Hellenica: Story of Greece

If you care deeply about ancient Greek history, do not approach this box as a textbook. It is a shiny mythological playground with no concern for keeping Troy, Sparta, the Aegean islands and Charybdis in separate lanes. The mythic edition puts literally countless bits of plastic on the table, and the whole thing can have that slightly embarrassing, overcommitted Cyclades energy. You may wince a little. Then you start playing.

Under the spectacle is an honest borrowing from Clash of Cultures, mixed with old-school Lang ameritrash and a more modern fondness for solo play. There is no grand new idea here that will rearrange your collection; there is enough substance, though, to move forces around the map, build pressure and work out where the next blow should land.

The good news is that, with a large group, you are not merely waiting for your turn and admiring plastic figures. Players collide, step into one another's space, and the table produces proper commotion with very little downtime. You will attack your friends and enjoy it. That is the game at its best.

There is one thorn that no helmet can hide. Hellenica is built for seven players: even the random map fixes the capital locations. At lower counts, you either add bots or accept that someone begins with a substantial advantage. It just about holds together with five, becomes good with six, and finally speaks at full volume with seven.

Do not take it too seriously, either as historical reconstruction or as a triumph of originality. But for seven people who want a dudes-on-a-map game with theme, depth and proper fighting, it is a very fair proposition — and a better one than Mare Nostrum, whose reputation has been rather more generous than it deserves. If you cannot gather those numbers, look at one of the Dark Ages games instead.