Machi Koro: It’s Tough Being A Leader

Machi Koro is a card game with a story we can all relate to: the struggle that comes with being in charge. In Machi Koro, you play a character who has just been elected as the first mayor of the city. But don’t think that just because you’re leading a small town means things will be simple. Your job as mayor is to help your citizens grow your small community into a bustling new metropolitan with a radio tower, theme park, and other fun new features. Get your die ready as you build Machi Koro into the city of your dreams.

Cards, Coins, Dice

The tools of Machi Koro are a set of cards, coins, and a pair of dice. The game is played by 2-4 players, with each player racing to be the first mayor to build the four landmarks in their town. The landmarks that your citizens so desperately desire are as follows: a Train Station, a Shopping Mall, a Radio Tower, and an Amusement Park.

To begin the game, you only have a Wheat Field and a Bakery. Your job is to collect income and roll the dice to build these landmarks before your competition beats you to it. In order to build, you have to pay the cost. You start the game with $3 in coins, collecting income whenever you or another player roll the dice to match specific numbers. These are the activation numbers for each of your establishments.

In Machi Koro, there are four types of establishments. Each comes with certain activation requirements that allow you to earn income based on the roll of the dice. Restaurants get activated by your opponents’ rolls, meaning if another player rolls a three and you have a Café with an activation number of 3, they give you coins. Primary industries are activated at any turn, earning you money straight from the bank.

Secondary industries and Major Establishments are activated on your turn. When a Secondary industry is activated, you collect money from the bank. But when a Major Establishment is activated, you perform the actions on the card.

Build, Build, Build

You’ll need to build more than just the four landmarks needed to win the game. You’re allowed to construct one building at the end of each turn, either choosing a building from your supply or an unconstructed landmark. A building earns you income, while a landmark activates a special ability. The Train Station lets you roll two dice instead of one, while the Shopping Mall earns extra income for establishments with cup or shop icons. The Amusement Park allows you to take two turns when rolling doubles, while the Radio Tower gives you the option of rolling twice.

Machi Koro Expansions and Spinoffs

Machi Koro has come out with a couple of expansion packs and spinoffs that add a fun twist to the themes and mechanics of the game. Machi Koro: Millionaire’s Row adds a new mechanic called Renovation, which stops certain establishments in your supply from being activated. Machi Koro: Harbor Expansion adds three more landmarks to the game, including City Hall, the Harbor, and the Airport. It also allows you to play with up to five players instead of four.

Machi Koro Fussball involves building a stadium to host the World Cup, which is a fun theme for anyone who loves soccer. There’s also a cool sequel card game called Machi Koro: Bright Lights, Big City that involves building the most popular new tourist destination around! This sequel game is much more fast-paced and allows up to five players.

Be the Best Leader You Can Be with Machi Koro

Machi Koro is playable by 2-4 players, which makes it a great game for one-on-one play as well as small groups. If you’re looking to expand gameplay, you can always pick up one of the spinoffs or expansions to play with up to five players. Playing time lasts around 30 minutes, which makes it easily accessible to newer players just getting used to the rules. The game is suitable for ages 10, and up, so most kids and adults will be able to enjoy the game together.

Buy Machi Koro today and be the mayor you always knew you could be!

 

7 Wonders: A Story of Civilization As Old As Time

Have you ever wondered what it would be like to be the leader of an ancient civilization?  Back in ancient times, when the wonders of the world were an astounding sight to see, inspiring awe in the hearts of man?  With the card game 7 Wonders, you get to experience the same sense of awe by building your very own timeless architectural wonder.

In this card game, you’re the leader of one of the 7 great cities of the ancient world.  Your job is to gather resources, develop trading routes, and best your competitors in military strength in order to earn points.  As you build your city, you’ll also seek to construct your very own wonder that will last throughout time.  7 Wonders has rhythm and a fast-paced sense of fun that makes this dynamic card game one you won’t want to miss.

The Three Ages

7 Wonders lasts for three Ages, with each Age offering players the opportunity to build their civilization by drawing cards.  Players will receive seven cards from a deck during each Age, choosing one of those cards and passing the rest to the next player.  Once everyone has drawn a card, each player will reveal their cards at the same time.  

Players are all given their own boards with which to organize their cards, representing their “Wonder”.  In order to play cards, you’ll have to pay the cost, which may require either certain raw materials or manufactured goods.  Some cards have no cost to play, however.  With these cards, players can add markets and routes to facilitate the growth of their civilization as well as scientific discoveries or military power.

Coins and Resources

Players are allowed to discard their cards to acquire coins.  Coins can be used to buy resources from your opponents, allowing you to play more cards.  Trading with the other players is a major part of 7 Wonders, so you’ll have to find a strategy that allows your civilization to thrive without giving the other player what they need to beat you.

Certain cards will have immediate effects, while others will give you bonuses you can use later on.  Some cards will give you discounts on future purchases, while others will give you military strength.  Once each Age comes to an end, players will compare their strength with their neighbors based on their military cards.  Victorious players will earn points, while the defeated players will lose points.  

Once the third Age is finished, players will add up the points from all of their cards, military victories, and coins.  They’ll also add points from any sets of cards collected as well as if they completed certain levels of their Great Wonder.  Whichever player earns the most points is the winner of the game!

7 Wonders Later Editions

7 Wonders has released a sequel card game called 7 Wonders Duel that turns this multi-player card game into a one-on-one competition.  In 7 Wonders Duel, players will draw cards from a display of face-down and face-up cards that are arranged each round.  You can only take a card if none of the others are covering it, giving you the additional element of timing in drawing cards.

Each player is given four wonder cards at the beginning of the game.  If you construct a wonder, you get a special ability.  However, only seven wonders can be built, so one player will end up with only three wonders.  There are several paths to winning 7 Wonders Duel.  Players must either reach the opponent’s capital, acquire six out of seven different scientific symbols, or win the most points at the end of the game.

Explore the 7 Wonders

7 Wonders is playable by 2-7 players, which means you can play the game just as easily with one other person as you can with the whole family.  This card game is suitable for ages 10 and up, so younger players can learn about card development and set collection skills.  Playing time lasts around 30 minutes, so you can fit in a round or two in a night without losing interest.

Buy 7 Wonders and build your own civilization today!

 

Red Dragon Inn: Party Like a Hero

Sure, everybody knows the story of the heroic adventurers who save the day, slay the evil monsters, and collect their share of the treasure.  But what happens to them after they’ve finished their righteous conquest?  A night of drinking, gambling, and roughhousing of course.  Red Dragon Inn is a comical game with rapscallion characters engaged in a debauched good time.  

Choose Your Adventurer

In Red Dragon Inn, players get to choose between four different heroic adventurers who’ve just come back from a fresh conquest.  Each character comes with their own special deck of cards that provides them with unique abilities during the game.  The first is Deirdre the Priestess, an elf under the protection of a goddess that can get her out of scrapes and help her heal.  

Fiona the Volatile, on the other hand, is a tough female warrior who can cheer on her fellow players to drink more heavily while turning her own drinks into greater strength.  Gerki the Sneak comes with plenty of cheat cards that make him an excellent gambler (as well as a few poisons hidden up his sleeves).  The last is Zot the Wizard, whose half-demonic pet rabbit Pookey aids him in his quest to drain the other players of their gold.

Gambling, Drinking, and Roughhousing

Every player gets their own board where they can store their decks, discards, and drink cards.  Players start out with ten gold coins and seven cards that they can use to gamble, drink, and gain the upper hand against the other players.  Each turn gives you several options: you can discard however many cards you like and redraw, you can play an action card, or you can buy a drink for someone else.

Buying a drink for someone else will add another drink card to their stack, but it also forces you to take a drink yourself by drawing a card from your own stack.  While this may end up raising your alcohol content and getting you one step closer to passing out, you may end up gaining fortitude from the drink.  You can only play one action card per term, and these cards will usually force the other players to either take damage or drink more.  

Hold Onto Your Coins—and Your Sobriety

Some action cards will trigger a round of gambling, which invites each of the players to bet their gold and play their gambling cards.  Some characters are better at gambling than others, so your character’s profile will play heavily into your strategy of whether or not to favor gambling or drinking.

If a player’s alcohol content gets too high, they’ll pass out and lose the game.  However, running out of gold coins from gambling too much will also kick you out of the game.  The winner is whoever manages to be the last person to hold onto their coins and stay conscious.

Red Dragon Inn Sequels

Red Dragon Inn has spawned a handful of standalone sequel games that can also be integrated with the original game.  Red Dragon Inn 2 adds characters such as Dimli the Dwarf, a gold-hoarder who can handle his liquor like nobody’s business.  It also adds Fleck the Bard, a music loving half-elf who steals the hearts of all the girls.

Red Dragon Inn 6: Villains puts a unique twist on the premise of the game by taking on the villain’s perspective.  With this dark and twisted sequel, you can engage in Boss Battle mode that pits all the players against one evil villain.  No matter which Red Dragon Inn sequel you choose, you’ll be able to enjoy fun new characters that can make the original game even more expansive.

Enjoy the Spoils of the Hunt with Red Dragon Inn

Red Dragon Inn is suitable for ages 13 and up, mostly due to its slightly adult themes.  It can serve 2-4 players, but adding expansion can allow for larger groups and parties of up to 8.  Playing time lasts around 45 minutes, which should make for a decent round of debauched fun.  With Red Dragon Inn, you’ll be sure to enjoy its lighthearted nature and clever spin on the classic “hero.”

 

 

How to Play The Red Dragon Inn

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