Captains of Industry

I already had a soft spot for Captains of Industry, and coming back to it did not disappoint. It holds together remarkably well with five players without making the table feel overburdened; instead, it makes everyone watch everyone else very closely.

The game’s economic race runs across several fronts at once: prices, real estate and production. Having a plan for your own corner is not enough. You need to know which front is under pressure now, and which one is about to become the next battlefield.

And it is a battle. Players clash hard over prices, property and production, while the city cards can keep the game unresolved until very late. When they refuse to appear, the ending stretches out and everyone lunges for the opening they have been waiting for. That is when the pleasant chaos starts.

I cannot account for its unusually low BGG rating: this is an economic game with proper friction, and at five it becomes an outright scrap. It deserves to be easier to find, because this particular affection has not faded.

Updated session

The later play confirmed the first impression completely. The city cards were slow again, the finish became a scramble, and Captains of Industry remained our favourite five-player game.