Craftsmen

I bought it almost by accident, in an order where the game I actually wanted was unavailable, and then made the classic mistake: I read the first opinions on BGG and had a personal facepalm moment. In the end we put it on the table because there were three of us before the group filled out, fully prepared to stop if it weighed the evening down. Thankfully, I did not see the lifeless, scriptable, monotonous euro described in those comments. I saw a lively, heavy worker-placement game with plenty of choices and satisfying brain-burn, one that does not overstay its welcome if you do not let AP take charge of the table.

Its logic is a little reminiscent of Anno: you begin with resources, acquire and build buildings, and set up production chains. The aim is to turn what you produce into sales at the market or deliveries to ships, where the larger scoring lies. All of this runs through worker placement, set collection, and a somewhat unusual money system.

Interaction mainly comes from the pressure of worker placement and from how much room the other players’ choices leave for your own production and selling plans. At three, the game felt quite smooth to me and not overly long; with more players I expect more congestion and more thought before each placement. It is not difficult because its rules require endless explanation, but because the central concepts need to click before you can start seeing what you can actually do.

My final verdict is that its BGG rating is unfair to it, but I would not call it the next Arkwright or a hidden masterpiece. It is a good heavy euro for groups that enjoy production chains and weighty decisions, provided they have patience for the initial familiarisation and do not treat it as a light appetizer. And yes, the bashing has one practical benefit: you can often find it for a ridiculous price on the second-hand market.

Updated session

The second play was noticeably smoother, mainly because I could explain it better by then. Once you stop wrestling with its concepts, its possibilities become clearer—but so does its drier, more repetitive side. So my initial positive impression was not overturned; it simply came back down to earth: Craftsmen is a hidden zircon, not a diamond. It remains worthwhile for fans of heavy euros, especially at the prices it goes for used.