Originally posted on www.throatpunchgames.com, a new idea everyday!
Game- Ginkgopolis
Producer- Pearl Games
Price- $40
Players- 1-5
Set-up/Play/Clean-up- 1 Hour
tl;dr- Minor glitch in the theme, but an awesome game otherwise! 90%
Basics- Welcome to the future, but this one isn't crap! In Ginkgopolis, players take the roles of different urban planners trying to design the world of tomorrow when most of Earth recourses have been used up. This game plays like a combination of Carcassonne and 7 Wonders. Each turn players are given cards from the player on their right. From these cards, players have to select one card to play. These cards will either be used to gain more points/resources/tiles, to build on already built tiles, or expand the city. When you build on a tile, you play the card for that tile in front of you and gain a permanent benefit. And, the card for the tile you played goes into the draw pile, so others can build onto the tile you played. This continues until players can't draw tiles. Then, all players can sell tiles back to the bank for points, and the game continues until this happens again. When the bank runs out of tiles a second time, players finish their turns, and the game is over. Player with the most points is the best urban planner of the future.
Mechanics- This game is amazingly fun and easy to play. The game moves fast, and even with five people in my first game, the players picked up the game quickly. The icons on the cards and player boards teach you how to play well. And, I never had a question the rules didn't define ahead of time. Well Done! 5/5
Theme- Here is where things fall apart a bit. The story behind the game is the world doesn't have many resources. So, we have learned from the Ginkgo Biloba plant and will design our cities higher and higher. However, most of the players in our game got lots of point when they built out. Heck, even without cards the players get bonuses for building out. That seemed really counter intuitive when you think about the world the game portrayed. However, I did feel like I was designing a city. And, the cards made me feel it was futuristic. So, the there is there, but not perfect. 3/5
Instructions- The rules are well written. Lots of pictures and examples break up the text and make the game that much more approachable. I didn't have any questions regarding how to play, so any game where I don't have to run off to board game geek mid-game is awesome in my book! 5/5
Execution- I like what I saw with this game. The art is nice, and it helped build the theme of the future. The box is well put together, and didn't feel flimsy. The cards are decent quality, and the tiles are nice and chunky. All and all, this was well done. 5/5
Summary- I really liked this game. It's quick with some strategy. I had to make some choices, but I never felt like it bogged down the game. The theme I a bit off, but if you can look past that, this game is amazing! 90%
Game- Ginkgopolis
Producer- Pearl Games
Price- $40
Players- 1-5
Set-up/Play/Clean-up- 1 Hour
tl;dr- Minor glitch in the theme, but an awesome game otherwise! 90%
Basics- Welcome to the future, but this one isn't crap! In Ginkgopolis, players take the roles of different urban planners trying to design the world of tomorrow when most of Earth recourses have been used up. This game plays like a combination of Carcassonne and 7 Wonders. Each turn players are given cards from the player on their right. From these cards, players have to select one card to play. These cards will either be used to gain more points/resources/tiles, to build on already built tiles, or expand the city. When you build on a tile, you play the card for that tile in front of you and gain a permanent benefit. And, the card for the tile you played goes into the draw pile, so others can build onto the tile you played. This continues until players can't draw tiles. Then, all players can sell tiles back to the bank for points, and the game continues until this happens again. When the bank runs out of tiles a second time, players finish their turns, and the game is over. Player with the most points is the best urban planner of the future.
Mechanics- This game is amazingly fun and easy to play. The game moves fast, and even with five people in my first game, the players picked up the game quickly. The icons on the cards and player boards teach you how to play well. And, I never had a question the rules didn't define ahead of time. Well Done! 5/5
Theme- Here is where things fall apart a bit. The story behind the game is the world doesn't have many resources. So, we have learned from the Ginkgo Biloba plant and will design our cities higher and higher. However, most of the players in our game got lots of point when they built out. Heck, even without cards the players get bonuses for building out. That seemed really counter intuitive when you think about the world the game portrayed. However, I did feel like I was designing a city. And, the cards made me feel it was futuristic. So, the there is there, but not perfect. 3/5
Instructions- The rules are well written. Lots of pictures and examples break up the text and make the game that much more approachable. I didn't have any questions regarding how to play, so any game where I don't have to run off to board game geek mid-game is awesome in my book! 5/5
Execution- I like what I saw with this game. The art is nice, and it helped build the theme of the future. The box is well put together, and didn't feel flimsy. The cards are decent quality, and the tiles are nice and chunky. All and all, this was well done. 5/5
Summary- I really liked this game. It's quick with some strategy. I had to make some choices, but I never felt like it bogged down the game. The theme I a bit off, but if you can look past that, this game is amazing! 90%
