Dominion Alchemy Review

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(More customer reviews)Dominion: Alchemy is an expansion to the Dominion card game series. You will need Dominion or Dominion Intrigue in order to play Alchemy.
Dominion: Alchemy is the smallest expansion to date, bringing 12 new kingdom cards and a new treasure card to the table. Alchemy brings a new theme and some very interesting cards to the table, but it can feel awkward to integrate Alchemy cards into a "normal" game without a keen understanding of the cards and a sound strategy. Specifically, the "Potions" resource is implemented, the crux of this expansion. The Potion is a treasure card, costing 4, necessary to purchase most Alchemy cards. Whenever a Potion appears in hand, it nearly forces players to purchase an Alchemy card, and, without extra buys, players often waste treasure purchasing them, as they cost very little but require a potion in addition to the treasure cost. Since Potions have no other benefits, they can easily become worthless cards cycling through the deck.
On a positive note, the majority of the artwork for the Alchemy cards is beautiful. Having been disappointed with many of the illustrations in Seaside, particularly, Alchemy brings some redemption to the aesthetic appeal of Dominion. For those who may be concerned with the content of this specific Dominion theme, it should be known that a few of the cards, whether the art or indicated by the card name, are dark in nature. The cards in question can be, in my opinion, easily avoided (in gameplay with children, for example) or discarded, if you so desire.
In my experience, playing with Alchemy cards makes for a longer game, especially if you are playing with those new to Alchemy. Alchemy lends itself to advanced players and should be avoided in play with newcomers to Dominion. Beware; an Alchemy game may conclude and you might feel as though you only pursued bunny trails the entire time. Is it any surprise though, since the art of alchemy lead to a lot of nothing? Though intriguing, Alchemy is probably the most superfluous of the Dominion series. My opinion is that many will buy this expansion more out of excitement or for a sense of completion for their collection.


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Looking for a way to turn lead into gold, the clever chemists in your basement laboratories keep sending up requests for strange ingredients like barrels of quicksilver and even locks of your hair. They are also working on a universal solvent. If they manage to create the substance and a container to hold it, you will be able to build a castle that can't be dissolved!
Please note: Dominion: Alchemy expands both Dominion, and Dominion: Intrigue and as such, it does not contain material for a complete game. Treasure, Victory, Curse, and Trash cards are not included, so you will need Dominion or Dominion: Intrigue to play. Dominion: Alchemy is also designed to be played with any future expansions that may be published.

Contents of Dominion: Alchemy Expansion:
150 Cards
Box Liner
Inlay
Rule Booklet

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Days of Wonder Ticket to Ride 1912 Expansion Review

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(More customer reviews)Anyone who owns Ticket To Ride : Europe probably already knows that it is one of the best of the Ticket to Ride games, with a map that creates interesting challenges and roadblocks.
The one drawback with Ticket to Ride: Europe is the lack of routes, with only about 45 or so routes (including only 6 'long routes'). After 20 or so playings, it becomes fairly easy to tell what long route someone is attempting at any time. In my view this expansion is essential, and to a large extent fixes what is the only drawback of Europe I can find.
Europa 1912 adds another 6 long routes. They are designed in such a way that it is now much more difficult to know which long route someone is attempting, no matter what long route they have. These routes are typically slightly shorter than the existing long routes, and worth 16 or 17 only. Also, all long routes now have a different back - good for finding them to shuffle and deal seperately, but everyone will know if you keep it or not!
Additionally, there are 19 more 'short' routes, and these are carefully designed to make those cities and tracks that are underutilised in the original game more important. In my view, with these cards there is a fairly good chance of use (and even of two or three players wanting the track) for any track on the board.
Lastly there is a large set of 'Big Cities' routes. As with both the above sets of cards, it is optional to use these cards. On these cards, nine cities are picked (London, Paris, Berlin, Roma, Athina, Wien, Madrid, Moskva, Angora) and a route is introduced between every combination of these cities. Since only a handful of these routes already existed, this brings in a large number of new routes. Some are short (Berlin - Wien is worth 3 points only) while Madrid to Moskva, worth 25, is the longest route in the game, despite not being a 'long route'. Using this set of cards significantly increases the importance of and the competition for tracks around those 9 cities. In my view this makes for a very different game. My preference is to always play with the other new cards, but to play with the big cities cards only when everyone is up for a cutthroat game.
All up there are about 55 new route cards, a significant expansion on the number there were in the original game.
The last addition is 'Warehouses' and 'Depots'. Descriptions of how this works can be found elsewhere on the web, and although they add a different element to the game, for me they are not the drawcard in this expansion.
All route cards from the original game are reprinted, but there are ways to tell them apart. It's important to note that some of the original routes will be found in the 'Big Cities' pack.
I recommend that everyone who owns Europe buys the Europa 1912 expansion. The extra routes are really worth the money, they make the game more even and less similar from game to game. Additionally, it was very hard for me to find. I suggest you buy now while you can - there is no guarantee with Days of Wonder that there will be a reprint!

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Introducing a whole new set of Destination Tickets, Europa 1912 also brings three new variants to Ticket to Ride Europe:
Europe Expanded adds nineteen new routes to the game.
Big Cities of Europe includes tickets to nine major cities.
Mega Europe uses all of the new routes included the original Destination Tickets.
Warehouses and Depots are also introduced which include new game rules and pieces adding a new strategic level to any of the Ticket to Ride games.
Please note: This is not a stand-alone game. An original copy of any complete game in the Ticket to Ride series is required to play with the new Warehouses and Depots rule. The new Tickets included are for use only with Ticket to Ride Europe

Contents of Ticket to Ride Europa 1912 Expansion:
5 Players' Warehouses
25 Train Depots
101 Destination Tickets for Ticket to Ride Europe with 55 New Ones
Rules Booklet

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Catan Traders and Barbarians 5 - 6 Player Extension Review

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(More customer reviews)Love this addition. There are many different variations you can play. it's never the same game twice. Great buy. Highly recommend.

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With this extension, you can play all five exciting Catan: Traders & Barbarians scenarios with up to six players. Now you'll face even more competition from your fellow settlers as you struggle to survive and prosper on the island of Catan! Components include 43 game pieces, 12 knights (6 of each color) - 6 bridges (3 of each color), 2 wagons (1 of each color), 12 barbarians (bronze color), 11 camels (brown color), 24 cards, 2 cards for "The Fishermen of Catan," 2 sets of cards for "Traders & Barbarians," 12 terrain tiles and fishing ground tiles, 16 gold coin counters (8 small, 8 large), 2 Special "Poor Settler" Cards/Tiles, 18 commodity tokens, 14 fish tokens, and 1 rules booklet. You need the Settlers of Catan board game and the Traders & Barbarians expansion (each sold separately) to use this 5-6 player extension. Measures 9"L x 6"W x 9"H.

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Carcassonne Abbey & Mayor 5th Extension Review

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(More customer reviews)Abbey & Mayor is the 5th full expansion to Carcassonne. With this expansion, players add a power and influence aspect to their game in four different parts. I've listed them in order of enjoyment.
Mayor -- The mayor piece is focused on controlling cities. The mayor's power grows as the city gains more pennant tiles. This piece can play a major role in the struggle for control that frequently takes place in large, valuable cities. As someone who enjoys competing for cities, I like this aspect.
Wagon -- Played as a regular piece, the wagon can travel from a completed area to somewhere unclaimed. This creates continuity and requires some extra vision. So far, this piece has been fun to play.
Barns -- The barn allows players to set up a super farm that grows in size as the game progresses pushing other, usually smaller, farmers out. The barn makes farm strategy important from the beginning instead of its typical end game position. However, a common complaint about farms in general is that they tend to grow too big. Those who don't enjoy that aspect of the game may not like this piece.
Abbey -- Acting as a sort of super cloister, the Abbey can be used to fill in those hard to close map features. It's a great escape valve for those who get trapped and it is also a quick way to add points. However, I think this takes away from the tactical aspect of trying to trap an opponents valuable pieces. This piece is probably my least favorite part of the Abbey & Mayor expansion.
Overall, I think this is a good expansion to Carcassonne falling in behind Inns & Cathedrals and Traders & Builders but ahead of Princess & Dragon and The Tower. I think it will add the most to games with intermediate to experienced players.

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The fifth major expansion to Carcassonne, Abbey & Mayor adds 3 new wooden piece types, 6 abbey tiles, and 12 landscape tiles. The Abbey tiles act as Cloisters but do not have to match adjacent tiles and they complete adjacent features when placed. Mayors can be placed only in cities, with their strength determined by the number of pennants in the city. Barns allow players to score fields during the game rather than just at the end. Wagons are placed on roads, cities, or cloisters, and can move to an adjacent open feature when their current feature is completed.

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Settlers of Catan Seafarers Game Expansion Review

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(More customer reviews)The Settlers of Catan won board game of the year in 1995 for a reason. I'm not sure if there is an 'expansion pack of the year' award, but if there was, Seafarers would win hands down. I've played a lot (and I mean a LOT) of strategy board games in my time, and Seafarers combined with Settlers of Catan is the best over all strategy game I've ever played.
If you're looking at this expansion, you likely already are sold on Catan (or addicted!) and are looking to expand your game. You have a good number of options, including the 5-6 Player Extension, Seafarers, or Cities & Knights. All of them are solid, but if you were going to just get one, it would have to be Seafarers. Here is why:
1. Diversity of maps
The 5-6 player expansion allows you to play with more players, but it is basically the same game as the 3-4 player version. You don't get the addition of over a dozen different maps like you do with Seafarers. Knights and Cities is more of a different game altogether, and will be more unfamiliar than Seafarers. Don't get me wrong, the other two expansions are fantastic, but get this one first.
2. Strategy
Seafarers unlocks a whole new realm of strategy. You can now build boats, discover islands, expand outward, control the pirate (like the robber, but used on water hexes), and generally play the game a few new and unique ways that are extremely satisfying. Whether you're playing "Into the Desert," with its fantastic static map that forces very careful placement, or "Four Islands," with its emphasis on resource management and aggressive island expansion, or just the basic Seafarers map (a new twist on the standard 3-4 player map) the level of strategy has been increased over all in a fantastic variety of ways. You can play longer maps that penalize 'lucky' players who choose bad numbers, or maps with exotic things like the Gold resource hexes (which produce a resource of your choice!), or maps that reward a conservative or aggressive style: you have so many options you will never get bored!
3. Replay value
With so many strategies available, and with potentially millions of variations on the maps, Seafarers never gets old. Just the "Into the Desert" map kept me busy for months. All of the maps are great, unique, and a whole lot of fun to play.
A few caveats:
1. This is an expansion. It is not playable without The Settlers of Catan. Also, make sure you are buying an expansion of the same edition as your 3-4 player board!
2. I have both the 3rd and 4th generation boards, and I actually prefer the 3rd generation with its more subdued graphics. That is a matter of preference however, so if you have the 4th generation 3-4 game and like it, you will like this expansion's aesthetics just as much.
3. Some of the maps in the map book also require The Settlers of Catan 5-6 Player Extension. You don't NEED to have the 5-6 player expansion, but be aware that about 20% of the maps require Seafarers, the 3-4 player game, and the 5-6 player expansion.
Built on a masterpiece of a board game like Settlers of Catan, it's no wonder this expansion is simply fantastic. I cannot recommend it highly enough. It deserves 7 stars.


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In The Seafarers of Catan you control a group of seafaring settlers exploring and taming the uncharted Isles of Catan. Embark on a quest to settle the island, build ships, and chart the nearby waters. Guide your settlers to victory with clever trading, cunning development, and by establishing the most productive sea lanes. Acquire your resources through card play and the luck of the dice. Discover far-off mines and use gold and combinations of resources--grain, wool, ore, brick, and timber -- to develop your ever-expanding empire. Of course, the best strategy and a dash of luck decides who will be the undisputed ruler of the Isles of Catan. You need The Settlers of Catan board game to use this expansion, sold separately.

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The Settlers of Catan 5-6 Player Extension Review

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(More customer reviews)The 5-6 player expansion set of "The Settlers of Catan" includes the following items:
1) Additional land and ocean tiles that increase the size of the island of Catan from 19 land tiles in the 3-4 player game to 30 land tiles [surrounded by water tiles] for the 5-6 player version.
2) A complete set of 30 numbered discs that matches the new, larger island.
3) More cards of each type of resource needed to accommodate more players
4) An addendum set of rules for 5-6 playes that introduces interesting new options for building not included in the 3-4 player game.
Oh, you probably know this, but you should be aware that the 5-6 player expansion is not a stand-alone game, you need the 3-4 player game in order to use this expansion.
OK, why buy the expansion? It, of course, allows up to two more players to join in. Also, the rules addendum includes an interesting twist... between-turn bulding. Because 5 or 6 players means longer times between an individual's turn, the between-turn "open building" arrangement allows players to build or buy things with the cards they hold in their hands (no trading with the bank or other players between turns though!). That not only allows players to get farther ahead when it's not their turn, it also allows them to use their cards so that they are less susceptible to "robber's" 7-card in-hand maximum limit if a 7 is rolled. Plus, 5-6 players in the game provides more player-to-player trade options, etc.
All in all an excellent addition to an outstanding game. It's fun, it's durable, it's interactive, and some say, "addictive."
5 stars all the way!

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Now five to six players can explore and settle Catan! The 5-6 Player Expansion for The Settlers of Catan allows you to add up to two more opponents without sacrificing ease of play. Designed for five or six players, it adds even more drama to the award-winning game of discovery, settlement, conflict, and commerce. You must have The Settlers of Catan board game in order to use this extension, sold separately.

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Dominion Intrigue Review

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(More customer reviews)Dominion, Intrigue, is both a stand-alone game and an expansion for the original "Dominion" game published in 2008. Previous players of the original dominion game will be right at home with this new set as the cards follow the established format of the previous set and the only "new" rules are simply clarifications of commonsense practices most players would intuit from the original rules anyway. The game is also a stand-alone set which is accessible all-on-its own to new players and those not familiar with previous dominion products.
Game play is straight forward, all players start with identical 10 card decks/hands, and throughout the course of the game, they add to their deck by buying and stealing cards from the central pool and from other players. Game play is a balance of building the necessary resources to purchase victory points, defending against the strategies of other players, and balancing the need to accumulate the highest victory point total with the fact that the victory point cards don't accomplish anything when drawn.
What you get:
*250+ cards including 25 entirely new kingdom cards and a full compliment of coins, curses, victory points, and randomizer cards.
*Card organizer.
*Rule book.
The game itself can accommodate between 2-4 players for the individual set or up to 8 players (rules provided in the intrigue expansion book) when combined with the previous set. There is no moderator and every player starts the game with the exact same cards and access to the exact same resources.
For those familiar with the original Dominion core game at first glance "Dominion Intrigue" looks fairly straightforward. This is however not the case. The intrigue set is more interactive than the core set, constantly requiring the active player and his opponents to make choices based on cards played. The feel of these cards is more group oriented, with more diversity and dependence on the other players with each action card played. For example, the card Masquerade requires each player to select a card from their hand and pass it to the player to their left, with the active player being able to trash one card from their hand (possibly an unwanted gift from the person to their right?) Also, cards like Barron and Duke provide much more defined strategies from the very beginning of games for players who want to specialize (both interact with victory point cards in hand for benefits.) Other cards like great hall, Noble, and Harem act as victory point cards as well as coins or action cards. If this sounds complicated, it's not, but turns can take longer as many of the action cards require all the players to perform actions and make choices while others require the active player to follow a series of instructions, often requiring him to make a value based choice which can take a second to figure out. This set also requires the players to be much more aware of how many cards they have in their discard pile, deck, in hand, in the kingdom card piles, and what other players are potentially holding/doing. Play through the recommended scenarios a few times first before randomizing to get a feel for the new game, trust me its better that way.
For new players, this game is entirely accessible and a great deal of fun. It is however more complex than the original core set and as a result it takes longer to get the rules down and start slinging the cardboard. If you've played collectable card games like magic the gathering, you'll love this game. If you've never played a card game in your life, this is still a fantastic game worth picking up. I won't say that a new player has to start with the previous "dominion" set before playing "Dominion Intrigue." What I will say is that Intrigue is far easier to strategize and grasp after having played the original core set.
Personal impressions:
I don't think it's fair to compare this new game of dominion with the older set. The game experience with "Dominion Intrigue" is entirely different than that of the main set, keeping the established mechanics but using decision making and group dynamics to force a much more unified and group dependent competition. I've played tons of games with the previous set and although there are cards like militia and witch which certainly affect the other players in the group, my interest in what other players were doing was limited to what they were likely to be doing to me and who had started the end run for the provinces. Dominion Intrigue requires players to be--very--aware of what other players are doing and very aware of how their strategies are advancing.
Another aspect of the game that is different is the feel of some of the cards when played. Previously, "attack cards" like witch, Militia, and burocrat were commonly played, to the detriment of all. Cards like the Thief and spy require the active player to make a decision regarding all the other players, again to their detriment. One of the most frustrating and defining qualities of Dominion Intrigue is that it forces the players to decide often how they will take it on the chin, in essence to choose the method of their punishment. The feel of play is more personal than the play with the core set--because--cards like torturer and masquerade don't just hit everyone equally as the witch and militia do, they make the other players complicit in their own downfall.
The net affect is a set that forces players to make value based choices constantly--sometimes to their benefit--sometimes not.
I like this game. It has great potential when the kingdom cards are combined with those of the previous set for random games. As a stand alone game though it doesn't have the raw crack--like addictiveness that the previous set possesses. It's different--not worse--and the things that make it different make it less fun for my friends and I. 4/5.


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You are a monarch, like your parents before you, a ruler of a small pleasant kingdom of rivers and evergreens. Unlike your parents, however, you have hopes and dreams! You want a bigger and more pleasant kingdom, with more rivers and a wider variety of trees. You want a Dominion! You will bring civilization to these people, uniting them under your banner. Dominion: Intrigue adds rules for playing with up to 8 players at two tables or for playing a single game with up to 6 players. This game adds 25 new Kingdom cards and a complete set of Treasure and Victory cards. The game can be played alone by players experienced in Dominion or with the basic game of Dominion.

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Carcassonne - The Tower Expansion Review

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(More customer reviews)We tried out our new Tower Expansion and were pleasantly surprised at how simple the rules were! It added a whole new dimension to the game though, and you really need to brace yourself to have all your potential points taken away if your follower is taken prisoner off of a big city or farming area. It made the game much more intense though, and it really causes you to change your strategy to keep the towers in mind. We also like playing with the tower tiles just as an addition to the regular game, without actually building towers or using the new rules. The tile-holder that came with it was also useful and better quality than we expected. And it still leaves plenty of room to grow with future expansions!

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In this Carcassonne expansion, players have the opportunity to build upwards! The lords of the region around Carcassonne erect towers to strengthen and promote their power and influence. They employ followers to stand guard on the towers, watching over the land so they can inform their lords of all who travel and move throughout the area. Players may capture opponents followers, holding them in prison. Later, the players may arrange a prisoner exchange, to the advantage of the players involved. Also, a player may arrange to pay ransom for the return of an imprisoned follower. Fans of Carcassonne will enjoy the new tactical opportunities offered by this expansion. The expansion also includes a special tower for storing the landscape tiles, giving players a convenient way to draw tiles during the game.

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Carcassonne the Count Review

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(More customer reviews)The Count of Carcassonne (CoC) is an expansion for the game Carcassonne. It is a starting point to be used in place of the river or single starting tile included with the basic game.
CoC allows players to "stash" pieces in the town. As the game progresses, they can draw on these pieces to take control of valuable map features (cities, roads, cloisters, farms) as other players score. It makes the game more complex and adds another dimension to strategy and game play.
The design of the tiles also eliminates the mega farms the often develop in the basic game.
I think those who prefer Carcassonne sessions heavy on strategy and competition for each and every scoring opportunity, will enjoy this expansion the most. We enjoy it but don't play with it often.

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This small expansion adds the 12 tiles that represent the actual city of Carcassonne and are the starting tiles for the game. During the game, players who help others score points may place followers in the city and later move them to scoring features out

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Carcassonne: Traders Review

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(More customer reviews)This is an expansion for the Carcassonne game; note that you need the original game to use this. Also note that this is not compatible with the Hunters and Gatherers version of Carcassonne.
This expansion introduces trade goods into cities. When a city is completed, the person collects all goods inside the city (this person who completes the city may not be the same person who controls a city -- this introduces incentive to complete an opponent's city.) The person who had a majority of one of the three trade goods collects 10 extra points at the end of the game, which may give a 30 point swing at the end.
A builder is also introduced. A builder is placed on either a city or a road that you already control. When you add a tile to this road or city, you get to take an extra turn (maximum of one extra turn.) This can really help complete a city.
Finally, a farmer is introduced; it's placed in a field you already control and all fields are worth a puny extra point. (So at the end of the game a city would score 5 points instead of 4.) This is the single worst addition to the game in both expansions, as it has little effect on the game. But the rest of the game is good.
There are a lot of new city tiles, many of them "strange" in the way they cut off cities and fields. It's worth playing. A bag is included for storing tiles which solves the problem of the 1st expansion having slightly different colored backs. (Something I didn't notice until pointed out to me.)

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This 2nd expansion takes Carcassonne to new dimensions of fun and excitement. Traders can earn players extra points and builders enable players to place extra tiles, allowing the cities and roads to grow faster. A pig, properly placed, can enrich the value of a farm. Also included is a small cloth bag for the tiles, making it easier to shuffle and draw them during the game. Traders & Builders is not a complete game, but must be played with Carcassonne.

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Inns and Cathedrals Review

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(More customer reviews)Note that this is an expansion set to the original Carcassonne game; you need the main game before you can use this. (Also note that this is not compatible with the Hunters and Gatherers set.)
This expansion introduces several new city, temple, and road tiles which aren't in the original set. It adds two types of tiles -- two "Cathedral" tiles, which causes a city to be worth 3 times the points if it is finished, or makes a city worth nothing at the end of the game if it isn't finished. It also adds a handful of "Inn on the lake" tiles which makes a road worth 2 times the points when finished or worth nothing if unfinished at the end of the game. Finally, a new pawn is included, which is worth two people when determining ownership of completed sections.
There are two disadvantages with this set -- the backs are slightly different than the original set, which I didn't originally notice. It's not too bad, but it was bad enough for the hardcore players that a bag is given in a later expansion set to solve this problem. The other disadvantage is that it is sometimes difficult to tell which one of your pawns is the big guy, as the only difference is that it's slightly bigger. I've been meaning to paint small sheriff badges on mine to make it easier to tell the difference.
In the end, it's a very nice expansion for one of the greatest board games I've ever played.

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The expansion offers all fans of Carcassonne new challenges: The Cathedral triples the value of a city, and the Inn doubles the value of a road but only when they are completed. Players may use the new large follower to double their chances of controlling a city, road, or field. Also included is all necessary material to allow a sixth player to join in the fun. Finally, there are six point tiles to make scoring easier when players score more than 50 points. You need to have the Carcassonne game in order to use this expansion.

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