lead your people toward victory.

Within the game, you will compete with other leaders to become the most prestigious civilization over three epochs: ancient, medieval, and modern. You will introduce a total of nine inventions to customize your civilization. On your turn, you can choose to expand your territories on the shared map, build a city, establish a trade route, do academic research, change the form of government, and build magnificent wonders to consolidate your authority. Unfortunately, being peaceful is not always the best way to benefit your people as leaders can choose to declare war on others within an epoch. A wise leader may have to prepare for war by improving military units…just in case.

Immerse yourself in a re-imagination of human history in which every decision carries weight and every action shapes the course of your civilization. Will you be remembered as a benevolent ruler, revered for your cultural achievements? Or will you carve out a legacy through conquest, leaving a trail of triumph in your wake? The fate of your people rests in your hands. Be a visionary leader, and create a civilization that will stand the test of epochs.

—description from the publisher

Game Mechanics:

  • Hand Management
  • Hexagon Grid
  • Modular Board
  • Open Drafting
  • Variable Player Powers

Game Specifications:

  • 2 – 4 Players
  • 120 – 180 Minutes
  • Difficulty Weight 3.57

Enchanters

| T3d-1978

In the fantasy card-drafting game Enchanters, you create an artifact and upgrade it each turn. Every card you take retains some of its power. As you grow stronger, you can take on more powerful monsters and, if you plan well, even defeat a dragon.

To set up the game, each player takes five crystals, then you shuffle together as many kingdom decks as the number of players, then lay out six cards (either items of enchantments) on the journey track. In the game, players take turns to embark on quests, collecting cards from the journey track by paying with crystals. Acquired cards are placed into adjacent stacks, with something like “Long Sword” going into the item stack and cards like “of Fire” going into the enchantment stack; combined, these cards create the “Long Sword of Fire”, and cards grant both temporary bonuses (upper icons and skills) and permanent ones (bottom icons).

Players may attack approaching monsters and defeat them in a simple combat encounter to score points. In combat, you compare your defense against the monster’s strength to determine whether you receive damage. Then, you need to accumulate as much attack as the monster’s health to defeat it. You keep defeated cards as trophies.

From time to time, you rest in the village to gain crystals or heal wounds. If you do, discard the first card from the journey track. At the end of each turn, replenish the journey track to six cards.

The game ends when the last card is taken or discarded.

Game Mechanics:

  • Open Drafting
  • Set Collection

Game Specifications:

  • 2 – 4 Players
  • 30 – 60 Minutes
  • Difficulty Weight 1.93

Enchanted Plumes

| T3d-1978

In Enchanted Plumes, players strive to complete magical peacocks by assembling plumes in sparkling rows from top to bottom.

Skillfully placing feather cards of the same color from row to row is key, as the top row value will count against your score, while all lower rows count as positive values.

Once the peahen card is revealed, the player with the most valuable plumes wins the game and is bestowed with the luck of the peacock!

—description from the publisher

Game Mechanics:

  • Hand Management
  • Open Drafting
  • Pattern Building
  • Set Collection

Game Specifications:

  • 2 – 6 Players
  • 20 – 40 Minutes
  • Difficulty Weight 1.38

Dune: Imperium – Uprising LAST BAD IMAGE

| T3d-1978

In Dune: Imperium Uprising, you want to continue to balance military might with political intrigue, wielding new tools in pursuit of victory. Spies will shore up your plans, vital contracts will expand your resources, or you can learn the ways of the Fremen and ride mighty sandworms into battle!

Dune: Imperium Uprising is a standalone spinoff to Dune: Imperium that expands on that game’s blend of deck-building and worker placement, while introducing a new six-player mode that pits two teams against one other in the biggest struggle yet.

The Dune: Imperium expansions Rise of Ix and Immortality work with Uprising, as do almost all of the cards from the base game, and elements of Uprising can be used with Dune: Imperium.

The choices are yours. The Imperium awaits!

Game Mechanics:

  • Automatic Resource Growth
  • Card Play Conflict
  • Resolution
  • Contracts
  • Deck, Bag, and Pool
  • Building
  • Delayed Purchase
  • Force Commitment
  • Increase Value of Unchosen Resources
  • Multi-Use Cards
  • Open Drafting
  • Solo / Solitaire Game
  • Team-Based Game
  • Turn Order: Progressive
  • Variable Player Powers
  • Worker Placement

Game Specifications:

  • 1 – 6 Players
  • 60 – 120 Minutes
  • Difficulty Weight 3.50